What does "blue hour" mean and how is it different from "golden hour"? “Golden Hour” in Photography What about man?

There are quite a few practices for one type of activity or another. But there is one simple rule that can be easily formulated in one sentence. Which can increase both activity and productivity of the whole day. And, even as a result of its strict use every day, it will change your life!

Golden Hour Rule

So, if you want to motivate yourself and increase your productivity:

“Upon waking up, immediately devote an hour of attention to the necessary activities!”

How to pay attention

It all depends on what activity you need to increase motivation for. The main options: read, study, watch relevant educational information on this activity, motivating literature, plan the day, analyze relevant data.

Why it will help motivate yourself

In general, this rule is an unspoken charter for many deeply religious people. During the first hour after sleep, they read religious literature and pray. It was well expressed by the 19th century religious figure, Henry Ward Beecher: “ The first hour of the day is a quick guide to the entire day." Those. you will start with God and spend the day with Him...

B. Tacy, trainer personal growth, also pays special attention to the “Golden Hour”. He is confident that the thoughts we have at the beginning of the day set a certain emotional and mental tendency throughout the day! Why not use this to your advantage then?!

As a neuro programmer - to programmers. Already mentioned earlier, Fr. The point is: our consciousness reacts differently at different times of the day. It's easy to install by yourself. In the morning, our internal analyst is a skeptic, and sometimes just a grumbler, has not yet woken up, which means that the consciousness is more inclined to self-hypnosis.

Follow this rule, and then: the Golden Hour will bring a Golden Day!

Professional photographers say that Golden Hour is the best time to take pictures. Therefore, in this article you will learn what it is and how to use it.

Photo by Sidious Sid.

If there is one thing in the world that can ruin a photograph more than any other, it is lighting. You can find the most beautiful landscape, buy the most expensive camera and flash, spend more than a week creating it, but without the necessary lighting, all your efforts will go to waste, resulting in only dull photographs that even the famous Photoshop cannot save.

And this is actually true, because it is often impossible to illuminate the subject using artificial lighting, so we, photographers, are very dependent on natural light.

Therefore, it is very important to find the right time with the right amount of light. Luckily, photographers have been looking for a solution to this problem since the invention of the very first camera, and they have found the perfect solution: the Golden Hour.

So what is the “golden hour”?

The golden hour, or, as it is also called, the magical hour, is the time, namely an hour after dawn or an hour before sunset, although exact time depends on your location and time of year. During the golden hour, the sun is low in the sky, giving off a soft and diffused light that is much better for photography than the harsh, harsh light of midday that many of us often photograph.

Lighting during golden hour is soft, diffused and warm. Photography by Martin Soica.

When shooting with this lighting, photos come out with less contrast, which reduces the chance of losing the subject due to too much shadow or, conversely, reflection. Additionally, a warm glow gives your photos a dreamlike look, while long shadows help highlight details, adding depth to your photos.

Another advantage of shooting during golden hour is that there are very few people on the streets at this time, so you can not only take photos in peace, but also take nice pictures, not crowded with people.

Rule

The golden hour rule is suitable for any street photography, both natural and big cities. Also during the golden hour, flowers and even objects such as cars turn out well. In general, anything.

Most professional photographers are so obsessed with this rule, and follow it so closely, that they simply refuse to shoot at any other time. But of course you shouldn't be so punctual. But still, these guys are worth listening to, because they are called experts for a reason and follow their advice.

Calculating the golden hour

The fastest and most convenient way to find out when golden hour typically occurs in your area is to use a golden hour calculator. Just type into Google: “golden hour calculator.” And you will certainly find what you need.

By calculating your golden hour, you can plan your shoot time in advance. Photo by Bethany.

If you don’t trust all sorts of calculators and like to find out everything yourself, then just find out when sunrises and sunsets usually occur for you. Next, based on this data, you will find your own golden hour. The main thing to remember is an hour after dawn and an hour before sunset.

Hints

Once you've made the decision to go somewhere during golden hour to take some photos, here are a few tips to run through your head:

Firstly, use a tripod. I think there is no need to explain why it is needed and how to use it. The main thing is to set your camera to long.

Secondly, get ready in advance. Arrive at your shooting location at least half an hour before the golden hour, as it comes sharply and most often unnoticed. It would be a shame to come and miss it, wouldn’t it?

Thirdly, follow the rule: the more the better. During golden hour, the light changes so quickly that two photos 2 minutes apart will look very different from each other. Therefore, shoot as much as possible, and at home select the best pictures.

Fourthly, Bring a flashlight and a thermos with a warm drink. Sounds obvious. But many people forget this. What you need a flashlight for is already clear, but a thermos is simply a gift from the gods, especially if you live in a country with a cold climate.

A photo taken during golden hour is colorful, rich and deep in color. The photo was taken by a person under the username sibbiblue.

The well-known expression “better late than too late” does not work in emergency medicine. In emergency cases, usually “both are worse,” and it is no coincidence that the concept of the “golden hour of salvation,” which originated in military medicine, gradually penetrated into all areas.

In war and beyond

The idea of ​​the "golden hour" dates back to the First World War. French doctors treating casualties on the battlefields found that the outcome of treatment often depended more on the speed of treatment than on the severity of the wounds. And with lesions of similar severity, the best outcome was definitely always in those patients to whom help arrived faster. Moreover, “faster” is not the difference between two hours and two days. Several tens of minutes turned out to be critical.

The term itself was introduced into widespread practice by R. Adams Cowley, an American traumatologist. He began his career as a military doctor, and extensive practice in this role led him to conclude that there was “an hour between life and death.”

Cowley became convinced that approximately 60 minutes after a serious injury, some irreversible or very difficult to reversible processes develop in the body. Later, having created his own trauma clinic, he became convinced of the validity of this rule not only for combat wounds, but also for severe injuries of any kind.

Despite the fact that evidence-based medicine does not confirm exactly the duration of the interval when something can still be done for the patient, there is no doubt that therapy should be started as early as possible. From the very first minute after injury, traumatic shock develops in the body. This is a cascade of pathological reactions caused by a large flow of intense pain impulses to the brain and significant blood loss.

With a sharp decrease in blood volume, the body tries to save the “most important” organs - the heart, lungs and brain. The so-called centralization of blood circulation occurs, when the remaining blood circulates along a “shortened” circuit. At the same time, other parts of the body slowly but surely die from a lack of oxygen and an excess of toxic products of their own vital activity. After a certain time (by the way, close to 60 minutes), changes in the deprived cells become irreversible.

It is also worth keeping in mind that in case of injury, the functioning of the cardiovascular system suffers through a reflex mechanism. Simply put, the victim may experience cardiac arrest, even if the heart itself is not damaged. The more severe and prolonged the shock, the more likely such an event will occur.

“Golden hour” in cardiology and neurology

Biological laws are the same for everyone, so the concept that came from military medicine is also relevant for “peaceful” specialties. During myocardial infarction, when a blood clot clogs an artery of the heart, its muscle cells - cardiomyocytes - begin to die.

According to standards, the maximum time for percutaneous coronary intervention that restores blood flow is 2 hours from the first contact of the patient with doctors. However, if blood flow is restored within the first hour, 60% of the cells from the affected area can be saved, and if during the second hour, only 10% can be saved.

The same thing happens with the ischemic version of a stroke, only in this case it is not the heart that remains without blood supply, but the brain. There is a chance for complete restoration of function only with successful thrombolytic (clot-dissolving) therapy within an hour. The more time passes beyond this period, the more residual effects the patient will have after recovery.

With a hemorrhagic stroke, the situation is somewhat different: since the brain substance is saturated with spilled blood, complete restoration of the damaged area is impossible. However, the faster help is provided, the less volume of brain matter will be damaged and the easier it will be for the brain to compensate for what is lost at the expense of neighboring areas.

Remember that the countdown of truly “golden” minutes begins precisely from the moment an attack develops or an injury occurs, and not from the time when you called “ ambulance" Be sure to inform your doctor as accurately as possible about the time of onset of the disease - this will help him choose the right treatment tactics.

Lidiya Kulikova

Photo depositphotos.com

During any photography session, the photographer's biggest concern is lighting. And when it comes to natural light, there's no better time than golden hour. The most magical photographs are taken exactly an hour after sunrise or an hour before sunset.

You've probably already taken photos during the "golden hour" or seen photos taken by other photographers. They have a very soft shine and golden tones. These are ideal lighting conditions for landscape photography and portraits.

So it will be absolutely useful to understand how to work with this type of light. For those who want to learn how to catch this special time, we have prepared a convenient basic guide.

Briefly about the “golden hour”

Golden hour is the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset. When the sun is in these sweet spots in the sky, the light becomes especially soft and reddish. The "golden hour" should not be confused with the magical "blue hour" in cinematography, which refers to the time before dawn and just after sunset.

Why is golden hour so special?

If you have ever observed this special time of day, you understand all its advantages. When the sun is low in the sky in the morning and evening, the light is diffused and, as a rule, softer. The photos take on an incomparable golden glow, and no harsh shadows are visible. This is a great time to create dramatic long shadows and highlight the texture of objects.

What can you shoot during golden hour?

Whatever! If you manage to catch the sun during this time of day, any object or subject in the photo will be very beautifully lit. Basically, you should experiment with different genres photography: shoot landscapes, portraits, city views, product photography and even macro photography.

But you're not limited to just shooting outdoors. This is a great time to take photos indoors - there will be soft natural light streaming from the windows.

1. Prepare

You need to prepare in advance for this type of photography. The fact that the “golden hour” occurs within a very short period of time really limits the time of a photo shoot. Decide where you will go and what you will film. The ideal time to shoot during the golden hour can be calculated using convenient golden hour calculator .

2. Start with front lighting

Let's start with the simplest thing: shoot your subject with their face facing the sun. If you're shooting portraits, there's no better time to photograph people. During the golden hour, the light is so soft that the model will not have to squint in the sunlight.

This example shows that the light is not as harsh as during the day. Fields acquire a special soft glow, and objects are beautifully illuminated, despite being exposed to direct sunlight.

3. Experiment with backlighting

Try placing your subjects between you and the sun - this will give you some really interesting backlighting or backlighting. The glowing effect around objects and subjects makes any portrait photo session special and romantic. To avoid light flooding the lens, focus on the foreground. Here you have many opportunities to experiment with angles and different effects.

As opposed to shooting facing the sun, backlighting creates those special long shadows that make the shot much more interesting. Notice the wonderful shine of a seemingly simple thing like dust. It takes on the same soft golden glow as the rest of the background.

4. Be sure to remove long shadows

When the sun is low, it creates really long and beautiful shadows. You have a unique opportunity to make your photos more visually interesting by capturing long shadows of trees, buildings and people in the frame. They will be a wonderful addition to your composition, no matter what you are shooting at the time.

This particular shot still shows the blue sky, which provides a breathtaking contrast to the golden glow at the bottom of the frame. The shadows of the trees and the sun's rays create an original focal point in the foreground.

5. Don't forget about contour lighting

If you focus on a subject when the sun is behind it, you will get a beautiful rim light. By focusing the camera in this way, you create a halo of light that frames objects in a soft glow. This halo, as it were, separates the subject from the background and, thus, gives it expressiveness and allows it to stand out favorably against the general background.

In this photo, the photographer managed to capture both the haze and the halo. The outlines of the artist are clearly visible against a muted background. And if you slightly change the camera angle, the light will flood the lens less, and the outline of the object will stand out even sharper and more effectively.

6. Try a haze effect

Haze is also an interesting effect to experiment with. By experimenting with the amount of light hitting the lens, you get either a sun flare, which we'll talk about a little later, or an interesting haze effect. To shoot or not to shoot haze is a personal decision for each photographer. If you expose your lens to too much sunlight, you will lose focus on your subjects, but with practice you can add visual interest to your portraits.

Don't confuse haze with . In this photo you can clearly see that the lighting was adjusted to provide enough light to the lens to create haze and give the frame a filter effect.

7. The glare of the sun turns everything into magic

Sun flare occurs when light hits the lens and creates a reflection of light. To get the most out of this effect, stand facing the sun and play with the amount of light hitting the lens. Because the light becomes softer during the golden hour, the highlights are more artistic.

This photo would be completely unremarkable, but the glare of the sun gives it dimension. In addition, by scattering light, reflections create the effect of applying a filter in the picture.

8. Perfect time for silhouettes

It's hard to find a better time to shoot silhouettes than the golden hour. By placing your subjects in front of the sun and shooting them in the same direction, you get impressive results. Silhouettes add drama to your photos, so try playing with the placement of your subjects in relation to the sun.

Most likely, this striking photo was taken after the golden hour. Despite this, the colors of the sky and the amazing colors contrasting with the silhouettes make it truly unforgettable.

9. Experimenting with bokeh

Don't focus on portraits, the golden hour makes everything magical without exception. For example, plants and objects truly come to life, and they seem to be surrounded by tiny reflections. To do this, you need to shoot facing the sun and position the camera so that the sun's rays flood the lens. To get the bokeh effect, simply shoot at a wide aperture. Golden Hour illuminates everything in the air, so water droplets and other particles in your photos will appear as golden highlights.

A great example of how, at the right time of day, haze and other particles in the air can create a truly magical atmosphere in a photo.

The golden hour is when your photos truly transform. Try to make the most of these magical hours in the early morning or just before sunset. Even if you take photos the way you usually do, your photos will effortlessly take on a dreamy and surreal feel. Remember that you don't have much time, so plan ahead to catch the golden hour in your city.

Look carefully at the photographs and think about what unites them (well, besides the fact that they are breathtaking).

• In addition, with an open aperture, the entire photo will look softer - smoother gradients in the sunset sky, smoothed, gradually dissolving rays of the setting sun. Light intensity decreases very quickly during golden hour, so keeping your aperture open will help you shoot without a tripod while avoiding shooting at high ISOs.
• Don't stop taking photos. The beauty of the golden hour is that the light changes quickly in both intensity and color temperature. Therefore, you need to accomplish as much as possible in this short period of time.
• Adjust white balance manually. Golden hour is not the best time to rely on automatic white balance. What is important here is not precision, but a more artistic approach. Try using the cloudy white balance mode to add warmth to your photos and enhance that magical golden glow. Or, during further conversion from RAW and processing, adjust the colors so as to convey all the beauty of a golden sunset.