light ?

[paul11]

Hi all does anyone ever shoot in the middle of the day or do you find the early morning or late afternoon light to be a lot better,or do you think it does not matter,,,,,,,Paul.

[Wirralpix]

For landscape photography the golden hour after dawn and before dusk is best as it gives the best colours and shadow detail adding depth to a picture. I read an article by a professional specialising in flower photography that strong mid-day sunshine is not ideal for flower photography with a slightly overcast sky preferable to prevent glare off the leaves and petals.

[paul11]

I take it these times would also be best for bird photography,,,,,,Paul.

[gfilmsuk]

It does and it doesn't matter Paul.
I shoot around 2,000+ pics a week for a living and a lot are shot in the midday sun. Harsh shaddows, pollution and haze can be a problem at times especially with landscapes but with today's editing software a lot can be corrected. No doubt the politically correct armchair snappers will argue this at great length and tell you otherwise. People walking through a heat haze on a beach at midday can produce a stunning shot, something that's impossible at 5am.
If you plan your shots in your head first you shouldn't have any problems, after all, camera's don't take pictures, people do, the camera is just a tool like a plumbers spanner.
Plant photography is the only area than can be a problem but by using reflectors/diffusers/backgrounds etc. the strong light can be a bonus.
My advice Paul would be to get out and shoot load and loads and decide what looks good to you.
Dave

[Steve S]

Is the light you take photographs in important? You bet it is!

At the ends of the day, when the sun is low in the sky, the light gives a picture warmth and character. Photographers don’t call such times “the golden hour” for nothing. If you are photographing landscapes or wildlife, this is the best time for visually stunning results.

Unfortunately, light intensity is low at such times and shutter speeds will inevitably be slower than at other times of the day. Leaving you with the options of either upping the ISO (risking unwanted noise), or choosing your moment carefully and waiting until you subject is motionless.

At other times direct sunlight can be very harsh, resulting in over exposed highlight or deep black shadows, or even both. Photographs taken in these conditions don’t usually look good. If daytime is the only time you have available to photograph try and catch the sun just as it is being touched by the edge of a cloud. Light will be bright but nicely softened so that lots of detail can be seen in feathers etc.

Generally mid-day light is awful for bird photography, particularly if it is direct light. Not necessarily so during winter months, when the sun is low all day. By now sunlight is strengthening rapidly and on a clear day I find the light too harsh for photography before 10:00 am.

Steve

[richardkm]

Want the "golden hour" light colour in the middle of the day? Just shoot in RAW and alter the light temperature setting in Photoshop. With bird photography, the time of day is not that important, just the amount of light available.

[paul11]

Thanks for the quick reply’s that’s really helpful,,,,,,,,Paul.

[Chris_Johnstone]

Landscapes? Definitely the 'golden hours'. But if your subject only appears for 2 hours in the middle of the morning, it's a no-brainer. Research your shoot and take everything else as a bonus - just always be prepared.

Chris

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by richardkm

Want the "golden hour" light colour in the middle of the day? Just shoot in RAW and alter the light temperature setting in Photoshop.

You can certainly get the warm glow like that (or a reasonable facsimile of it anyway) but the golden hour also puts more depth and detail into landscapes because of the low raking sunlight. That can't be replicated in Photoshop.

Dave P.

[d70mpv]

Landscapes; preferably dawn and dusk but I've seen beautiful shots taken in breaks in the cloud in the middle of the day. I really don't subscribe to this "you have to do things at a certain time of day". It all depends on the particular lighting conditions. I went to see David Noton's exhibition in London last weekend and it's unsurprisingly called "Waiting for the Light" (David Noton Photography - Home). Essentially, that's what he does most of his life!

Wildlife; I wish that I had a lens that was fast enough to be able to take beautifully sharp shots at dawn and dusk in the woods, but I don't. Therefore the more light the better as far as I'm concerned, to a degree of course. I'd rather have a sharp shot than a 'golden' blurred one. I've heard Andy Rouse say as much, though he was referring to another photographer's chesnut, ISO settings (i.e. set 'em high if you have to, no use walking home with a card full of beautifully clear bokeh but blurred shots).

Just some musings...