The golden hour for photography
The golden hour for photography
Just before sunrise, and just before sunset, is the golden hour for photography. Especially for landscape photos. The colors are softer, more vibrant, and shadows are long and interesting. Many an article has been written about the golden hour by people way more versed in photography than me. All I know is, it’s my favorite times of the day to take photos.
We had rain Sunday, and Monday. It’s been an interesting winter for weather. This is our third year wintering here, and the first year we have had any kind of rain. I’ve rather liked it. Monday evening it finally started to blow out of here, and Torrey and I had a great evening walk in the golden hour.
There was even a rainbow, well, part of a rainbow.
I took this photo of these saguaro, and when I looked at it on my computer I noticed a piece of rainbow to the left.
The red barrel cactus are so different against all the green.
The clouds were awesome as the sun got lower in the sky. This one looked like it wasn’t quite ready to give up raining.
As the sun got lower, there was a gap in the clouds for one last gasp of brightness.
And then, the finale. The clouds, the sun, and the colors all coming together for one last show.
We are leaving here tomorrow, and I’m pretty sad about that. I love the remote wildness here, it speaks to every part of me.
But, we have an art show in Litchfield Park, which is basically Phoenix, this weekend. We have to fund this crazy, wonderful, life we are living somehow. I hate the big city with a passion, but for us, it’s a necessary evil that we have to endure occasionally.
If you are in the area this weekend, come say hello, I would love to meet you. We will be at the Litchfield art and culinary festival. This is a new show for us, and we are excited to be participating. Fine wine, food and art. What more could you ask for?
Love the light peeping through the clouds and loved the colour in the last one. Have a wonderful Wednesday.
Best wishes Molly
Delightful images. Indeed captured in beautiful light.
Beautiful sky captures. I love the rainbow shots.. Enjoy your day!
Mary, OH MARY! That piece of the rainbow, that first photo as well with just the right golden light….you are a master at this. Now, I told my husband the other day that I really need to go out and get a new pair of glasses; I have been having a hard time reading with my current pair, and I noticed lately that my photography is really getting blurry. I HOPE that a new pair of glasses will help me focus better because as I study your photos, your EYE for the right angle and lighting is so impressive. I wonder if being able to SEE BETTER will help me! HAHAHAHHHHHHAHAA!
Lovely, lovely and so moving are your photos!
Sorry you had to leave this beautiful area so rich with colour and photo ops! Hope your sales were excellent!
Rainbows are tricky, but you got some and they look fabulous.
Sorry to see you leaving your desert digs. Really enjoyed being with you guys (via IPad of course). But I’m positive we’ll be seeing a lot more in the coming days. Have a great show.
PS – Love the red blooms on that tall cactus bush in your first shot.
More stunning photos – those last two took my breath away. The red barrel cactus is amazing! What an unusual burst of color to find in the desert. I’m SO with you about hating cities, but hey, if you have to go, it certainly softens the experience if you have good food and wine! ;) Good luck at the show, hope you both do well.
I’m going to send your blog link to my cousin Judi, hopefully she’ll follow your travels and someday you’ll meet. I know she was in Arizona recently and she is in Wyoming often. Enjoy the show and try to find some good in those big old nasty cities! Love Dolly
I have never heard of this Golden hour….. You captures the most beautiful photos so it must be true. I love the Barrel cactus the most. Good luck at the art festival.
I love the rainbow shot where it meets the ground. You can almost make out the pot of gold sitting there on the ground. Gorgeous!
i love the rain trailing from that cloud! good luck with the show!!
Beautiful! Love the partial rainbow shot. Good luck at the art show!
I never get tired of seeing your photographs! So lovely!
The last photo looks like it is from another planet. I certainly envy your talent.
Those pictures are so pretty! I love the red barrel cactus and the sunsets!!
I loved the golden hour pictures. Hope everything goes well this weekend at your show. I’m not quite close enough to come visit – Virginia’s just a little too far away.
I posted this about the golden hour when WordPress did a weekly challenge on it. I just had to share since (as usual) I was off on a different tangent.
Okay, it’s not letting me put the link here. If you go to my blog and search on “golden” it’s the first one that comes up.
Awesome. I will look it up.
So beautiful! I love the rainbow!
I love the Golden Hours more than any other time of the day. You definitely made some magic during the Goldens Hours! I feel the same way as you about big cities but sometimes they are necessary…
OMG!! These are so breathtakingly beautiful that I pinned nearly every one!!!! Just superb!!
Gorgeous shots – love the fragments of rainbow too.
The shots are just beautiful. Good luck this weekend Mary!
I think the golden hour is a misnomer. Doesn’t the lighting you’re talking about last less than 1 hour? Either way, I love those last images the best, a golden sun peeking through dark clouds. Just beautiful.
I had never heard about the golden hour, but I think those photos definitely proved that theory to be true! I hope your time in the city goes well, and you can get back to the wilderness soon!