Interesting Photo of the Day: Golden Hour Meadow

Interesting Photos

There’s something about golden hour photography that sets it apart from the rest of the day. One key benefit of the magic hour light is the soft golden glow that it adds to the subject. Moreover, if you can backlight a subject with golden light, it’ll instantly positively impact your final image. Whether you’re shooting portraits or nature this way, the outcome will be noticeably better in any case. Take for instance the following image taken by photographer Caríosa Sullivan and see for yourself:

“Sun Kissed Meadow During Golden Hour” by Caríosa Sullivan (Via Reddit. Click image to see full size.)

Sullivan shot the image with an Olympus EM1 with a 40-150mm f2.8 lens.

If you look at the subject of the image, it’d be fair to say that there’s nothing extraordinary about the picture. It’s just a meadow after all. But what makes it stand out is how Sullivan captured the moment. The low-hanging sun has brilliantly illuminated the vegetation making them instantly pop.

With the golden touch of the magic hour, he’s really showcased the warm embrace of the setting sun. Moreover, the fact that light is not uniform adds an extra depth to the image and makes it more interesting to look at.

Adding to the moment are the beautiful bokeh of the suspended pollens. With them being backlit too, the bokeh adds to the mystical vibe of the image. Dreamy indeed!

As Sullivan rightly puts it, the following lines by Vincent Van Gogh are equally applicable to this photograph:

“There is a sun, a light for want of another word I can only call yellow, pale sulphur yellow, pale golden citron. How lovely yellow is!”

While many photographers consider golden hour light to be overrated, this image is a great example of why you should not take it for granted.