{"id":68550,"date":"2025-07-17T00:48:19","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T00:48:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/68550\/"},"modified":"2025-07-17T00:48:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T00:48:19","slug":"11-pro-tips-to-instantly-elevate-your-golden-hour-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/68550\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Pro Tips to Instantly Elevate Your Golden Hour Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-perfmatters-preload=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Adobe-Featured-Image-1-800x420.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"420\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-804610\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>The long days of summer offer a unique advantage for photographers: an abundance of golden hour light. This seasonal extension of the coveted \u2018magic hours\u2019 provides more time for photographers to work with the soft, beautiful light that can transform a scene. <a href=\"https:\/\/lightroom.adobe.com\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Adobe Lightroom<\/a> and Sony Ambassador <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colbybrown.com\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Colby Brown<\/a> shares with PetaPixel his process of mastering this unique light, providing practical techniques for both in-camera capture and post-processing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Full disclosure:<\/strong> This article was brought to you by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adobe.com\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Adobe<\/a><\/p>\n<p>For <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colbybrown.com\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Colby Brown<\/a>, a full-time travel, landscape, wildlife, and humanitarian photographer, the pursuit of golden hour light is less about technical perfection and more about narrative potential. He sees the golden hours as a tool for telling a more profound story. \u201cGolden hour isn\u2019t just about warm light; it\u2019s about a fundamental shift in the world\u2019s personality,\u201d Brown explains. \u201cThe harsh, direct light of midday gives you facts, but the soft, directional light of sunrise and sunset gives you feeling. It gives you a mood. That\u2019s the foundation of any good story, and as a photographer, that\u2019s what I\u2019m always chasing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, Brown is quick to acknowledge that the fleeting nature of golden hour light can be intimidating, creating a pressure to perform that can block creativity. He understands that for many, the brief window of perfect light feels more like a frantic race against time than a creative opportunity. \u201cI think every photographer remembers the feeling of panic during their first few golden hours,\u201d he says. \u201cThe light is perfect, it\u2019s changing every second, and you\u2019re fumbling with settings, feeling like you\u2019re missing it all. The secret is realizing that mastery doesn\u2019t come from being faster, but from being more prepared. It\u2019s about slowing down, having a plan, and learning to trust your creative vision instead of just reacting to what\u2019s in front of you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brown shares his essential tips for capturing and enhancing the spectacular light of summer\u2019s golden hours using the powerful tools within <a href=\"https:\/\/lightroom.adobe.com\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Adobe Lightroom<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> Plan Accordingly to Maximize Creativity <\/p>\n<p>To avoid the frantic feeling that many photographers experience when they first begin to document during the golden hour, Brown asserts that having a solid plan is the single most important step a photographer can take. He sees preparation not as a restriction on creativity, but as the very thing that enables it. By handling the logistical work beforehand, a photographer is able to focus on their creative goals when the light is at its peak.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Plan-Bolivia-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A person with a camera on a tripod stands on a reflective, colorful surface at sunset, surrounded by vibrant pink, orange, and purple clouds.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804611\"  \/>Sony a7R V, 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM II | 24mm, 5 seconds, f\/2.8, ISO 200. Bolivia <\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor me, planning isn\u2019t about removing spontaneity; it\u2019s about removing the panic,\u201d Brown states. \u201cThe best images are born from intention, not from luck. When that incredible light arrives, a moment that might only last for a few minutes, you want to be completely focused on creating, not scrambling to find a composition. The goal is to be in the right place at the right time, with a vision already in mind. That preparation is what gives you the freedom to truly see and react to the beauty in front of you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brown\u2019s planning process involves two key phases: digital and physical. He uses apps like PhotoPills to understand exactly where the sun will rise and set, allowing him to predict how the light will interact with the landscape. But he believes there is no substitute for scouting a location in person, ideally well before the golden hour.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Plan-Patagonia-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804612\"  \/>Sony a7R II, 24-70mm f\/2.8 GM | 58mm, 2 seconds, f\/16, ISO 64. Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhenever possible, I\u2019ll visit a location a day or two before I plan to shoot,\u201d he explains. \u201cI walk around, get a feel for the place, and start mentally framing shots. I\u2019m looking for compelling foregrounds, like a patch of wildflowers or an interesting rock formation, and leading lines that will draw the viewer\u2019s eye into the scene. That way, when the golden hour begins, I\u2019m not discovering a location; I\u2019m executing a pre-determined vision.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> Take Full Control with Manual Mode <\/p>\n<p>At the heart of Brown\u2019s photographic philosophy is one non-negotiable principle: taking full creative control by shooting in Manual mode. \u201cA camera\u2019s automatic modes are programmed to produce technically correct exposures,\u201d he explains. \u201cHowever, my goal isn\u2019t capturing the perfect technically correct exposure in camera; it\u2019s the intentional pursuit of a specific mood, feeling, and story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA camera\u2019s auto modes are incredibly smart, but they have one objective: to create a balanced, middle-of-the-road exposure,\u201d Brown continues. \u201cThey see light and shadow and try to average them out. But my job as a photographer isn\u2019t to average the world; it\u2019s to find a specific story within it. Manual mode is the only way to ensure the camera is capturing my vision, not its own interpretation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Manual-Mode-Zambia-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A hyena walks through shallow water at sunset, its silhouette highlighted against the vivid orange and red reflections on the water\u2019s surface.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804619\"  \/>Sony a1, 600mm f\/4 GM OSS + 1.4x Teleconvertor | 840mm, 1\/1600 sec, f\/5.6, ISO 400. Zambia <\/p>\n<p>This control is especially critical in Brown\u2019s wildlife photography, where light and animal behavior can change in an instant. \u201cBeing able to independently adjust aperture, shutter speed, and ISO allows me to make creative decisions on the fly, prioritizing what matters most for the shot,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI remember shooting during golden hour on an overcast day, waiting for birds in flight,\u201d Brown recalls. \u201cI knew I needed a very fast shutter speed to freeze the action, which meant I had to push my ISO to 1600 to get a proper exposure. With my aperture locked at f\/5.6 for optimal sharpness and a shutter speed of 1\/2000th of a second, the camera\u2019s auto modes would have compromised one of these settings to get the \u2018correct\u2019 exposure. But in Manual mode, I could prioritize the motion-stopping power I needed, knowing that Adobe Lightroom\u2019s AI-Powered Denoise would handle any noise in post-processing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Manual-Zambia-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804620\"  \/>Sony a1, 600mm f\/4 GM OSS | 600mm, 1\/1000 sec, f\/4, ISO 400. Zambia <\/p>\n<p>That confidence comes from shooting in RAW and knowing what\u2019s possible in post-processing. With the powerful <a href=\"https:\/\/helpx.adobe.com\/lightroom-classic\/using\/noise-reduction.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">AI-Powered Denoise and masking tools<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/lightroom.adobe.com\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Adobe Lightroom<\/a>, Brown knows he can manage the technical consequences of his in-field creative decisions to bring his final vision to life.<\/p>\n<p> Shoot in RAW for Ultimate Flexibility <\/p>\n<p>Shooting in Manual mode is only half of the equation for gaining total creative control, Brown says. The other essential piece is capturing images in the RAW file format. \u201cWhile JPEGs are convenient, they are a finished product with baked-in decisions about color and exposure,\u201d he states. \u201cA RAW file, by contrast, is the unprocessed data straight from the camera\u2019s sensor, providing the maximum possible information for post-processing in <a href=\"https:\/\/lightroom.adobe.com\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Adobe Lightroom<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-RAW-Edit-India.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804621\"\/>Sony a1 II, 600mm f\/4 GM OSS | 600mm, 1\/1250 sec, f\/4, ISO 1250. India<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor me, shooting in JPEG is like getting a printed photograph from a lab. The creative editing decisions have already been made for me,\u201d Brown continues. \u201cA RAW file, on the other hand, is the digital negative. It\u2019s the raw potential of the scene, containing every bit of data my sensor captured. It gives me the ultimate flexibility in post-processing to bring the story I envisioned in the field to life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This flexibility is most critical when dealing with the high-contrast light of the golden hour. Scenes with bright skies and dark foregrounds often exceed what a camera can capture in a single, balanced JPEG.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDuring golden hour, the dynamic range is often extreme,\u201d Brown explains. \u201cA JPEG file will often crush the shadows into pure black or blow out the highlights in a sunset to pure white, and that data is lost forever. With a RAW file, I have the data to go into <a href=\"https:\/\/lightroom.adobe.com\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Adobe Lightroom<\/a> and pull back those highlights to reveal color and texture, or lift the shadows to show detail that was hidden. It\u2019s not about \u2018fixing\u2019 a photo; it\u2019s about having the creative latitude to fully express the scene as I experienced it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-RAW-Final-Patagonia.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"534\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804622\"\/>Sony a1 II, 600mm f\/4 GM OSS | 600mm, 1\/1250 sec, f\/4, ISO 1250. India <\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, shooting in RAW means that critical settings like white balance are not permanently baked into the file, allowing for non-destructive adjustments in Lightroom to perfectly enhance the warm or cool tones of the golden hour.<\/p>\n<p> Look for Silhouettes to Create Drama <\/p>\n<p>One of the most powerful tools available to a photographer during the golden hour is also one of the most frequently overlooked: the silhouette. Brown believes that many photographers are so focused on achieving a perfectly balanced exposure that they miss the immense artistic potential of intentionally underexposing a subject. A silhouette is a deliberate creative choice that shifts the focus from the details of the subject to the power of its form against a dramatic, colorful sky.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Silhouette-Australia-534x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"534\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804623\"  \/>Sony a7R III, 70-200mm f\/2.8 GM OSS | 70mm, 1\/1000 sec, f\/7.1, ISO 200. Australia<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA great silhouette can often be more emotionally impactful than a perfectly lit portrait,\u201d Brown says. \u201cIt strips away the distraction of detail and forces the viewer to focus on the two most important elements of that moment: the raw emotion of the color in the sky, and the subject. It adds a layer of mystery and drama, transforming a simple scene into a powerful statement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Achieving this effect requires taking full control away from the camera\u2019s automatic settings, which will always try to correct the scene by brightening the subject. \u201cThis is a situation where Manual mode is non-negotiable,\u201d Brown explains. \u201cSince the camera\u2019s auto modes are programmed to find a balanced exposure, which is the exact opposite of what I want, I have to be the one to make the creative decision.\u201d The technique is straightforward: switch to Manual mode and meter for the brightest part of the scene, the colorful sky, which will plunge your foreground subject into a deep, defined shadow.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Silhouette-India-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804624\"  \/>Sony a1, 400mm f\/2.8 GM OSS | 400mm, 1\/20000 sec, f\/2.8, ISO 100. India <\/p>\n<p>A silhouette simplifies the composition down to its most powerful elements, creating a timeless feel. \u201cBy stripping away the specific details of a subject, you sometimes create a more universal story,\u201d Brown notes. \u201cIt could be any person or animal on that ridge or any tree on that hill, and that ambiguity allows the viewer to more easily place themselves within that powerful, graphic scene.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> Shoot Wide Open for Subject Separation <\/p>\n<p>For photographers looking to make their subjects pop in golden hour, especially in wildlife photography, Brown advocates for shooting with a wide aperture. \u201cShooting wide open involves using a low f-stop number, usually the lowest on your lens,\u201d he explains. \u201cFor instance, most of my lenses allow me to get a wide open aperture of f\/1.4, f\/2.8, or f\/4, which creates a shallow depth of field, effectively separating my subject from its environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Wide-Open-Alaska-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A close-up of a bald eagle with a sharp yellow beak and white head, looking to the left, against a blurred blue background.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804625\"  \/>Sony a1, 600mm f\/4 GM OSS | 600mm, 1\/3200 sec, f\/4, ISO 250. Alaska <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I\u2019m photographing wildlife during golden hour, I\u2019ll almost always shoot with my lens wide open,\u201d Brown says. \u201cIt accomplishes two critical things at once. First, it lets in a massive amount of light, which is crucial when the sun is low. This allows me to maintain a fast shutter speed to freeze the motion of a bird in flight or a tiger on the move. Second, it creates that beautiful separation between the subject and the background.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This separation is a powerful creative tool. By rendering the background as a soft, out-of-focus blur, it eliminates distractions and directs the viewer\u2019s attention precisely where Brown wants it.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Wide-Open-India-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804626\"  \/>Sony a1, 400mm f\/2.8 GM OSS | 400mm, 1\/2000 sec, f\/2.8, ISO 800. India <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe effect is that the background just melts away into this soft, beautiful wash of golden color,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt\u2019s a powerful way to isolate my subject and guide the viewer\u2019s eye exactly where it needs to go. All the focus is on the animal and the beautiful quality of the light hitting it. It\u2019s one of the quickest ways to give an image a professional, almost cinematic feel, turning a simple portrait into a much more impactful story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> Add a Touch of Fill Light to Backlit Subjects <\/p>\n<p>While a powerful silhouette can create incredible drama, there are times when Brown wants to retain key details in a backlit subject. \u201cFor these situations, I use a technique called fill light, which allows me to keep the beautiful, glowing rim light from the golden hour sun while revealing just enough information in the shadows to tell a more complete story,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Fill-Light-Iceland-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"Clear ice chunks rest on a black sand beach at sunrise, with golden sunlight reflecting off the wet sand and waves, and dramatic clouds overhead.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804627\"  \/>Sony a7R II, 16-35mm f\/4 | 19mm, 1\/6 sec, f\/11, ISO 100. Iceland <\/p>\n<p>\u201cFill light is essentially a way for me to gently add a touch of light back onto the front of my subject when the main light source is behind them,\u201d Brown explains. \u201cIt\u2019s the technique I use when the beautiful rim light is perfect, but I don\u2019t want to lose the details in an engaging foreground element or the texture in an animal\u2019s fur to complete shadow. It\u2019s about finding that perfect balance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The most direct method is to use an off-camera flash or a reflector to bounce light back onto the subject. \u201cBut that\u2019s often impractical in landscape and wildlife photography,\u201d Brown notes. \u201cYou can\u2019t exactly ask a bear to hold a reflector, and more often than not, your subject is too far away for a small flash to have any effect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Fill-Light-Kenya-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A male lion walks across a dry, grassy plain at sunrise with the bright orange sun low on the horizon, casting a warm glow over the landscape.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804628\"  \/>Sony a7R IV, 70-200mm f\/2.8 GM OSS | 70mm, 1\/400 sec, f\/2.8, ISO 640. Kenya <\/p>\n<p>Because of this, Brown\u2019s go-to method is often achieved in post-processing. \u201cMy favorite technique is to handle it in Adobe Lightroom,\u201d he says. \u201cIn the field, I\u2019ll expose my RAW file so it\u2019s just a little brighter than a full silhouette. For this backlit photo of a lion during golden hour in Kenya, I exposed for 1\/400th of a second at f\/2.8 and ISO 6400 to retain the rim light, then used Lightroom\u2019s masking tools to lift the shadows while keeping the highlights intact,\u201d Brown explains. \u201cThis gives me that perfect balance between the dramatic backlighting and the essential detail in the subject\u2019s features. The key is subtlety. I am not trying to make it look like they were lit with a studio strobe; I am just opening up the shadows enough to reveal that crucial detail, creating a beautiful, balanced image.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> Enjoy a Little Flare <\/p>\n<p>For decades, photographers were taught that lens flare was a technical flaw to be avoided at all costs, however, for Brown, this is a lesson he doesn\u2019t follow. \u201cFor me, intentionally shooting into the sun and embracing the resulting flare can be a powerful creative choice, adding a tangible sense of warmth and atmosphere to my landscape and wildlife images,\u201d he states.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Sunstar-Myanmar-534x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"534\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804630\"  \/>Sony a7R III, 70-200mm f\/2.8 GM OSS | 191mm, 1\/250 sec, f\/8, ISO 100. Myanmar <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen used thoughtfully, a bit of flare can add an incredible sense of energy and authenticity,\u201d Brown says. \u201cIt helps replicate the feeling of actually being there, squinting into the beautiful, low sun. It makes the final image feel more immersive and real, not sterile and technically perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brown often uses this technique to create a \u2018sunstar,\u2019 a sharp burst of light that can add a dynamic focal point to a landscape. This effect is most pronounced when the sun is partially obscured by a hard edge.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Sunstar-Namibia-533x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"533\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804632\"  \/>Sony a9, 16-35mm f\/2.8 GM | 16mm, 1\/1250 sec, f\/16, ISO 100. Namibia<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe sunstar is a specific effect I\u2019ll plan for,\u201d Brown explains. \u201cI look for a moment when the sun is just cresting the edge of a mountain or peeking through the trees. To get that sharp, star-like shape, I have to use a smaller aperture, so I\u2019ll stop down to somewhere between f\/11 and f\/16. The quality of the lens makes a big difference here, but the core technique is that I am using that high-contrast edge and a narrow aperture to transform the sun into a graphic element within the scene.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a technique that requires intention, but one that can transform an already beautiful scene into something truly special,\u201d Brown concludes.<\/p>\n<p> Experiment with Side Lighting to Create Dimension <\/p>\n<p>While most photographers are focused on the quality of golden hour light, its softness and color, Brown argues that its direction is an equally powerful, yet often overlooked, creative tool. \u201cUnderstanding how to use the directionality of light is what separates a simple snapshot from a dramatic, professional image,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Side-Light-India-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"A Bengal tiger walks through dry grass in a sunlit forest, its orange fur and black stripes standing out against the brown and yellow background. Its gaze is focused forward as it moves quietly.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-804641\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe all get excited about the soft, warm quality of golden hour light, but that\u2019s only half of the equation,\u201d Brown states. \u201cThe direction that light is coming from is what gives a scene its shape, texture, and dimension. It\u2019s the difference between a flat, evenly lit photograph and an image that feels dynamic and three-dimensional.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By positioning himself so the light source is to the side of his subject, Brown uses shadows as a fundamental compositional element, not as something to be avoided.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Side-Lighting-Brazil--800x534.jpg\" alt=\"A jaguar with golden fur and black rosettes drinks water from a river, looking directly at the camera, with rocks and foliage in the background.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804645\"  \/>Sony a1, 600mm f\/4 GM OSS | 600mm, 1\/1600 sec, f\/5.6, ISO 1000. Brazil<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think of sidelight as my paintbrush,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt rakes across a landscape, revealing every ripple in the sand or crevice in a rock face. In my wildlife photos, I use sidelight to illuminate one side of the animal\u2019s face while letting the other fall into a soft, mysterious shadow. I am creatively using light to define form and create a powerful sense of depth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Side-Lighting-Iceland-533x800.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of an Atlantic puffin facing the camera, with its colorful beak and white chest illuminated by warm sunlight, and a dark, blurred background.\" width=\"533\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804646\"  \/>Sony a1, 400mm f\/2.8 GM OSS | 400mm, 1\/4000 sec, f\/2.8, ISO 200. Iceland <\/p>\n<p>This technique is key to creating a more compelling narrative within the frame, Brown explains. \u201cFront lighting can be beautiful, but it tends to tell you everything at once,\u201d he describes. \u201cSidelight is more selective. It creates pockets of light and shadow, which builds a more moody, dreamlike atmosphere. It invites the viewer to look closer and makes the final image feel less like a simple record of a scene and more like a deliberate, artistic interpretation of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> Look for Panorama Opportunities <\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, the sheer scale of a golden hour landscape is too big to be contained within a single file. \u201cFor these incredible moments, I love to use one of my favorite landscape photography techniques; the panoramic stitch,\u201d Brown says. \u201cKnowing when and how to create a panorama is a critical skill for my landscape photography when I am looking to do justice to a grand scene.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Panorama-Patagonia-II-800x434.jpg\" alt=\"A waterfall flows into a rocky stream surrounded by vibrant autumn foliage in shades of red, orange, and yellow, with a tall bare tree trunk on the right side of the image.\" width=\"800\" height=\"434\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804647\"  \/>Sony a6500, 16-35mm f\/4 | 17mm, 2.5 sec, f\/14, ISO 100. Patagonia, Argentina <\/p>\n<p>\u201cA panorama isn\u2019t just about making a wider photo; it\u2019s a deliberate choice to immerse the viewer in the full grandeur of a location,\u201d Brown continues. \u201cI turn to this technique when I see a scene with compelling details stretching from left to right. It could be a massive mountain range catching the first light of day or a coastline lit by a fiery sunset. A single frame would feel restrictive, but a panorama invites the viewer to scan the scene and truly appreciate its scale.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brown\u2019s technique is methodical. \u201cI always shoot my panoramas with the camera in a vertical orientation, which gives me more height in the final image,\u201d he explains. \u201cI\u2019ll then take a series of shots, overlapping each frame by about a third to ensure <a href=\"https:\/\/lightroom.adobe.com\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Adobe Lightroom<\/a> has enough data to stitch them together seamlessly using the <a href=\"https:\/\/helpx.adobe.com\/lightroom-classic\/using\/create-panoramas.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Panorama Photo Merge<\/a> feature. A photo I took of Mount Fitz Roy in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colbybrown.com\/photography-location\/patagonia\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Patagonia<\/a> is a perfect example. A single shot would have been compromised by too much empty sky or uninteresting foreground. The panorama, however, captures the entire epic chain of peaks exactly as I experienced it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Panorama-Patagonia-800x285.jpg\" alt=\"Snow-capped mountains glow orange and pink under a dramatic sunrise sky with streaks of purple and red clouds above rugged peaks and ridges.\" width=\"800\" height=\"285\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804648\"  \/>Sony a7R IV, 70-200mm f\/2.8 GM OSS II | 200mm, 1\/30 sec, f\/5.6, ISO 100. Mt Fitz Roy, Patagonia, Argentina <\/p>\n<p>Brown says that the result is not only a more immersive composition but also a file with incredible detail. \u201cThe final image has a massive megapixel count,\u201d Brown notes. \u201cThis means you can print it incredibly large, allowing the viewer to get lost in all the fine details of that beautiful golden hour light.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> Merge to HDR for Maximum Dynamic Range <\/p>\n<p>Even with the power of a RAW file, some golden hour scenes present a challenge that pushes modern cameras to their limits: extreme dynamic range. For these situations, Brown uses High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography and the powerful tools in <a href=\"https:\/\/lightroom.adobe.com\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Adobe Lightroom<\/a> to create a single image that captures detail from the brightest highlights to the deepest shadows.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are moments, like a time I was photographing in an ice cave in Iceland during the summer solstice where the difference between the bright sky and the dark foreground is just too great for even the best camera to capture in one shot,\u201d Brown explains. \u201cOur eyes can see the detail in the deep shadows and the brilliant highlights simultaneously, but a camera can\u2019t. HDR is the technique I use to bridge that gap, allowing me to create an image that more accurately represents the incredible range of light I witnessed in person.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The process begins in the field with a technique called exposure bracketing. \u201cI\u2019ll capture a series of images, usually three or five, at different exposure levels,\u201d he says. \u201cOne is exposed for the bright highlights in the sky, one for the dark foreground, and one for the mid-tones.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Adobe-HDR.gif\" alt=\"View from inside a dark cave looking out toward a bright, cloudy sky. The cave entrance is irregularly shaped, and rocks and uneven ground are visible in the shadows at the cave\u2019s mouth.\" width=\"534\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804649\"\/>Sony a7R, 16-35mm f\/4 | 16mm, 5 seconds, f\/11, ISO 100. Iceland <\/p>\n<p>Back on his computer, Brown uses <a href=\"https:\/\/lightroom.adobe.com\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Adobe Lightroom<\/a> to combine these exposures. \u201cI import the bracketed shots and use the <a href=\"https:\/\/helpx.adobe.com\/lightroom-classic\/using\/create-hdr-photos.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">HDR Photo Merge<\/a> feature,\u201d he continues. \u201cLightroom intelligently combines the best parts of each photo into a new RAW DNG file. This gives me a single, super-flexible image with an incredible dynamic range to work with. It\u2019s not about creating an over-the-top, unnatural look; it\u2019s about having the maximum amount of data to create a beautiful, believable final photograph.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, Brown emphasizes the importance of restraint when working with HDR. \u201cThe goal is never to create something that screams HDR photo,\u2019\u201d he cautions. \u201cI use HDR to capture what my eyes actually saw, not to create a hyper-saturated, over-processed image that looks artificial. If someone can immediately tell it\u2019s an HDR photo, I\u2019ve probably pushed it too far. The technique should be invisible to the viewer, serving the story rather than becoming the story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> Guide the Eye with AI Masking &amp; Local Adjustments <\/p>\n<p>For Brown, capturing a great photo in the field is only the first half of the creative process. \u201cThe final, critical step to crafting an impactful image is moving beyond global adjustments and using local adjustments in <a href=\"https:\/\/lightroom.adobe.com\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Adobe Lightroom<\/a> to guide the viewer\u2019s eye and perfect the story,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA great photograph is rarely a single, uniform scene,\u201d Brown explains. \u201cIt\u2019s a collection of elements like a bright sky, a shadowed foreground, and a specific subject. Each element needs to be treated individually to tell a cohesive story. This is where masking comes into my Lightroom workflow. It\u2019s the process of selecting a specific part of my image so I can adjust it independently from everything else.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Adobe-Peacock-Local-Adjustments.gif\" alt=\"A peacock stands with its vibrant tail feathers fully fanned out, displaying colorful eye-like patterns. Rocky ground is visible in the foreground.\" width=\"800\" height=\"539\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804650\"\/>Sony a1II, 600mm f\/4 GM OSS | 600mm, 1\/1250 sec, f\/4, ISO 1250. India <\/p>\n<p>For years, this meant a meticulous process of using tools like the Linear Gradient or Adjustment Brush. But with the evolution of <a href=\"https:\/\/lightroom.adobe.com\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Adobe Lightroom<\/a>, this process has been revolutionized by <a href=\"https:\/\/helpx.adobe.com\/lightroom-classic\/using\/masking.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">AI-powered masking<\/a>, which dramatically speeds up the workflow.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Adobe-Local-Adjustments-Australia.gif\" alt=\"A colorful hot air balloon is being inflated near a white van on a vast, open plain at sunrise or sunset, casting a warm glow on the landscape under a dramatic sky.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804651\"\/>Sony a7RIII, 24-70 f\/2.8 GM | 52mm, 1\/50 sec, f\/2.8, ISO 1250. Australia <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe AI masks are an absolute game-changer for my workflow,\u201d Brown says. \u201cWhat used to take me many minutes of careful brushing, I can now do with a single click.\u201d Recently, Adobe unveiled the <a href=\"https:\/\/helpx.adobe.com\/lightroom-classic\/using\/masking.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">AI-powered Select Landscape Mask<\/a>, which simplifies editing by automatically selecting and creating masks for common elements found in landscape photos, such as sky, mountains, and vegetation. \u201cThese masks allow me to instantly isolate parts of my image and make targeted adjustments, like darkening a sky to add drama or brightening a subject, like a mountain range, to make it pop. It\u2019s an incredible time-saver that lets me focus on the creative choices, not the tedious selection process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Colby-Brown-Adobe-Local-Adjustments-Patagonia.gif\" alt=\"Dramatic snow-capped mountain peaks are bathed in warm red-orange light at sunrise or sunset, under a moody, cloudy sky. The rugged landscape below is shadowed with hints of green.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-large wp-image-804652\"\/>Sony a1, 70-200mm f\/2.8 GM OSSII | 83mm, 1\/200 sec, f\/5.6, ISO 400. Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile <\/p>\n<p>For the ultimate level of control, Brown uses Lightroom\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/helpx.adobe.com\/lightroom-classic\/using\/point-color-tool.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Point Color tool<\/a> within a mask. This feature allows for hyper-specific color adjustments that are perfect for the nuanced light of the golden hour. \u201cPoint Color lets me be incredibly precise,\u201d he states. \u201cDuring golden hour, I can select the sky, then use Point Color to target just the orange tones and subtly increase their saturation and luminance, without affecting the nearby reds or yellows. It\u2019s a level of granular control that is essential for getting those sunset colors to look exactly as I remember them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the techniques for capturing the golden hour are about more than just light. For Brown, they are tools of translation, designed to bridge the gap between a fleeting moment of beauty and a lasting story. It\u2019s about moving beyond the technical to capture the feeling of a place.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery lesson that I have learned that I incorporate into my golden hour photography, like planning, shooting in Manual, and editing in Lightroom, is assisting me to accomplish my ultimate goal, which is to remove the technical barriers between my eye and my creativity,\u201d he concludes. \u201cIncorporating these lessons into my workflow both in the field and in <a href=\"https:\/\/lightroom.adobe.com\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Adobe Lightroom<\/a> gives me the freedom to stop thinking like a technician and start thinking like an artist. The golden hour isn\u2019t just a time of day; it\u2019s an invitation to see the world with a little more wonder. And I accept that invitation as often as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colbybrown.com\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Colby Brown<\/a> is a Sony Artisan and photo educator who leads <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colbybrownphotography.com\/photography-workshops\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">workshops<\/a> to destinations such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colbybrownphotography.com\/photography-workshops\/the-great-migration-kenya-wildlife-photo-safari\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Kenya<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colbybrownphotography.com\/photography-workshops\/patagonia-photo-adventure-workshop\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Patagonia<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colbybrownphotography.com\/photography-workshops\/costa-rica-wildlife-photography-workshop-2\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Costa Rica<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colbybrownphotography.com\/photography-workshops\/indian-tiger-photo-safari\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">India<\/a>. More from Colby Brown can be found on his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colbybrown.com\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">website<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/colbybrownphotography\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Full disclosure:<\/strong> This article was brought to you by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adobe.com\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Adobe<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Image credits:<\/strong> All photos by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colbybrownphotography.com\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener\">Colby Brown<\/a><\/p>\n<p>      <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The long days of summer offer a unique advantage for photographers: an abundance of golden hour light. This&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":68551,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[4987,648,1032,1033,48533,171,48534,26393,1176,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-68550","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-adobe","9":"tag-arts","10":"tag-arts-and-design","11":"tag-design","12":"tag-editing","13":"tag-entertainment","14":"tag-goldenhour","15":"tag-sponsored","16":"tag-summer","17":"tag-united-states","18":"tag-unitedstates","19":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114865825737501059","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68550"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68550\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}