What do these stock photos all have in common? 
What makes these photos special — and good, saleable stock photos — is the quality of the light in them. Notice that soft, golden glow they all have? That’s because they were all taken during what’s called the “Golden Hour.” Last week we talked about taking photos during the “Blue Hour,” and getting that deep blue sky right before sunrise and after sunset. This week, to get a gorgeous, warm glow in your photos, try shooting when the sun is low in the sky during the first and last hour of light each day. This kind of light creates gorgeous landscape shots and it’s also a great time to photograph people. TRY THIS: To see how much difference it makes to shoot at the right time of day, try this exercise.
- Go on a walk around noon on a sunny day. Find a photo subject you really like… a tree, a bike sitting against a wall… or a person, and take a few shots.
- Go back to that same spot about an hour to 30 minutes before sunset, and continue shooting the same thing as the sun goes down.
- Look at the photos you got in your computer and compare the quality of light.
Shooting during Golden Hour can make a huge difference in the look, feel, and saleability of your shots. Just remember to give yourself plenty of time to get set up and figure out the best composition so that when the light gets good, you’ll be ready to capture some amazing images for stock! — Bonnie Bonnie Caton Creator, Breakfast Stock Club P.S. This month, Breakfast Stock Club Premium members are shooting stock photos with strong concepts and submitting them for review at the end of the month. Join in and get monthly professional photo reviews and Lightroom lessons here.
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The Latest from Your Breakfast Stock Club Facebook PageFrom Melanie Lynn:
Already sold 2 images from my Puerto Rico trip in February AND they were editorial! The images sold within 2 weeks of uploading. Woot woot! From Theresa St John: The fun thing about travel, for me, is being able to capture so many different images for stock and so many memories for myself. It’s such a big world out there! I love seeing it through the lens. Definitely have the travel/photography bug. I love uploading them to stock sites when I get home and then just watch them sell to designers. Photography makes my heart happy. From Marsha Wassel: Hi everyone! I just signed up for this adventure and welcome any advice anyone wants to send my way! Looking forward to the challenges and support this group will provide.