Ahhh, fall. Pumpkin spice, apples, cozy sweaters—and sunsets that make everything glow. Around this time of year, we get earlier golden hours, which means more opportunities for dreamy, light-soaked dog photos. Let’s dig into why golden hour is magical and how you can make the most of it.
What is golden hour in dog photography?
Golden hour during the time when the sun begins to set. The closer the sun drifts to the horizon, the warmer and softer the light becomes. Typically this lasts an hour, but northern states like MN get pert near 2 hours!
There is also a golden hour in the morning too.
- Morning golden hour
- blue & golden tones
- eastern light
- potential for fog & still water in lakes
- starts at sunrise and goes almost 2 hours after the sun rises
- Evening golden hour
- gold tones & long shadows
- western light
- loads of backlit
- starts roughly 2 hours before sunset and goes until sunset (then we hit blue hour!)
Golden hour is a favorite for everyone due to the lovely golden warm light, the way the light tickles the edges of fur.
Why golden hour works so well for dogs:
- Flattering light for every coat color – from jet black to tigery brindle to snow white, golden hour makes every dog shine
- Longer shadows – more details and contrast that make details pop
- No more squinting – dogs can face into the sun without the squinty “damn that’s bright” expression
(bonus: people can face into the sun without squinting too!) - Rim light magic – that halo glow on the edges of their fur? Total drool worthy!
- Natural lens flare / dreamy haze opportunities – adds that whimsical golden feel without filters
How to photograph your dog at golden hour
Start with your time. If you’re aiming for the morning check what time the sun rises. Head to your location in darkness and be ready to embrace the sun as it emerges. If you’re aiming for the evening, check what time the sun sets and aim to arrive to your location an 1 or 2 before that time. (As in if the sun sets at 7:30 pm arrive at your location at 5:30 or 6 pm.)
Look for locations that have open areas with trees and grass that will filter sun as it sets or rises. Super open fields can work, but there will be a GINORMOUS white hot sunspot that can overpower your dog with haze and lens flares. You’ll find locations that are open but bordered with trees are ideal for sparkly, lovely light. And backlit tall grass (plus bugs) is quite dreamy!
Pro tip: Avoid being in the woods as the light likely won’t be as dramatic the deeper travel into them. You will also lose light faster in the woods vs being in a grassy area.
Think of the angle of the light you’re working with – backlight, sidelight and front light.
For dramatic backlight and rim light you’ll want your dog’s back to the sun. Backlighting can be a mite tricky as cameras tend to be overzealous about the amount of light coming into the frame and may turn your dog into a silhouette vs a detailed portrait. Play with your settings & aim to meter off your dog instead of the light of the background.
Play with sidelight (your dog turned sideways to the sun) for tons of detail and contrast. Play with front light (your dog facing into the sun) to get even warm light to fall over their face.
Something to note: the weather
If skies are clear to partly cloudy, there will be loads of lovely light for ample backlighting and golden edges (plus a chance for awesome sunset colors).
If skies are cloudy to fully overcast there won’t be the strong contrasty light – no backlighting. The sky diffuses the light and turns it into a lovely even light. Shadows will be quite soft, contrast will be low. Great for portraits, but these will lack the golden contrast as sought after during golden hour. Utilize it or pick a different weather day.
Common challenges & fixes
- Backlight struggles
- Strong backlit images can confuse autofocus → manual focus or focus & recompose
- Underexposed subject → meter on your dog or add some light from a reflective surface or with a flash
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Dark dogs disappearing → shoot with rim light or front light.
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Overexposed skies → underexpose slightly to retain details in the sky or embrace it
- Wiggly dogs → keep shutter speed fast enough
- A shutter speed of 1/500th & faster ought to freeze the motion of most dogs. Remember that a fast shutter doesn’t allow a ton of light to reach the shutter so you’ll have to add light with ISO or aperture.
- Be aware as the sun sets you’ll be losing light which means you’ll have to bump your ISO a bit more.
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Too much light → adjust your settings. Lower your ISO, stop down your aperture (f2.8 → f4 or more) or speed up your shutter.
Bonus creative ideas
While you are out enjoying golden hour, here are some creative ideas to try!
Silhouettes!
These are when your dog is just a black shape against the sky. Ideally you’re going to need to look for an area with lots of open sky. Get low. Lower. Yup lay on the ground. You want the sky to be the background behind your dog so your dog’s shape pops against the sky.
Aim to underexpose your image – you can do this by metering off the sky, speeding up your shutter, lowering your ISO or even stopping down your aperture. (Make sure your shutter speed stays fast enough to negate camera shake.)
Motion & action shots!
These are super cool when backlit as all the dust, bugs and spare hair will be illuminated by the sun. You can also have your dog trot towards them while facing the sun to ensure ample light hits them and helps freeze their movement.
Play with flares & starburst
Flares happen when sunlight enters your lens and gives an arched look to the light (and sometimes rainbows & “spaceships”). Avoid them by turning your lens slightly away from the light. Embrace them by tipping your lens into the light. Make sure to avoid having flares land on your dog’s face!
Pro tip: Different focal lengths will product different flares.
Starbursts happen when a lens is stopped down (around f13) and there is a point of light in the frame of your image. The edges of the light source will turn into a multi bladed starburst! Depending on how many aperture blades your lens has will be what gives your starburst the number of “arms”.
Golden hour is one of those magical times where the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Whether you’re booking a session for your dog or playing with your own camera, you’ll see why we photographers love chasing this light. Ready to plan your own golden hour adventure with your pup? Let’s make it happen. Book your session today!
