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Morning light, midday light and late-afternoon light


4 years 2 months ago #674356 by ClaudiaAnderson250
"Midday photography is the norm for many shooters, and the added warmth that you'll see in your pictures (that's usually associated with early
or late times of day) will surely get your attention. ... Morning and
late-afternoon light reveals lots of long shadows, while midday light is
"shadow less."

Book: Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson

My understanding of midday means ~ 11 AM to 3 PM, late afternoon means ~
3 PM to 5 PM and morning means ~ 9 AM to 11 AM. Is my understanding
correct?  If yes, then the preferred time of shooting is 11 AM to 3 PM?

Thanks.

PS: I posted this in the wrong thread before and I didn't know how to delete it. I left it as it is, and I am posting it here.
,
4 years 2 months ago - 4 years 2 months ago #674358 by Nikon Shooter

ClaudiaAnderson250 wrote: "Midday photography is the norm for many shooters, and the added warmth that you'll see in your pictures (that's usually associated with early or late times of day) will surely get your attention. ...

Lots of shooting is done when occupation, accessibility, chores,
availability, etc meet one's own time schedule. Add to that the
weather factor and the idea of "norm" just went overboard.

ClaudiaAnderson250 wrote: Morning and late-afternoon light reveals lots of long shadows, while midday light is "shadow less."

Not shadowless but it true that shadows occupy a lesser part of
the captured frame.

ClaudiaAnderson250 wrote:  My understanding of midday means ~ 11 AM to 3 PM, late afternoon means ~ 3 PM to 5 PM and morning means ~ 9 AM to 11 AM. Is my understanding correct?

Nothing is so absolute… Big puffy clouds in the sky may act as great
reflectors, haze and many other weather dependant features will al-
ways milden such time table.

ClaudiaAnderson250 wrote: If yes, then the preferred time of shooting is 11 AM to 3 PM?

I've been an image hunter for more that 40 years and I prefer to shoot
when there is light… there is beauty everywhere at any time and only
light will real it.


When it come to shooting, follow your own drive, curiosity, and creativity.
Light is free… capturing it is not!
Photo Comments
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4 years 2 months ago - 4 years 2 months ago #674368 by effron
"My understanding of midday means ~ 11 AM to 3 PM, late afternoon means ~
3 PM to 5 PM and morning means ~ 9 AM to 11 AM. Is my understanding
correct?  If yes, then the preferred time of shooting is 11 AM to 3 PM?"

Think dawn and dusk,  and those times change, of course. This time of year, there is NO "midday" light here in the north, the sun is low in the sky all day.
Don't over complicate it.
Why so serious?
Photo Comments
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4 years 2 months ago #674373 by Brachenland
These light occurrences would be referred to as "magic hour" "golden hour" or "blue hour" including moonlight. These are ideal times of the morning, early evening and moonlit nights for best possible images during those times. However, if one is using a polarization filter, midday has no limits as the sun is near directly over head. Polarization filters can then be used 90° from the sun or 360° (landscape) on all horizons.
Photo Comments
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4 years 2 months ago #674405 by garyrhook
There is no such thing as "bad" light, there's only light. Or, as I like to think of it, preferred light.

If you look at most calendars, postcards, and photos used to promote travel, you'll soon realize that most of those are taken midday. People want to see images of things as they'll personally witness, I think, and few people are out touring during the golden or blue hours.

The preferred shooting time of anyone serious about photography is generally not midday. There are exceptions, street photography being one of them.

That said, do what you want. Learn about light and shadow, and find what appeals to your aesthetic. If you have a goal, learn about what it takes to reach that goal: why does this image look this way? What was the lighting like? And train your eye to find those things that appeal.

All IMO, of course.
Photo Comments
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4 years 2 months ago #674434 by ClaudiaAnderson250
Thank you, everyone.
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