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With today's shot, I want to make a case for getting off the bed early to watch scenic vistas in the beautiful light of the morning golden hour. To the uninitiated, the golden hour happens about an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset. During this time, the light is exceptionally warm in color tone bringing landscapes to life. Since the sun is at its low orbit, the light also tends to come from the side rather than overhead and side lighting is more flattering than the overhead variety. If you have any doubt, check next time a wedding or portrait photographer set up their light for a photo shoot.
As a landscape photographer, the side lighting and the warm tones are invaluable as there is no way to recreate them by any sort of artificial means. While I tend to agree with Forrest Gump's statement that “And then in the desert, when the sun comes up, I couldn't tell where heavens stopped and the earth began” its hard not to let the colors overwhelm the composition. Sunrise, on the other hand, provides a more subtle version of the same conditions, which helps in telling your story in a better way. In general, the scene has natural warm colors. I tend to prefer to shoot it in the morning and if it has colder tones then during sunset. There are other elements like the direction of light and elevation that often influence this decision, but that’s a topic for another day. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this beautiful sunrise at Utah’s Dead Horse point State Park.