A Guest Post by Xavier Burgin from QTL Images.
Professional or amateur, all photographers can agree shooting during the magic hour can produce aesthetically amazing results. Landscape photography especially shines during this period, but the magic hour is not restricted to landscape alone. Amazing portraits can be captured during these brief, beautiful times of the day.
Before you sprint out with a client, couple, or model there are a few things you should keep in mind to help you produce the best quality image during this period. For beginners, the magic hour is the first and last hour of sunlight during the day. The appeal of magic hour (or golden hour as some call it) stems from the warm glow, soft light, and saturated colors this time of day provides.
Still, like nighttime portrait photography, your camera alone may not capture images fully encompassing your subject along with the landscape. Expose for your subject, and the extra light could eliminate the visceral effect of magic hour as your portrait