Farmers Image of the Week: Capturing Golden Hour Portraits

Farmers Image of the Week: Capturing Golden Hour Portraits

FARMERS IMAGE OF THE WEEK

Olegs

Farmers Image of the Week: Capturing Golden Hour Portraits

I recently came across a discussion on Instagram where a photographer claimed that backlit golden hour photos are now out of style in wedding photography. Honestly, I’m not convinced. How can capturing gorgeous light and couples taking a moment out of their busy day ever be a bad idea? Trends come and go, but creating memorable experiences for your clients will never go out of fashion.

This beautiful photo by Olegs Samsonovs is perfectly composed, placing the couple in the centre of the frame and using the natural lines of the path and hedges to draw the viewer’s eye directly to them. The symmetry of the scene adds a sense of balance and harmony.

The backlighting from the golden hour sun is simply stunning. It creates a beautiful halo effect around the couple, emphasising their connection and adding a dreamy quality to the image. The lens flare adds an artistic touch, enhancing the romantic atmosphere without overpowering the subjects.

This photo is brimming with emotion. The couple’s intimate embrace and kiss are tender and genuine, capturing a quiet, shared connection. From a technical standpoint, Olegs has done an excellent job. The focus is sharp, even at 1.2 and the exposure is well-balanced, retaining details in both the highlights and shadows, which can be tricky with backlit shots.

What sets this image apart is its timeless quality. Regardless of current trends, the beauty of golden hour light and the authenticity of the couple’s moment will always resonate. This photo proves that classic techniques when executed well, remain powerful and relevant. So, let’s not get too caught up in trends. Instead, let’s focus on creating beautiful, heartfelt images like this one by Olegs Samsonovs. This photo is a perfect reminder that some things in wedding photography will never go out of style. Congratulations to Olegs for capturing such a timeless and emotionally rich image.

THE DETAILS

CAMERA: Canon R5 | RF 50mm | f 1.2

SETTINGS: ISO 100 | f 1.2 | 1/2000

PRESET: Own Preset

WHAT Olegs SAID

We always find beauty in the light and golden hour is our favourite – the glow and the feel it gives to the photo is second to none.

We always find beauty in the light and golden hour is our favourite – the glow and the feel it gives to the photo is second to none. This was one of the last shots at Vicky & Cat’s wedding on 27th May. They done half an hour of dancing and as we have been watching the light outside we knew golden hour is coming. We offered them to go for 10min walk to take the last shots in the sunset. They both were totally up for it! We kept it very simple with the posing, just walk and talk, look back, hug and kiss. Usually we keep golden hour photos in colour to see the glow, this time we decided to go black and white, because it felt right.

THE TECH TALK

Farmers Image of the Week: Capturing Golden Hour Portraits

Always experiment with the golden hour and don’t rush off home in May and June. I used 50mm 1.2 lens and I shot wide open at 1.2. I also used Cinebloom diffusion filter 10% to achieve glow and flare in the high light.

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