Ontario Golden Hour Engagement Session

The warm light during that hour before sunset is pure magic. If you're thinking about booking an engagement shoot sometime in the coming months (this IS the height of engagement season after all, and I know there are many of you out there already making plans!), definitely consider discussing the hour before sunset with your photographer as an optimal time for a portrait session. When the sun is low on the horizon, the shadows are less harsh, the lighting gloriously soft, and the temperature (of the light, not necessarily of the surroundings) is warm, casting a golden hue on everything it touches. This type of lighting also offers great opportunities for photographers to incorporate back-lighting, silhouettes, and sun-flares, which helps to create variety and interest in the images. This time of day is also especially beautiful on film, which has greater capacity to capture a full range of lighting situations in one image. For example, if you scan below to some of the images by Jessica Rose Photography where Jordan's hair is brightly lit, you can still see detail in her tresses, whereas with digital, this is more tricky to accomplish and more back-end processing is often necessary. With digital photography, bright light often leads to 'blown-out' or 'over-exposed' portions of an image where, for example, a white wedding cake or ivory gown are so bright that much of the detail is lost. Shooting with film, however, can eliminate this issue, if used skillfully and with a specific technique. Much of what is considered fine art wedding photography is shot in this way, and results in a soft look and smooth skin tones. If you gravitate towards this style of imagery, you might try looking for a fine art wedding photographer in your area. If you can't find one, well, Vale + Vine is a good place to start! Email jaime@valeandvine.com if you need a referral!