What is the best time to take pictures of landscapes?

United States
March 27, 2007 8:21pm CST
Most photographs if you look at them are at sunset or at sunrise, does this make it the best time to take a picture? I wonder if taking pictures of things during the midst of the day is just as beautiful as taking one at the two other times. I think that it just depends on where and when you take the pictures as to how beautiful they are. What is your opinion on this? SilentRose
2 responses
• China
28 Mar 07
To choose the time when the picture is at its best states is one of the things to do.More impaortant issue is the mind of the photographer,whether he or she is happy or sad.satisfided or upset,cause the picuture will be born with feelings of the taker. Sometimes,I watch a picture of red flower,I can tell that the man who took the pic are passionate and happy,while other time,when seeing a dark sunset,i know the man was in his hard time.
• United States
28 Mar 07
True enough the picture reprosents what the photographer is feeling, how dedicate they are to the picture. I like your response it help me understand a little more what people look at in a picture. SilentRose
• United States
10 Feb 10
This is a nice sentiment, but hardly true, except perhaps in the sense that a sensitive photographer can extract mood and vulnerability from his subjects. I have taken some bad photos when I was in a great mood, and some really awesome ones when I was not. In my case, I have been doing this for so long that I can transcend my mood and let the art form control me, not the other way around. It comes with experience.
• United States
10 Feb 10
Hi, Rose. I am a professional and my entire life is photography. You are very observant. Yes, most good outdoor photography is taken either near dawn and in the early morning hours or else during the hour or so before sunset, which is called "the golden hour", due to the warm, golden light that occurs very late in the afternoon. Whether you take pictures of people, or buildings, or nature scenics, it is vital that you shoot during these periods of time, as the light is most flattering and beautiful then. The midday sun creates bad lighting, washes out colors, and makes people look terrible. If you shoot people during the day, make sure that they have their backs to the sun and use fill flash to illuminate their faces. Or you can find a friendly patch of shade and avoid the sun altogether. No, a beautiful place is not all you need to make a beautiful photograph. You need the best lighting to bring that beauty out. The key to great photography is not to capture the beauty of a scene, it is to enhance that beauty with the use of good lighting. When you do this, you can make a place more beautiful in a photo than it looks in real life! The single most significant thing that separates a pro from an amateur is the mastery of light.