When is the best time to shoot w/ color??

[japmula]

Hi!
I was just wondering, when is the best time (of day) to shoot color??
Thanks!

 

[voodoocat]

in the half hour after sunrise and the half hour before sunset. If you can get some clouds to diffuse the light yet is still directional is very good.

 

[Artemis]

I agree, you want thos elong shadows, and glowing light that the sun gives of at those times.

 

[japmula]

Cool, thanks! Is this true for B&W too?

 

[voodoocat]

Cool, thanks! Is this true for B&W too?

B&W captures a larger range of tones from black to white. So you can get very good results in any lighting. Though mid day lighting is still very boring since the shadows are harsh.

 

[ksmattfish]

BW can stretch the "magic" hour or half hour into 3 hours

My main photog buddy shoots E6, so he has to be very picky about his lighting. I shoot all BW, and he often comments how the world is a more forgiving place for BW photography. I've seen his light disappear, and he packs up his gear and waits while I finish what I'm doing. He loves a nice overcast day when he can just keep shooting and shooting; using E6 he gets a built in contrast boost.

 

[jadin]

Cloudy days are nice for color since it's basically uniform lighting. But it usually require some editing to de-flatten images.

 

[Sash[DSL]]

what do u mean by deflatteing?

 

[jadin]

A flat image is one that has very little contrast, Even things that are 3d objects, appear bland and flat.

To "de-flatten" you would add contrast to the image. (making the shadows darker, and the highlights brighter) The most common way to do this is to raise the contrast. I also like to match how much I raise the contrast with how much I lower the brightness. For example if I modify the contrast setting by 15, I would lower the brightness -15. This helps keep the image well defined and bold.

 

[Alison]

I also like to match how much I raise the contrast with how much I lower the brightness. For example if I modify the contrast setting by 15, I would lower the brightness -15. This helps keep the image well defined and bold.

Nice tip, I usually just up the contrast, I will try this next time!