Why Golden Hour is Overrated (And What I Shoot Instead)
Why Golden Hour is Overrated (And What I Shoot Instead)
Because there’s more to great photos than golden hour.
Right, I’m going to say something that’s going to ruffle a few feathers in the wedding photography world, and honestly? I’m absolutely fine with that.
Golden hour is overrated.
There. Said it. Coming for the whole industry on a Tuesday.
Now before you close the tab , I’m not saying it’s ugly. Golden hour is genuinely, objectively stunning. That warm, syrupy light at the end of the day, long shadows, everything glowing like you’ve accidentally wandered into a Terrence Malick film. It’s beautiful. I’m not a complete monster.
But here’s the thing. It’s become a crutch. A shortcut. The photographic equivalent of putting “passionate team player” on your CV, technically fine, means absolutely nothing, everyone’s doing it.
Every golden hour wedding photo looks roughly the same. Warm tones, soft focus, couple kissing in a field while the sun melts dramatically behind them. Beautiful. Completely, utterly interchangeable. You could swap the couples out between albums and half the time you’d never notice.
And I’m a bit bored of it, if I’m honest.
Harsh Light Is a Skill, Not a Problem
Here’s what nobody tells you: knowing how to work in difficult light is where actual craft lives. Harsh midday sun, the kind that has everyone squinting and reaching for their factor 50, yeah, it’s unforgiving. You can’t just point and shoot and get lucky. The shadows are hard, the contrast is brutal, and if you don’t know what you’re doing it’ll show up slap bang on the faces of every single person in the shot. But if you do know what you’re doing? The drama you can pull out of scorchio overhead light is genuinely something else.
The contrast, the depth, the way it carves out shapes and creates something that looks more like a film still than a wedding photo. It requires actual thought. Actual skill. And the results, when it works, are the kind of photos people print huge and hang on their walls. Group shots? Different conversation entirely. Nobody wants five generations of family squinting into the sun with unflattering shadows under their chins. Get everyone into open shade, sort the group shots out properly, sorted. But couples portraits in harsh directional light, working with what the day gives you rather than waiting for the perfect conditions that may or may not show up? That’s where it gets interesting.
OVERCAST WEDDING PHOTOS
The Actually Underrated One: Overcast Days
Gotta tell you something that will change how you feel about grey skies on your wedding day. Overcast light is a wedding photographer’s secret weapon. Flat, even, diffused light that wraps around faces, renders skin tones perfectly, and removes harsh shadows completely. No squinting. No unflattering under-eye shadows. No frantically chasing the right angle to avoid the sun blowing out half the frame.
I’ve shot some of my favourite portraits on days when it looked like it was about to absolutely tip it down. The light was perfect. The couple were relaxed because they’d stopped worrying about the weather. The photos were brilliant. Yorkshire in August, if you’ve not visited, has a habit of being overcast. A lot. Overcast days aren’t the consolation prize. For portraits, they’re often the main event.
And Then There’s Artificial Light
Disco balls. Neon signs. Fairy lights. Candlelight.
Right, this is the one I get genuinely excited about and I don’t care who knows it. Disco balls. Neon signs. Fairy lights strung across a barn ceiling. Candlelight at the dinner table. The blue strobes at the end of the night when everyone’s lost a shoe and the speeches are a distant memory. The reception photos that most photographers don’t bother trying for – because it’s technically harder, because the light is low and weird and unpredictable – are the ones that couples are almost always most surprised by when they see the final gallery. Because nobody was expecting them. Nobody was posing. Nobody even knew I was there half the time.
There’s something about a photo taken in artificial light, in a room full of people who’ve forgotten the photographer exists, that captures the actual day in a way that a perfect sunset portrait simply can’t. It’s chaotic and warm and alive and it looks like how the night actually felt. That, to me, is what photography is for.
So What Does This Mean For You?
If you’re engaged and you’re planning your day around chasing the perfect golden hour, I’d gently suggest loosening your grip on that a bit. Because here’s what I’ve learnt after photographing weddings across Yorkshire and beyond: the best photos don’t come from the best light. They come from the best moments. And the best moments happen at all hours of the day, in all kinds of light, on overcast Tuesdays and sunny Saturdays and chaotic Saturday evenings when the DJ’s turned it up and nobody cares about the photos anymore.
A great photographer makes great photos in every condition. If they can only deliver in one type of light, they’re only great for about an hour a day.
Hire someone who can handle the whole day. The rest will take care of itself.
Planning a wedding in Yorkshire and want photos that actually look like you?
Planning a wedding in Yorkshire and want photos that actually look like you? Have a look at how I work and get in touch.
Let’s Eat, Drink and Be Merry!
There are some amazing places to celebrate your wedding in Leeds. Some of my fave spots include The Lost and Found Club, and the down to earth Three’s a Crowd. Why not check out my guide to the Best Wedding Reception Venues in Leeds using the link below.
