“Golden Hour” Pet Photography in St. Louis, Missouri (and What it Means)
The above image was captured in direct mid-day sunlight. Quite gorgeous, yes? Exactly! This article is in no way intended to dissuade clients of Top Breed Pet Photography from scheduling photoshoots during the day (or times other than “golden hour”), but rather to demonstrate how the time of day can influence the mood of a final picture. If you prefer capturing your beloved pet in the glory/intensity of full sunlight as you know they enjoy and you’d like to preserve, then perhaps such a setting is for you! That said, there exists fine reasoning behind considering golden hour as well. Let’s explore!
What Exactly is “Golden Hour?”
Golden hour refers to the period shortly after sunrise or just before sunset when the sun is low in the sky, casting a soft, warm light. During this time, sunlight travels through more of the Earth’s atmosphere, which naturally diffuses it-reducing harsh shadows and muting overly bright highlights. The result is a flattering, even glow that can beautifully enhance the color, texture, and depth of your pet’s features without the need for artificial lighting or heavy editing.
The mood golden hour creates is often described as dreamy, peaceful, or even magical! In pet photography, the golden tones can enhance the natural colors in your pet’s coat and surroundings/background. This has the potential to give the image a storybook feel, with uniquely artistic light.
Let’s See an Example!
What you’re about to be presented with is an unedited photo, taken during mid-day/harsh sunlight. Notice how bright the sun is and how it can nearly blow some colors out (especially the whites in this German Shepherd’s fur)? The grass is also intensely bright. Still a fun image… but can it be improved in post-processing to show more of the dog’s natural beauty? Absolutely!
Here is what we are starting with. This is actually my boy! He’s having a great time running around with his favorite ball and I absolutely adore seeing him sprint toward me with love in his eyes. Let’s see what we can do to give him the look that he deserves after some editing!
Here we are! Notice how, through proper exposure and editing of “raw” photo files, it’s possible to bring detail back from this good boy’s arm/shoulder, fluffy neck/mane, and even tone the grass down in a way that allows him to become the obvious subject of the picture? Feel free to switch between the two above images and see what else you can notice!
Shadows can Work Towards Our Advantage as well…
Here is an image which was also taken during mid-day sun, but in the slight shadow of a tree. You can see the intense impact of the sun on background features such as the parking lot, but the tasteful shade affords us the ability to still capture a gorgeous photo!
Here are a couple more pictures which demonstrate this same concept…
This is a “Keeshond” breed of dog… absolutely eye-catching! I love how this image shows the dog near his home, going about a walk so common that his owner’s wanted to capture it and have it be preserved forever as to always keep a memory of it into the future. Notice how our fluffy friend is in shadow, letting the intense sunlight be present in the background but not disturbing his beauty?
and finally… here is a new friend showcasing the same technique of using shadow when there is powerful natural lighting.
Given all of this info, let’s now look at images which were taken during golden hour and see the differences!
Golden Hour Photos by Top Breed Pet Photography:
As is made evident through my previous blog article describing my favorite park for pet photography in St. Louis, I totally adore this girl right here (her name is Kiwi)! Here she is, embracing the drama and ambience of golden hour… letting it wrap around her as she stares deeply into it. There’s more where this comes from!
Look at that! See how the sunlight blankets the entirety of Kiwi’s surroundings and even brings out the brindle coloration in her fur? This is simply an impressive image!
Saint Louis Specifics…
I do hope that you enjoyed having this visual tour of natural lighting and how it can influence the final image that you receive as a client of Top Breed Pet Photography! Now, I’d like to provide you with a guide to keep in mind if you would like to schedule a golden hour photoshoot of your own! Of course, the times of sunrise and sunset change throughout the year… so here’s a general plan for golden hour depending on which month that you find yourself reading this article.
January- Sunrise occurs at about 7:15am. Sunset occurs at about 5:15pm. Golden hour in the morning would be around 8:15am-9:15am and in the evening, it would be around 4:15pm-5:15pm.
February- Sunrise occurs at about 7:05am. Sunset occurs at about 5:35pm. Golden hour in the morning would be around 8:05am-9:05am and in the evening, it would be around 4:35pm-5:35pm.
March- Sunrise occurs at about 6:30am. Sunset occurs at about 6:00pm. Golden hour in the morning would be around 7:30am-8:30am and in the evening, it would be around 5:00pm-6:00pm.
April- Sunrise occurs at about 6:45am. Sunset occurs at about 7:25pm. Golden hour in the morning would be around 7:45am-8:45am and in the evening, it would be around 6:25pm-7:25pm.
May- Sunrise occurs at about 6:00pm. Sunset occurs at about 8:00pm. Golden hour in the morning would be around 7:00am-8:00am and in the evening, it would be around 7:00pm-8:00pm.
June- Sunrise occurs at about 5:38am. Sunset occurs at about 8:28pm. Golden hour in the morning would be around 6:38am-7:38am and in the evening, it would be around 7:28pm-8:28pm.
July- Sunrise occurs at about 5:48am. Sunset occurs at about 8:25pm. Golden hour in the morning would be around 6:48am-7:48am and in the evening, it would be around 7:25pm-8:25pm.
August- Sunrise occurs at about 6:03am. Sunset occurs at about 8:10pm. Golden hour in the morning would be around 7:03am-8:03am and in the evening, it would be around 7:10pm-8:10pm.
September- Sunrise occurs at about 6:31am. Sunset occurs at about 7:30pm. Golden hour in the morning would be around 7:31am-8:31am and in the evening, it would be around 6:30pm-7:30pm.
October- Sunrise occurs at about 6:58am. Sunset occurs at about 6:45pm. Golden hour in the morning would be around 7:58am-8:58am and in the evening, it would be around 5:45pm-6:45pm.
November- Sunrise occurs at about 7:28am. Sunset occurs at about 5:59pm. Golden hour in the morning would be around 8:28am-9:28am and in the evening, it would be around 4:59pm-5:59pm.
December- Sunrise occurs at about 7:00am. Sunset occurs at about 4:40pm. Golden hour in the morning would be around 8:00am-9:00am and in the evening, it would be around 3:40pm-4:40pm.
Thanks again! Be sure to contact me to schedule your photoshoot (whether outdoors or indoors with my portable studio setup) HERE
The Best Place in St. Louis for Pet Photography
Interested in honoring your pet with professional photos? Contact me HERE!
Welcome our lovely model for some photos in this article (her name is Kiwi)! Though we won’t disclose every single spot that I love in this park (saving some other locations for clients of Top Breed Pet Photography), we will see just how many great areas there are within the main entrance! This is impressive on its own, because it isn’t an insignificant selection (including the spot shown here)!
Why Bee Tree Park is Ideal for Pet Photography
Located at 2701 Finestown Ave, St. Louis, MO 63129, Bee Tree likely already comes off as worthy of a dedicated trip out due to the convenient location for both residents of Saint Louis and surrounding areas! That said, this gorgeous gem has much more to offer. The main focus of this article is to showcase some stunning compositions which can be captured surrounding one of this park’s most unique features… the Nims mansion!
This gorgeous home resides near the entrance of the park (you can’t miss it). You’re welcomed to get up-close and enjoy this magnificent structure which itself warrants photos. The surrounding grounds don’t leave anything to be desired, though! Let’s investigate further…
The Grounds of Nims Mansion
Consisting primarily of beautiful and wide-open fields, the immediate area around the mansion is well-groomed and maintained. One outstanding feature to behold is the fountain and stone masonry which invites you to sit and enjoy the view, stressing the glorious opportunity for pet photos to be taken between bouts of relaxation and tranquility.
See the rectangular gray card near the center of the above picture? Look at that as a “your dog here” sign in any photo where it is present. As is made evident by this perspective, you can perceive colorful flowers, more stone structures, a lovely view in the distance, and the beforementioned fountain! This isn’t the only composition here, of course…
I am absolutely in love with these benches which surround the area! Check this view out. Imagine your dog sitting here amongst the flowers, with the lingering beauty of the mansion existing behind him/her. No worries about safety, either! This bench isn’t high off of the ground. Notice the patio area in the background? Look at this…
I wasn’t lying when I said that this one spot has a lot to offer! You may even want to bring binoculars to your photoshoot because the view is breathtaking.
Here Kiwi is, taking in the sights of this awesome portion of the property! Did this composition come to your mind when you saw the gaps in this stone wall? How about shifting perspective over just a tad and moving Kiwi to the grass?
A ball makes for a great prop and if it squeaks, even better! It’s always important to bring toys and treats for catching your dog’s attention and rewarding for great outcomes… as well as making for natural-looking photos such as this where Kiwi was clearly just enjoying some play time! Give them some exercise and they’ll be more interested in your pictures, as they aren’t concerned with having a excessive energy. Want more of the distant background?
Here you go! This area is between the fountain and the mansion. Check out the plants, stone wall, tasteful bars, and distant view! Would you believe me if I said that there’s a secret hiding behind the bars photographed above?
Talk about a hidden gem! This stone staircase and photogenic overgrowth only compliments a stunning picture. Want to know another secret? In every single picture of Kiwi, her owner is present and Kiwi is actually attached to a leash! That’s right! I photoshopped the leash and owner out for some of these pictures (and all of them featured on this page, for privacy). If your dog requires being on a leash, do not hesitate to reach out for my services! That is no problem and actually preferred. Now, let’s go around to the other side of the fountain…
Another stone staircase! This time, the stairs lead right up to a brand new perspective. It’s as if this spot was created for pet photos! Don’t just imagine your pet here… let’s make it happen!
Your Saint Louis Pet Photographer
Remember… these aren’t all of my favorite compositions within the park! If you like what you’ve seen and want professional-quality photos (along with a fantastic source of gallery-quality wall art of your pet), I am your photographer! Contact me HERE anytime!
As a bonus, here is a photo of Kiwi taken with my Canon 100-500mm lens. All the rest of these pictures have been with my Canon f1.4 50mm L lens. The 100-500mm does a wonderful job of blurring the background. Bee Tree park has great spots for me to get distance from your pet and capture images such as this one!
Have a great day!