\
Shooting Golden Hour With a 10–20 mm Lens: One Photographer’s Struggle and Next Steps
For weeks, the photographer had been fighting the same battle: every time golden hour arrived, their 10–20 mm lens turned a simple portrait into a lighting puzzle. The soft evening glow that normally makes portraits effortless somehow became harder with an ultra-wide. Faces went dark, skies blew out, and flare streaks sliced across the frame. What should have been easy, warm, dreamy light became a frustrating experiment.
The Problems
1. Too Much Sky in the Frame
With the 10–20 mm, the lens captured everything—the bright sun, the glowing sky, and the darker ground—all at once. Exposure became a guessing game. If the sky looked right, the subject went murky. If the face looked right, the sky turned into a washed-out strip of white.
2. Shadows on the Face at the Worst Time
Golden hour backlight is beautiful with longer lenses, but with a wide angle, it left the subject’s face in shadow. Even a slight angle toward the sun produced harsh contrast and uneven tones.
3. Flare Explosion
Even when the sun was barely in the frame, massive flare streaks took over the image. Instead of a soft glow, it became a rainbow smear running across the portrait.
4. Extreme Distortion Up Close
At the widest end—10 to 14 mm—the lens stretched the subject’s features if they weren’t perfectly centered. During golden hour, with tricky angles and rushed timing, keeping everything aligned was even harder.
The Solutions They Will Try Next
Instead of giving up on the lens, the photographer gathered a clear set of adjustments to test at future shoots.
1. Angle the Sun More Carefully
Rather than pointing the lens straight into the setting sun, they’ll try placing the sun:
-
behind a tree or structure,
-
just out of the frame, or
-
directly behind the subject to create a controlled rim light.
This should cut down flare and soften the contrast.
2. Expose for the Sky, Then Add Fill Light
To solve the dark-face issue, the plan is to:
-
meter exposure for the warm sky,
-
and use a small LED or reflector to lift the shadows.
Wide angles need fill at golden hour—there’s no way around it.
3. Use the Lens at 18–20 mm Instead of 10–14 mm
The photographer realized that most golden-hour problems get worse at ultra-wide settings. Shooting closer to 20 mm should reduce distortion, tame the sky, and make lighting more predictable.
4. Move the Subject Into Open Shade
Instead of putting the subject in direct backlight, they’ll test placing the subject in gentle shade while keeping the background glowing. This creates soft, even lighting without losing the warm tone of golden hour.
5. Use the Lens Hood and a Slight Tilt
A small tilt of the camera—just a few degrees—can eliminate flare streaks. Combined with a lens hood, this should keep the frame cleaner.
Moving Forward
The photographer isn’t done with the 10–20 mm lens—not even close. Instead of blaming the gear, they’re taking control of the variables: angle, fill light, focal length, and shade. Golden hour with a wide angle is more technical, but when it works, the results are dramatic, immersive, and full of story.
Now the next golden hour won’t be another struggle. It’ll be a test session with real solutions—and the potential for some of their most unique portraits yet.
Comments
Post a Comment