There's something extra comforting about a golden hour photograph. The sun’s golden glow in the frame almost provides a warmth that radiates from the image. Golden hour photography is described as photographs taken during the first hour after sunrise, or the last hour before sunset. The sun’s low angle so close to the horizon causes its rays to filter through more atmosphere, giving the sky that warm, golden hue. We love a good golden hour shot, and this week we’re reflecting on the golden moments of summer with some of our favorite golden hour imagery. See what these Sony shooters are capturing and follow them for more. Tag your own Instagram posts with #SonyAlpha for your chance to be featured.

Using their Sony Alpha cameras and Sony lenses, see how these photographers shoot during golden hour to create imagery that radiates warmth.

Lizzy Gadd – @elizabethgadd

Sony Alpha Ambassador Lizzy Gadd creates beautiful self portraits surrounded by nature. She took this golden hour image in Iceland with her Sony Alpha 7R V and Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master. She describes the scene, “Every day just seemed to get better and better, but there was something about this day when we arrived here at Vestrahorn at 2am… when the golden sun began to rise from behind the mountains, it somehow hit differently. I had to take a few minutes to just feel it. I don’t know exactly what it was, but this feeling will stick with me for a long time.” Learn more about Lizzy and her work in How This Self-Portrait Artist Finds Focus In Nature With Her Camera.

Sara France – @sarafrance

Sony Artisan Sara France is a luxury wedding photographer based in Southern California. She’s become an absolute pro at incorporating the golden hues of the California sun, like in this beautiful sunset engagement session below. Follow her for more beautiful and light imagery of couples in love and learn more about the gear she uses in What's In My Bag: The Top Tools For A Luxury Wedding Photographer.

Allison Anderson – @photoallison

Sony Alpha Ambassador and travel content creator Allison Anderson snapped these golden hour sunrise shots from the waterfront of Bay Harbor, Maine. She writes, "When I’m shooting fleeting moments (like the sun on the horizon), I tend to carry two camera bodies so I’m not losing time switching lenses back and forth for both wide and telephoto shots. And it means I can get different perspectives of (almost) the same moment.⁣" She took the wide shot with her Sony Alpha 1 and Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II and the zoomed shot was with the Sony Alpha 7S III and Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. Follower her for more beautiful travel photos and videos.

Andrew Eggers – @andreweggers

Andrew Eggers is a Sony Alpha Ambassador who captures beautiful landscapes and cityscapes both day and night – plus some amazing timelapse eye-candy. That’s why we couldn’t look away from this golden hour timelapse – just watch the burn of that golden glow! He shot the timelapse with his Sony Alpha 7 III and Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. See more of the gear he uses in What’s In My Bag: An Unusual G Master Zoom Trinity For Urban & Nature Photos & Timelapses. He has plenty of golden hour beauties on his feed, make sure you give him a follow!

Stephan Thom – @stephanthm

Talented outdoor photographer Stephan Thom captures moody images that uniquely utilize shadow and light to captivate the viewer. Below he shares a beautiful set of golden moments taken in the Icelandic Westfjords – swipe through them all to see the variety of scenes both close-up and far away.

Anna Isabella – @annaisabellach

Anna Isabella is a self-portrait photographer who is in love with nature. She took this beautiful golden hour self-portrait with her Sony Alpha 7R V and shares this tip for anyone interested in taking self-portraits. “Tip: for anyone interested in taking self-portraits, especially with a telephoto lens (like this photo), I would recommend using Timelapse intervalometer with manual focus. In this case I set the camera to start taking photos after 3 minutes so I had enough time to get to the spot where I wanted to be." 

Brad Flowerdew – @bradflowerss

Brad Flowerdew is a commercial product, lifestyle and travel photographer based in British Columbia. His Instagram account is filled with a portfolio of stunning views that show the grandeur of the landscapes he comes across during his travels. Swipe through the epic golden hour shots he took in the Canary Islands in his post below.

Lukas Walter – @lukas_walter_photography

Lukas Walter is a wildlife photographer and videographer based in Zurich, Switzerland. You’ll see intimate close-ups with all types of wildlife taken with his Sony telephoto zoom on his Instagram. He snapped this golden hour shot of elephants during sunset in Chobe National Park, Botswana with his Sony Alpha 1 and Sony 400mm f/2.8 G Master.

Ryan Ditch – @ryanditchphoto

Ryan Ditch is a landscape and commercial photographer whose style is a mix of urban and nature. He took this beautiful golden sunset seascape using his Sony Alpha 7R V and Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. Learn more about the gear he uses for his photography in What’s In My Bag: A New Camera + A Trio Of Zooms For Urban & Natural Landscapes.