The Golden Hour - light

 


The two attached photos are from Dry Canyon near my home. The first was taken in the mid-day light and things had dried out pretty thoroughly. The second was in the evening after a storm when things were very moist. In the first, the colors are faded, and the leaves look like they would crumble if touched. But in the second, the colors are vibrant and the contrasts are pronounced - it almost looks like early autumn!
Photographers talk about "the golden hours" of the day - times in the morning and evening when the light is soft and gentle, as opposed to the more bright and harsh light through the middle of the day. That's the prime time for taking pictures, because of the way things "come alive" during those times.
It's interesting how different something can look based on the light it's seen in.
It's yet another reminder that sometimes we assume characteristics of a person or situation based on the "light" at a given time. But when we allow other light, other insight, to appear, we might see something very different - or see aspects and characteristics we didn't realize were there.
I #GiveThanks for "golden hours" in my life, both in the outdoors and symbolically in many other ways.

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