hipoint Loc: The Northshore, Gulf South

Much of my shooting is during the golden hours (wildlife/landscape).

I just read Allan Weitz “50 Tips from 50 Years Behind a Camera” in which he stated that auto white balance should be turned off during this time of day since AWB tends to neutralize the golden light.
My question: Is there a “rule of thumb” WB setting in camera or in post processing to capture this light or would a grey card be best? I did not find this topic in search with subject golden hour and/
or white balance.

Thanks, Rick

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Grey card won't help you here for WB. I would create a WB preset for daylight and save that to use during the golden hour. In effect, you are using a daylight setting for shooting during the golden hour. This replicates somewhat the use of daylight film during the golden hour so long as no filter was used.

What camera are you using? It might have a daylight preset.

...ok just checked the menu on my D7100. It has a "cloudy" WB setting which is what I would use as it's the most color neutral setting. I bet your camera has a similar menu. You could use the Kelvin setting and dial it in yourself--if you are inclined to experiment.

tsilva Loc: Arizona

use daylight

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

Look up a color temperature guide and play with Kelvin. Shoot raw and most of your problems will go away. I would never shoot AWB.

Gary Evans

After many recommendations on this site regarding understanding exposure by Bryan Peterson, I purchased and read it.
It is a great book. He has his WB set to to daylight for nearly everything.

Roger Lee

Shoot RAW and experiment. I use Canon's DPP and have had great success.

Potentially a lot great responses here, also try the "blue" hour, one of my favorite times for shooting.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

I am using a Canon 6D and the in-camera processing results in stunningly real golden-hour photos.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I am in agreement. Do not use Auto WB during the "golden hours." As it has been indicated a daylight WB works best.
I shoot sunsets regularly with my Olympus EP-5, a mirrorless camera. Some of my best shots have come when I have used a preset, in this case "Sunset." The preset preserves the colors as I see them and improves on them otherwise it could be a nightmare to bring them back during editing.
Begin to shoot outside "golden hours." I bet you are missing good opportunities.

hipoint Loc: The Northshore, Gulf South

I appreciate all the great advice from all of you. I am in the process of setting my Nikon 7100 and 750 to daylight WB (since I shoot 99% on sunny days anyway, I wish I had asked sooner)

Thanks again

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

You might try asking everyone's friend...Google. I entered

nikon camera white balance settings for golden hour photography

pages of hits with details on settings and understanding color balance.
--Bob

ralfstinson Loc: SF Bay Area

Some thoughts on golden hour. At noon, for a normal clear day, you have two main light sources. The primary is the sun which is sort of light yellow, and the direction it is coming from is overhead (the sun). The secondary light source is the blue sky. It is well, bluish, and the direction is from all over above you, but the average is from overhead. So look at a curved surface, and most of it will be reflecting daylight, the mixture of yellowish sun and bluish sky. Now photograph that curved surface during the golden hour. Again, two primary light sources but things have changed. The sun is at a lower angle, and just a bit more yellow. The blue sky had not moved, and so it is still averaging illumination from above. So now the curved surface has two different light sources, yellow from the side and blue from above. So as you go around the surface, the reflected light varies in it's average color temperature. This will give more depth to the subject, in addition to the more 'yellow' giving warmth to the subject. The color temperature can be created by filters (or digital processing) but the angle difference from the different color temperature light sources can not be created or adjusted - you must be in the correct time.

gessman Loc: Colorado

Get in your manual and learn to set a custom white balance on the fly for the situation you're in at any given moment and not rely on a "one size fits all" approach, especially when you are in exceptional situations which golden and blue hours definitely are.

Harry_in_England

The 'blue hour' is a term I've never heard before. Please can you briefly explain what time of day this is? I would guess it's when the sun is at its highest and the bright blue of the sky adds its own cast? Or am I misunderstanding?

gessman Loc: Colorado

The blue hour occurs in early dawn before the sun rises and in late dusk after the sun has set and the golden hour declines. Here is one of many references you can find by using Google search: http://digital-photography-school.com/new-photographers-guide-to-blue-hour/

Below is a recent example I shot with a rising moon. You can readily see why it's called the blue hour.

EDIT: Pardon me, Harry_in_England. I just noticed you were responding to Roger Lee and not me. I'll leave my response anyway and give Roger Lee a break. Sorry! Please excuse me.

Harry_in_England

Thank you, gessman, for the explanation.
I was having a 'senior moment' as I could easily have googled it but it just didn't occur to me!