talk to me about filters please...

this is a shot of my son at around 5pm in the summer in the shade. i adore this lighting and want to know if it's possible to get some amazing filter that will give me this light earlier in the day...i've done a bit of research but can't tell exactly...

Are you looking to warm the light? That can easily be done by adjusting the white balance and/or using a gel on speedlite or strobe.

Might try a warming filter but not sure it will give the exact look you got as that appears to be more of a white balance issue. Try shooting in RAW and use PP WB adjusting to see if you can replicate.

Except for a polarizer and ND filter almost any filter effect you want can be achieved in photoshop. But changing the color of the light, is only half the battle. Earlier in the day your light is going to be from higher angles and probably harder unless you can find open shade. The short answer is no, there is no magic golden hour filter. Time to start learning lighting and use reflectors.

i'm sorry guys...i just meant that i like to shoot wide open and can't at 2 pm...i love the light at dusk and i want it mid day...is it possible with nd filters? i've never used them.

Yes, a 2-3 stop ND filter will let you open up your lens that critical couple of stops wider.

erinavery wrote in post #13721760
i'm sorry guys...i just meant that i like to shoot wide open and can't at 2 pm...i love the light at dusk and i want it mid day...is it possible with nd filters? i've never used them.

ND filters will allow you a few stops of aperture, but mid day light is still crappy mid day light.

^ indeed. There seems to be a conflation here of quality of light and quantity of light.

oooh...so...that's a really great point. so although it may make it less bright...it won't be all lovely and sparkly in the right places...is that what you're saying?

erinavery wrote in post #13729536
oooh...so...that's a really great point. so although it may make it less bright...it won't be all lovely and sparkly in the right places...is that what you're saying?

Golden hour light is generally warmer, it comes from less harsh angles, and since its not as bright the ratio between light and shadow area is less exteme so your images are not as contrasty. All of the combines to make it better for portrait work. Using an ND filter in the middle the day still leaves harsh light from a bad angles and hard contrasty shadows.

gonzogolf wrote in post #13729610
Golden hour light is generally warmer, it comes from less harsh angles, and since its not as bright the ratio between light and shadow area is less exteme so your images are not as contrasty. All of the combines to make it better for portrait work. Using an ND filter in the middle the day still leaves harsh light from a bad angles and hard contrasty shadows.

+1

of course...makes total sense. i obviously don't shoot much outdoors...and more often then not. i'm unhappy with them....but...yes...th​is light i love...i'll just have to wait till it's available i guess.

thank you!

erinavery wrote in post #13729637
of course...makes total sense. i obviously don't shoot much outdoors...and more often then not. i'm unhappy with them....but...yes...th​is light i love...i'll just have to wait till it's available i guess.

thank you!

There are things you can do to make it better, fill flash, reflectors, scrims, but that gets pretty involved.