creating golden hour light

[wmchauncey]

It's evening, it's right after a storm, the air smells fresh and the light, well...it's to die for.

 What does it take to recreate that light in Photoshop?

[Tim Lookingbill]

Definitely shoot Raw and edit using a DNG dual illuminant profile or 2800K single illum. profile in a Raw converter that has a very good color engine like ACR. If you have clouds expose for their highlights.

Since you haven't posted a sample image of the type of scene with the level of color you're describing, I've posted a before/after example of one of mine.

Hopefully your camera can give you a better default rendering to start with because I pretty much had to use almost every tool in ACR 6.7 to get it to look as it does in the finished version. Luminance in midtone trees often requires my applying a point curve and HSL tweaks to boost contrast.

Keep in mind an increase in saturation of golden hues should boost luminance or at least maintain it which with me I have to resort to HSL or else those clouds go heavy orange noting the difference between the distant clouds on the left compared to the larger one on the right. But that scene has an almost 600ft. hill partially blocking the sun.

[wmchauncey]

I should have mentioned that I use PS 2015 and associated LR...I do wonder why you suggest a DNG profile as opposed to ProPhoto.
The color temp of my LED lighting is quite close to 2800 K...otherwise, I understand.

[Peano]

It really depends on the image. With some it can be done convincingly. With others, not so much. Do you have an image in mind?

[Tim Lookingbill]

I should have mentioned that I use PS 2015 and associated LR...I do wonder why you suggest a DNG profile as opposed to ProPhoto.
The color temp of my LED lighting is quite close to 2800 K...otherwise, I understand.

A DNG profile is a camera profile and ProPhoto is an output working space.

The 2800K I was referring to was for the camera profile which is close to golden hour color temps captured with the camera. I have no idea why you'ld associate that with LED lighting.

Or are you saying you want to create golden hour light with artificial lighting such as an LED? I guess it could be done but I don't have any tips for pulling it off.

[Tim Lookingbill]

Looks to me you already know the answer to your question from this nice looking golden hour shot from your 1X portfolio...

https://1x.com/photo/350986/all:user:29755

[wmchauncey]

After some putzing around...adjusting the WB in LR to "Auto">cover the whole image using an adjustment brush and
add some red using that color box at the bottom.
In PS>insert a color spot in an area that has about a 210 RGB>add a levels layer and adjust greens to about 185 and blues to 130>
drop the intensity to taste.  I would hesitate taking this to the bank though.     

[Tim Lookingbill]

After some putzing around...adjusting the WB in LR to "Auto">cover the whole image using an adjustment brush and
add some red using that color box at the bottom.
In PS>insert a color spot in an area that has about a 210 RGB>add a levels layer and adjust greens to about 185 and blues to 130>
drop the intensity to taste.  I would hesitate taking this to the bank though.    

I wouldn't know because I'm at a loss as to what that looks like and what you're trying to accomplish. This thread appears to be going nowhere and not very productive.

[wmchauncey]

Two swans at different times...the right one made to balance the left one.

[Tim Lookingbill]

Is this what you're trying to accomplish or does this need to be fixed in some way?

There seems to be inconsistency and/or lack of distinction between whether the swan's neck and head are actually yellowish brown instead of white or whether the light is making them yellowish brown.

Is this what you're trying to fix?