In this article, Massimo shares the seven strategies behind his Best of the Week winning image and golden hour seascapes — from embracing atmospheric haze to mastering color theory. Practical, science-backed, and directly applicable to your next golden hour shoot.
The photograph that won Best of the Week at Nomadict began, like most of my favourites, with a simple scene. A sailboat moored quietly in front of the beach. The sea was calm. It was the middle of the day. But something about that boat spoke to me, the idea of an adventurous journey waiting, of a life lived at a different pace. I decided to build the image I felt rather than the image I saw.
I added a pale rising sun, shifting its tone from red to a soft pink that I carried across the water and into the sky. To break the uniformity, I brought in clouds with hints of lilac and violet, not for drama, but for harmony. When I looked at the final result and felt peace, I knew the edit was right.
But noticing is only half the work. The other half is understanding the light well enough to capture what you feel, not just what you see. Over time, I have built a set of principles that guide me during golden hour, the window when the atmosphere, colour, and emotion align. These are the strategies that shaped the images you see here, including the one that won.
In this article, Massimo shares seven practical strategies, from embracing atmospheric haze to mastering complementary contrast, that transformed the way I approach golden hour.
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