Golden Hour (Indonesia, Bali)

In Bali, the "golden hour" is more than a moment of light: it's a social, almost ritualistic moment. On the beaches of Kuta, Seminyak, or Canggu, as night falls, boundaries blur: tourists, local families, street vendors, stray dogs, surfers, and couples mingle in a single, suspended atmosphere.

This warm, low light is called "sore" in Indonesian—a word that refers both to twilight and the calm of late afternoon. It is celebrated not only for its gentleness, but also because it marks the end of work, a return to oneself, or socializing by the sea.

From a photographic perspective, this hour is crucial. Shadows lengthen, contrasts soften, and golden hues become almost liquid. In Bali, this quality of light is accentuated by sea mist and micro-particles of suspended volcanic ash.

In Balinese Hindu culture, sunset is also a time of energetic transition: a moment when spirits change worlds, when evening prayers are said, when the light of the visible shifts into that of the invisible.