Matt Suess Advocates Full-Day Landscape Photography Beyond Golden Hour

Photographer Matt Suess, an OM SYSTEM Ambassador based in Bozeman, Montana, argues that landscape photographers should spend an entire day at a single location rather than limiting shoots to sunrise and sunset. In an article for PetaPixel, Suess explains that blue hour and midday light are often ignored, and he recommends choosing days with variable weather, using apps like PhotoPills and WeatherMate, and prioritizing safety gear over extra lenses. He suggests a one-lens kit, specifically the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO, and describes shooting from before sunrise until after dark in places such as Grand Teton National Park, Badlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, and Idaho's Sawtooth Wilderness. Suess, who spent 17 years as a newspaper photographer, applies a wide-to-tight three-shot storytelling approach learned in photojournalism. He details techniques for harsh midday light, including seeking shade, photographing wildflowers, and using the OM-5 Mark II's ART filters and High Res Shot mode. For astrophotography, he adds the M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO and uses Live Composite for light trails and light painting. Suess emphasizes that the real reward is experience and understanding light, not necessarily a portfolio image, and advises photographers to stay after others leave. The article is sponsored by OM SYSTEM and includes a PetaPixel Films documentary on Suess in Idaho's Sawtooth Wilderness.