What and when is blue hour?
Blue hour is the period of twilight before sunrise and after sunset. When the sun has dipped far enough below the horizon, the colour of the sky takes on a deepening blue hue.
It is a brief time lasting anywhere between 10 to 20 minutes depending on the time of year, weather and location. During this time the blue tones gradually darken to black as nightfall sets in.
Why is blue hour a good time of the day for landscape photography?
Together with the golden hours, blue hour is a good time of the day for landscape photography in any season as it offers unique lighting conditions for you to achieve some impressively different images.
Getting the balance right is what you need to master for a successful blue hour shot. There is only about a 10 minute time period when the light is just right. What you are aiming to capture is the balance between the deep blue sky and the ambient light or the in the case of an illuminated building, the golden glow of the illumination.
It also offers you the chance to discover towns and cities at their quietest when the crowds have largely disappeared after a sunset or have not yet appeared at the start of a day.
What are the best subjects for blue hour photography?
Cityscapes
Built up urban locations are one of the best subjects for blue hour photography as the illuminated buildings provide a strong subject form against the blue hues of the sky.
Buildings such as skyscrapers can act as the main focal point and give an interesting perspective to a composition. However, there needs to be enough of a clean skyline view to make it work. Light trails from vehicles will add an extra burst of interest.
Skylines set against water
The added feature of water with a skyline is also one of the best subjects for blue hour photography. A town set against a coastline or river will provide a good alternative subject to an urban location. The backdrop of water will complement the illuminated lights of the buildings and provide reflections of colour.
Town and city architecture
Winding town and city streets with interesting architectural features come alive after the lights are switched on. Blue hour is a great time to use the ambient light from artificial lighting to your advantage to help bring out the golden, warm colours of brick and stone buildings.
Town and city bridges and waterfronts
Illuminated features such as bridges and waterfronts will come alive during the blue hour and tourist landmarks will light up and shimmer in a different light.
Rural landscapes
A town or village set amongst distant hills or a valley is another good blue hour subject but it will produce a calmer and darker image than that of a bustling, well lit town or city.
Mountain backdrops against a lakeside town or village
Mountains are another great subject for blue hour photography as they will provide a dramatic dark backdrop and a majestic form.
Rocky coastlines
Although a darker image will result if there is no artificial lighting from buildings, a natural light source such as a bright moon or artificial spot lighting onto a rock will create an atmospheric deeper blue tone.
Equipment needed for blue hour photography
You will need to have the following essential equipment to hand and ready to go:
Sturdy tripod – a lightweight one you can easily carry with stable and lockable legs is ideal.
Remote cable release – essential when taking long exposures.
Suitable lenses – to get the best composition a wide angle zoom is a good idea when photographing tall buildings and offers a flexible choice for cityscapes.
A tilt-shift lens is also an option to try to reduce any distortion caused by wide angles.
Top tips for blue hour photography
As blue hour is a relatively short period of time here are some top tips to consider:
Set up early – the best way to do this is to already be out on location after you have photographed a sunset
Choose a location with a good strong subject
· It is essential to use a sturdy tripod when shooting long exposures
· Use a remote cable release
· Ensure your camera is level – use the virtual horizon feature on your camera or attach a spirit level accessory to the hotshoe on the camera
· Turn on the noise reduction setting on your camera
· Set a low ISO of 100 to start with – this can be adjusted up as it gets darker
· Shoot at Aperture Priority mode – you select the aperture (f-stop number; a good range is anything from f/8 – f/11) and the camera will select the shutter speed to match. It will automatically adjust the exposure time whilst keeping the aperture the same.
· Be patient and wait for the right timing – when the sky is perfectly balanced with street and building lights turning on
· Check the histogram to read exposure levels after each shot.