Saturday, March 7, 2015

5 Tips for the Blue Hour Photography.



What is the blue hour? It is the peculiar hour before dawn or after sunset, a bit mysterious and beautiful period.
I found an interesting poem by a young American with the pen-name “Nobody” and want to share it with all of you.

The Blue Hour
by Nobody
Two worlds, two separate universes collide
shifting, shattering, meshing together
blurring the lines of night and day
The harsh blazing sun crashes into
the calm white moon.

The clouds bend with the stars
the sharp colors layer with dull dark
As orange mingles with indigo
catching the breath of the few
to witiness this spectacle
at the peak of its crescendo

The world is bathed clean, new again
the scars of forgotten wounds
began to disappear as the blue hour nears
For moment I stand suspended in air
eyes widen, hands reach out

With the end of another day
is the hope of a new beginning
to wash the face of our lives
enabling us to try once again.

So, let’s speak about the blue hour when “orange mingles with indigo” with reference to photography.

The blue hour can be defined as the period of twilight each morning and evening when the sun is a significant distance below the horizon and the residual, indirect sunlight takes on a predominantly blue hue.

It’s only a consideration that the blue hue in the sky lasts for about an hour. In reality it lasts between 20 to 40 minutes.
The exact timing depends upon the geographical location, the season, air quality and the period of a day. The blue hour starts around 30 minutes before the sunrise and 10-15 minutes after the sunset.
For example, if the sun sets at 6 p.m., the blue hour would last from approximately 6:15 p.m. to 6:40 p.m. If the sun rises at 6 a.m., the blue hour lasts from about 5:30 a.m. to 5:50 a.m. Please remember that cloudy weather shortens the blue hour.

5 tips to capture the blue hour:

The blue hour is one of the best periods to photograph landscapes and cityscapes.

Capturing the blue hour requires a steady platform (usually it’s a tripod) and a longer exposure than daytime photographs.

Use spot metering or center-weighted average metering.

 Bracketing exposures is always a good idea to capture the blue hour in order to choose the best shot or to use the best exposure during the post-processing of the image.
The blue hour doesn’t last very long and the last thing we want is to miss our opportunity. So it’s better to search your best location in advance. You may want to find out the exact sunrise/sunset time.  Surely it’s vital to be well-prepared before the shoot, bringing along all of the equipment you need.


Thank you for reading!
If you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends.


No comments:

Post a Comment