Photo by MarkVanDykePhotography via Shutterstock
While most photographers know about the golden hour, many don’t know much about the other best time to shoot outdoors, the blue hour. If you're part of that camp, this article is for you!
In this blue hour photography guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about the magic of blue hour and why it’s great for photographers. You’ll discover when blue hour takes place, how to prepare for blue hour, composition techniques for blue hour, and more. Additionally, we’ll share one of our favorite ways to display blue hour photos.
With that in mind, buckle up, put on your learning caps, and get ready to discover how blue hour photography can help take your photo skills to the next level!
Check out the video above by PhotoPills to understand more about blue hour photography and why it’s an excellent time to take photos.
Table of Contents
- What is Blue Hour Photography?
- Setting Up for Blue Hour Photography
- Essential Blue Hour Photography Composition Techniques
- How to Create Long Exposure Blue Hour Photography
- Showcase Your Blue Hour Photography With a Beautiful Metal Print
- Recommended Photography Gear
What is Blue Hour Photography?
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Blue hour photography is considered photos you shoot during the “blue hour.” When exactly is the blue hour? Like the golden hour, the blue hour actually comes twice a day—once in the early morning and once in the late afternoon.
However, while the golden hour occurs directly after the sunrise and before the sunset, the blue hour is the opposite. The blue hour is the time right before the sunrise and after the sunset. It gets its name from the soft, beautiful blue light that illuminates the sky.
Blue hour photography is popular because the color of the light creates a relaxing, cool mood that is perfect for photography and videography. It’s ideal for landscape photography, cityscapes, and architecture. You can also capture gorgeous portraits during the blue hour with a little practice.
Setting Up for Blue Hour Photography
Photo by DasyaDasya via Shutterstock
Because there is less light during the blue hour than during the daytime, using the right equipment and correctly setting up your camera gear/settings for blue hour photography is crucial. Regarding your camera, you will get the best results using cameras with larger sensors, like full-frame cameras and medium-format cameras.
Two other useful pieces of gear for blue light photography are a remote shutter release and a tripod. Tripods stabilize your camera, while a shutter remote eliminates small movements when pressing the shutter button. Both are excellent for long-exposure photography and allow you to adjust camera settings to meet blue photography shooting needs.
Speaking of camera settings, we recommend shooting in manual mode since it gives you complete control over the most important settings for blue hour photography: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.
If you are shooting handheld, your shutter speed must be fast enough to eliminate motion blur (at least 25 fps). You will probably need to raise your ISO and lower your f-stop number to reach this speed. Alternatively, when your camera is mounted on a tripod, you can lower the ISO and raise the f-stop number, leading to sharper photos with more detail retention and less noise.
Learn More:
- Golden Hour Photography: Capturing the Magic of Natural Light
- Color Photography: How to Maximize the Impact of Colors in Your Photos
Essential Blue Hour Photography Composition Techniques
Photo by f9project via Shutterstock
Composition is also key, and there are a few specific tips and techniques for nailing composition when shooting blue hour photography. They include incorporating external environmental elements like silhouettes, reflections, and urban landscapes to enhance the mood and atmosphere of the scene.
Furthermore, you don’t want to throw basic composition principles out the window during blue hour photography. This means you should always keep the rule of thirds, framing, and leading lines in mind. They will help you create more visually appealing images that will attract and hold viewers' attention better.
How to Create Long Exposure Blue Hour Photography
Photo by Makic Slobodan via Shutterstock
Long exposures pair exceptionally well with blue hour photography thanks to the lighting and mood it creates. Here are the steps you should take to create long exposure blue hour photography:
- Invest in the right equipment for long-exposure blue-hour photography (e.g., an interchangeable lens camera, a wide-angle lens, a sturdy tripod, a remote shutter release, ND filters).
- Scout your locations in advance and build a detailed shot list.
- Double-check weather forecasts and sunrise/sunset times the day before.
- Install your camera on your tripod and compose the image as you want.
- Switch to manual focus and adjust the focus to ensure the entire frame is sharp.
- Select the right camera settings for blue hour photography (slow shutter speed, medium-high f-stop, low-medium ISO).
- Experiment with the shutter speed and other exposure settings until you get your desired shot. If your camera has Bulb Mode, use it for long exposures over 30 seconds.
- Edit, print, and display your blue hour photography proudly!
Showcase Your Blue Hour Photography With a Beautiful Metal Print
Last but not least, there’s no better way to showcase your blue hour photography than by transforming your images into stunning metal prints with the help of Shiny Prints. Metal prints highlight colors and contrast in images, making them perfect for blue hour photography. Moreover, metal prints are incredibly versatile and durable!
Who is Shiny Prints? It’s a revolutionary online printing shop focusing exclusively on luxury high-definition metal prints. All their prints use high-quality materials such as premium ink and ChromaLuxe panels that are proven to last over 65 years. If that wasn’t enough, they have a dedicated team of professionals working behind the scenes and offer affordable prices. What’s not to like about that?!
Planning and executing your blue hour photography isn’t enough; finishing the process with a beautiful print allows you to see the fruits of your labor and enjoy your best photos for years to come. Shiny Prints is just the partner you need to elevate the quality of your images from something you look at on a computer screen to a large-format metal print that captures your imagination every time you see it!
Recommended Photography Gear
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Learn More:
- Cloud Photography: How to Master Photographing the Sky
- Preserving Memories: The Longevity of Metal Photo Prints