Blue is the colour

What does it mean to shoot in the ‘blue hour’? Pete Shooter

A‘Blue hour’ is simply a reference to that period just after the sun has set or before it has risen, when there is still some ambient light and colour in the sky. Typically this colour is various shades of blue – although the presence of under-lit clouds may create warmer hues too.

Calling it an ‘hour’ is probably wrong: these conditions tend to last 30 minutes at best. Once the sky goes black or becomes too bright as the sun rises, you’ve lost the conditions. Shooting in this period is great for landscapes and urban scenes.