The ‘blue hour’
The minutes before sunrise and after sunset will give you amazing colours, writes Razz Rozzfaisal
THERE are a few periods of the day, when photography can be interesting. Most photographers are familiar with the “golden hour”, the hour after sunrise and before sunset.
To snap photos during the golden hour is quite easy due to ample sunlight.
But capturing photos during the “blue hour” — a period of twilight in the morning and in the evening — can be a challenge due to its low-light situation.
The “blue hour” is the time when the sky is awash with a bluish hue. It occurs twice a day, before sunrise and after sunset.
It doesn’t necessarily last a whole hour, probably for about 20 minutes only. Its duration depends on the time of the year and location.
There are websites that provide the estimation of the blue hour.
For example, www.bluehoursite.com provides current “blue hour” times in Petaling Jaya. They range from 6.24am to 6.54am and from 7.38pm to 8.07pm. This can help you plan the shoot.
If you are into sunset and sunrise shots, arrive early during sunrise and leave slightly later after sunset.
Here are some tips to help you take photos during the “blue hour”.
1. USE A TRIPOD: Due to low light during “blue hour”, you need to allow more time for the camera to capture the scene. Decreasing shutter speed will not allow
Set white balance between 4000k and 5000k. If you set the white balance to a warmer setting, you may lose the blue hue of the scene. In this photo, it is obvious that the “blue hour” will be coming to an end, within a few minutes. The sun will illuminate the scene with golden light. This is the moment before the end of “blue hour”.
3. INCREASE ISO: If you do not have a tripod, you will have to hand-hold the camera. Current technology allows you to increase your ISO without compromising on picture quality. This photo was taken at ISO 4000 with a shutter speed of 1/40.
4. LOOK FOR CONTRASTING SUBJECTS: The red colour subject makes a nice contrast to the bluish background.
5. VISUALISE THE SCENE: Before the “blue hour”, mentally visualise the scene with a blue background or sky. In this photo, the gate of this Ampang temple looks nice against the blue sky. I visualised and waited for the moment to happen.