Photographer's magic watch. What is the "golden hour" when taking a photo, or what time of day is best to take pictures on the street What is the blue hour

What exactly does Blue Hour mean? What time of day can I capture this Blue Hour and how long does it last? Also, how is it different from Golden Hour?

Paul Cezanne

blue hour is the time you spend feeling sorry for yourself, sitting in a gallery and watching some people just look at your work and then move on...

Answers

Itay

Golden hour is when the sun is low on the horizon, illuminating it with a golden hue.

Blue hour is when the sun is slightly below the horizon leaving the sky dark blue.

No set duration because it varies according to latitude and time of year.

Civil twilight is a good approximation with the sun being ±6° around the horizon.

When the angle is positive you have a golden hour, when the angle is negative it is blue.

IN English language people often use the term "golden hour" to refer to blue, and in French "blue" which means "blue hour" to refer to gold. See this answer for more details.

dpollitt

jrista ♦

The blue hour is actually when the sun is far below the horizon. The golden hour BEGINS when the sun is "low" on the horizon and continues until the sun is below the horizon. The golden hour can literally last an hour or so, often less (depending on your latitude, maybe as little as 30 minutes)...as long as there's still a bit of red bouncing off the clouds and a warmer tint to the sky . The blue hour starts after the golden hour has ended... you should only see gray cloud silhouettes and darker/bluer skies.

Blue hour is a special time for photographers. The sky becomes various shades of blue, it is velvety and delicious. The "blue" hour follows the "golden" hour, during which the sun has not yet set below the horizon and everything is bathed in a golden glow. Further, when the sun has already dropped below the horizon, everything is filled with blue and its shades, that is, the blue hour begins. Taking pictures during this time is easy as you don't have to worry about harsh light or shadows.

In this article, you will learn:

• When the blue hour comes
• How to take photos during blue hour
• The best blue hour subjects

When is blue hour?

The blue hour occurs twice a day, just before sunrise and just after sunset. It lasts from 20 to 40 minutes depending on the weather and geographical location. During this time, the sky can take on various shades of blue and reflect orange, yellow, purple, and pink.

To catch blue hour, keep track of sunrise and sunset times in your area and plan to arrive at your location early. There is also a great website, http://www.bluehoursite.com/, which will tell you the exact blue hour time based on the date and your location.

Photos taken during the blue hour look amazing! Although it seems that it is very difficult to create them, in fact it is not. Shooting during blue hour is easy enough, the hardest part is getting there on time. These tips will help beginners with blue hour photography.

Photo by Howard Ignatius

1. Shoot in Shutter Priority Mode

During blue hour, the sky will be relatively dark because the sun is below the horizon. You will need a slow shutter speed to let in enough light for a properly exposed image.

Setting the camera to Shutter Priority mode will allow you to manually select the shutter speed. A shutter speed of 1 to 6 seconds should be sufficient to good result. For the photos in the article, I used a 6-second shutter speed in Shutter Priority mode.

Photo Jeff Welles

In Shutter Priority mode, your camera will choose aperture and ISO (if ISO is set to auto) automatically. This will make it easier for you when you are just starting to shoot during the blue hours.

2. Use remote or self-timer with timer

Pressing the shutter release may cause camera shake, resulting in a blurred image. To avoid this, use the remote control or the 2s timer self-timer.

3. Use a tripod

As mentioned above, you will be using a slow shutter speed, so a tripod will help you get a sharp shot. If you hold the camera while using slow shutter speeds, the photos will be blurred due to camera shake.

Photo by Darlene Hildebrandt

Photo by Darlene Hildebrandt

4. Shoot VRAW

It is best to photograph in RAW format during the blue hour. This will give you best quality and more processing benefits. One of the great benefits of shooting in RAW format is the ability to adjust exposure compensation while editing. So, if your photos come out a bit dark or light, you can adjust them up or down accordingly.

But even if you only shoot in JPEG format, don't worry, you can still get great blue hour shots.

Photo by Darlene Hildebrandt

5. Add electric lighting

It will be easier to take a photo during the blue hours if you choose a place near electric lights. This additional light can add drama and interest to your photos.

Photo by Darlene Hildebrandt Photo by Dena Hines

If there is electric lighting in your shots, don't shoot too close to them. If you're standing very close to a light source, glare can be a problem. Unwanted, randomly arranged patches of light may appear in your image.

What to photograph during blue hour

The easiest subjects to start with are landscapes that contain electric lighting.

Everyone involved in photography should know what Golden Hour is. For those who are not familiar with this concept, let's start with a brief formulation: the golden hour is the most suitable time for shooting when natural light favorably affects the quality of the pictures.

Artificial lighting when shooting landscapes, buildings and other vast areas is almost useless. Here it is worth counting only on the heavenly body. Every day, at a certain time, sunlight creates slanting soft rays that fill everything around accurately, without overexposure and hard shadows. This time is called "Golden Hour".

When is golden hour expected?

Golden hour is the hour before sunset and one hour after sunrise. At this time, the sun is low and illuminates everything at an angle. The light is soft and diffused.

The contrast of the picture is not too great. Thanks to this, details are not lost in bright colors or in shadows. Long shadows help emphasize the depth of the shot.

How to catch the golden hour

The easiest way is to use the golden hour calculator. In every region in different times of the year, the time of the golden hour is different, so a calculator will be useful. You can find it through search engines.

Sunrise and sunset times can also be found on weather forecast websites.

1. Use a tripod. This will allow you to take clearer photos. In low light, for the correct exposure, you will need a slow shutter speed and there is no way without a tripod.
2. You need to arrive at the shooting location in advance. This will allow you to prepare and not miss the best time to shoot.
3. During the golden hour, the lighting changes very quickly, so you should not linger. Everything must be done quickly, but not at the expense of quality.
4. Take a flashlight with you. Making your way to the shooting location in the dark and laying out the equipment, you will certainly feel the need for a flashlight.

If you plan to shoot in the cold season, then a thermos with a hot drink will come in handy.

There are quite a few practices for one or another kind of activity. But there is one simple rule that is easy to formulate in one sentence. Which can increase both activity and productivity throughout the day. And, even as a result of its rigorous use every day - change your life!

Golden hour rule

So, if you want to motivate yourself, increase your productivity:

“Upon awakening, immediately, give an hour of attention to the necessary activity!”

How to pay attention

It all depends on what activity you need to increase motivation for. Key options: read, study, view relevant educational information on the activity, motivational literature, plan the day, analyze relevant data.

Why it will help motivate yourself

In general, this rule is an unspoken charter for many deeply religious people. When the first hour after sleep - they read religious literature and pray. It was well expressed by the 19th century religious figure, Henry Ward Beecher: The first hour of the day is quick guide to all day". Those. start with God and spend the day with Him...

B. Tacy, coach personal growth, also pays special attention to the "Golden Hour". He is sure that the thoughts that we have at the beginning of the day set a certain emotional and mental inclination throughout the day! Why not use it to your advantage then?

As a neuro programmer - to programmers. Already mentioned earlier, oh. The bottom line is: our consciousness reacts differently at different times of the day. It's easy to install by yourself. In the morning, our inner analyst - a skeptic, and sometimes just a grumbler, has not yet woken up, which means that consciousness is more disposed to self-hypnosis.

Follow this rule, and then: The Golden Hour will bring the Golden Day!

Professional photographers claim that "golden hour" is the time of day with the best lighting. In this article, you will find out if this is the case and how you can use it.

There is one thing that largely determines whether a photograph will turn out or not, this factor is lighting. Perhaps you will shoot the most incredible scenery or an amazing model, but without quality lighting, you will only get flat, boring, expressionless photos.

This is especially true for outdoor shooting, when it is difficult or impossible to use artificial lighting. In this case, you will be completely dependent on natural light.

Therefore, it is critical to choose the right time to shoot in natural light. Fortunately, professional and amateur photographers, who have been thinking about this problem since the creation of the first camera, have found the perfect solution - the "golden hour".

What is "golden hour"?

The "golden hour" is also sometimes referred to as the "magic hour" - the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset, although the exact duration varies by season. During this time period, the sun is low in the sky, giving a soft, diffused light that is much nicer than the harsh midday light that we often have to shoot in.

Lighting during the "golden hour" is soft, diffused and warm. Photo by Martin Soyka.

This lighting reduces contrast, reducing the chance of losing detail on the subject that could be lost in deep shadows or overexposed. A warm tone makes the shot more pleasant, while long shadows help bring out the details, adding texture and dimension to the shot.

Another advantage: as a rule, during the "golden hour" there is less people than at other times of the day, allowing for a calmer and more natural shot.

When should it be used?

"Golden Hour" can be used for any type of shooting on outdoors. Along with the obvious genres of landscapes and urban photography, this technique is great for portraits, flowers, plants, and even object photography like cars.

Professional photographers strictly adhere to this rule, many are so devoted to it that they simply refuse to shoot at other times of the day. Of course, you do not need to be so principled, but it is worth listening to the advice of experts, as a rule, they turn out to be very useful.

Definition of "golden hour"?

The easiest and fastest way to determine when the "golden hour" is in the morning or in the evening is to use the "Golden Hour Calculator". This program uses more sophisticated methods for determining the golden hour than described at the beginning of this article, which allows it to be used to accurately determine the time.

Calculating your local golden hour will help you plan your shoot. Photo by Bethan.

An alternative calculation method for those who like to do everything themselves: start by determining the local sunrise-sunset time, for this you can use the online calculator.

Further, it is necessary to make a number of simple calculations: the first "golden hour" begins just before sunrise and lasts about an hour. The second "golden hour" begins about an hour before sunset and ends with it.

By deciding what to shoot and when, you'll be almost ready to grab your camera, accessories, and go for some great shots. But before that, try to remember the following tips so that the shooting goes smoothly and the allotted time is used to the maximum.

Use a tripod

During the period closer to dawn and sunset, it will be quite dark outside. However, it would be a shame to miss out on these fantastic colors and textures by waiting until it gets lighter. Mount your camera on a tripod, select a low ISO and use a slow shutter speed.

Spend time setting up your camera

Golden Hour comes on suddenly, so it's important to be prepared ahead of time. Arrive early at the shooting location so that you have some time to spare, even if it means getting up in the middle of the night.

keep shooting

During the "golden hour" the lighting changes extremely quickly and pictures taken several minutes apart can look completely different. Don't head home with one or two shots, instead stay for the full hour to capture the full spectrum of light metamorphosis.

Bring a flashlight and warm drinks

It can be very cold and dark during sunrise and sunset. It seems obvious, but it's easy enough to forget about it, especially if you're going out during the day to photograph the sunset. A flashlight helps you see what you're doing and where you're going, while a warm drink is a real treat when you're standing out in the cold waiting for your next shot.

Shooting during the golden hour adds more color, texture, and dimension to the photo. Photo by Sibiblou.

Shooting during the golden hours is definitely one of the tips that most positively influenced my outdoor photos. Although this forces you to go to the shooting at a time when you can still sleep comfortably, curled up, but it's worth it. Try it and you will see how your photos will be transformed.