Over the years I have increasingly grown to prefer shooting the blue rather than the golden hour. It is the time after the sun has set and the sky is coloured in intensive blue light and often, depending on the cloud coverage, the landscape as well. Many photographers prefer the warm light of the golden hour just before the sun dips beneath the horizon, but here for your consideration I have gathered some reasons why you should also consider shooting during the blue hour instead of picking up your camera and leaving!
It is less busy
This is the first thing that comes to mind for many photographers, but I can’t stress it enough. I often find myself – especially in the evening – at a spot I have been aching to shoot during a sunset and there are still people around. They tend to walk by, distracting me from my composition, walking through my composition or, depending on the size of the spot I might be standing in, even bumping into me – this has indeed happened. Suddenly, after the sun has vanished, most people tend to lose interest in the landscape and I quickly find myself alone; I can at last enjoy the serenity of engaging in photography without human distraction. This sense of having the spot to myself often translates into my image and makes it all the more valuable on a personal level.
Mercury falling
The second reason you should wait until the sun has set is that the light quality might still increase. Let’s say that you experience a hazy sunset. Frequently, due to the mercury falling, the weather conditions can change swiftly after the sun has dipped behind the horizon. The clouds may dissipate and give way to a nice, gentle blue hue over ...
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