blue hour

 'blue hour' - the magical time of photography
just after sunset or before sunrise.
(for me only sunset 'cause i can't get up in the morning!)

for about 15 minutes the sky looks black,

but it's actually blue!!

*The Brandwag (Sentinel) rock formation near the entrance to Glen Reenen rest camp, Golden Gate Highlands National Park, Free State, South Africa

i took the picture below

15 minutes before the one above*.

the two big spotlights is already shining,

but with the sun at my back,

it looks ineffective 

as 'blue hour' didn't arrive yet...

The landscape of Golden Gate is characterized by massive, colourful sandstone formations.

10 minutes later,

(after the first picture*),

and the sky had turned black

These photos were taken when me & Jo  went on  a photography course.  After photo nr. 3 - which was taken in total darkness - we stumbled over stones and grasshumps to get back to our car.  And no... we didn't have a torch or headlight with us... see #6 below...  :-(    but it was a lot of fun and laughter! 

(Jo - from http://memorablemeanders.blogspot.com/ - is currently living in and posting from Khartoum.)

blue hour is all about timing! 
if you're not interested in photography,

skip the next part

and go to comments

~~~

otherwise...
  have your camera ready!

#1:

 the key to flawless blue hour shots, is long exposure.
(a slow shutter speed)

a sturdy tripod is your most vital accessory.

no tripod?:  look out for some other form of support
- the car's bonnet - your shoe - the top of a rubbish bin - etc.

the photo at the end of the post was taken
with my camera on a table
and a t-shirt under my camera
to tilt the lens to the correct hight…

(tip: a bean bag works better!)

#2:
keep your ISO at 100 or 200
(to minimize the digital noise in the picture)

#3:

use a remote control to activate

the camera's shutter without touching it.

a remote prevents blurring due to camera shake.

i always use the camera's self-timer function

#4:
never use your camera's flash for 'blue hour' photography

#5: 
some people goes manual with their cameras
and read the photo's histogram

i choose to go straight
to the aperture-priority(A) mode,
and select a aperture varying from f9 to f14

thát will ensure that the far-off elements

within your photoscene,
remains in focus.

#6:
everything has been set up...
you're just waiting for one more minute...
check your settings one last time...

*oho*
it's too dark to SÉÉ the settings!
always take a torch or headlight with you! :-)
  

please feel free to ask any question
via comments or e-mail.
the most important thing
is to experiment and

have fun shooting!



Stunning view of the Indian Ocean!!!
Blue hour from our bedroom!! at Le Cononnier Hotel, Mauritius.