[#11] Blue Hour
Nov 22, 2020
Recently, I discussed an image titled the “Golden Hour” but, did you know there is also a blue hour? It really is all about the light, and as the sun rises and sets each day, colors are reflected through the sky. While one of the most technically challenging images I’ve made, the colors drove me to succeed. What makes this image challenging to capture? What makes up the blue hour? These are the questions for this edition of Coffee Talk.
The blue hour comes after the golden hour as the sun sets. Photographers named these times of day to reflect the color of the light. As the sun is setting, the light skips through the atmosphere and we see golden hues, bright orange hues and as the shadows move, purple hues. The sun light is golden and coming from so near the horizon, it masks the blue of the sky seen otherwise. Yet, as the sun sets below the horizon, the blue sky returns and fills up with saturated blues and purples. This indirect light is the last light of day, fading to darkness, frequently much faster than an hour.
So, why does this make an image more challenging? The ocean is challenging regardless because nothing remains still. Even with no breeze, the ocean incessantly crashes the sandy shores. The challenge comes in rapidly fading light. Exposure times increase and the opportunity for ruining the image increase exponentially.
“Blue Hour” was the last of a string of images I made this particular evening. The first image in the series was only one to two seconds long. I typically take images up to four or eight seconds. So, the start of this series was nothing special. As the blue light increased and some purples began to show, my shutter speed kept doubling. Soon, I was using 20 seconds and more.
The longer the shutter speed, the more happens to make an image unusable. First, the waves are swirling the sand beneath my tripod, causing it to move if not properly secured. I use three inch spikes and a large carbon fiber tripod to ensure it remains steady, but the ocean cannot be controlled and sometimes it does not work.
Second, there is this light we cannot see called “infrared light.” Unfortunately, all of today’s camera sensors not only see it, but record it in the image file. The longer the exposure, the more infrared light gets absorbed and soon the image has a purplish, magenta cast in all parts of the image. The shadows turn purple and the brighter areas turn purple. Even with a computer, removing that purple cast is all but impossible. So,I use filters that take out as much infrared light as possible.
The Leica glass used in their lenses is specially formulated and made by them and some of the best in the world. Yet, it too can be subject the infrared casts. I have used some incredible glass filters to make images in camera, but I began using a new system, fully made in the United States and created to remove almost every drop of the infrared lights.
This evening I used the filters and this image was 60 seconds long. The foreground is sharp and the rocks and shells in the sand prove to me I kept the camera steady - for a full minute. The colors are spectacular and there was not trace of infrared issues. The light fell during the exposure, so I had to set the exposure for more than I thought I would need or it would have been too dark.
I was really chasing light this evening, in all senses of the word! It may be hard to tell while looking at this image, but it was one of my top 10 most challenging technically and I’m excited to share it with you.