What Is Blue Hour Photography? A Guide with Tips and Examples to Capture the Perfect Moment

I sometimes call myself a blue hour photographer, as that’s the time of day I shoot almost all my photos, as seen in my Top 40 Photo Gallery. But what is “blue hour”?

Blue hour refers to the time between sunset and dusk (or between dawn and sunrise if shooting in the morning) when the sun is below the horizon, resulting in a cool, blue-toned sky and soft light.

This particular timeframe, also known as twilight, offers a unique photographic opportunity with its serene and moody aesthetic. In Japan, blue hour is often called “magic hour” because of the light during this time allowing us to capture stunning, almost magical photos. ✨

First photo: Gardens by the Bay (Singapore). 14mm, f/5.6, 25 secs, ISO 100.
Second photo: Gyeongbokgung Palace (Seoul, South Korea). 24mm, f/8, 30 secs, ISO 100.

How Long Is Blue Hour?

Blue hour sounds like it lasts an hour, but it’s much shorter in most places around the world. In Singapore, where I live, blue hour (the time between sunset and dusk) lasts only 20+ minutes.

Interestingly, the length of blue hour depends on where you’re located relative to the equator. The farther away you are from the equator, the longer it lasts. To find out your local sunset and dusk time, search your city on gaisma.com , my go-to website when it comes to shooting at blue hour. 😀

What’s So Special About Blue Hour Photography?

Shooting during blue hour is popular for its unique aesthetics. The blue-toned sky and soft light create a distinct and captivating look that differs from a typical daytime scene, making even the most ordinary moments feel cinematic and atmospheric.

Punggol Park (Singapore) at 35mm, f/9, 161 secs, ISO 100. This is a photo of residential blocks in suburban Singapore. Blue hour even makes an ordinary neighborhood view like this look much better.

Tips for Shooting During Blue Hour

At the start of blue hour (around sunset), there’s usually enough ambient light to shoot sharp images handheld. As the sky darkens toward dusk, shutter speeds slow down, making a tripod essential for capturing sharp, blur-free images, because it’s not humanly possible to handhold a camera perfectly steady even for a few seconds. 😅

Besides, when shooting at blue hour, it’s best to keep ISO (controlling your camera’s sensitivity to light) at 100 — the lowest setting on most cameras — to minimize digital noise and preserve image quality. While the main purpose is to reduce noise, an added benefit is that it enables slower shutter speeds, opening up creative possibilities in long exposure photography, which I’ll explain next. 😀

Blue Hour + Long Exposure Photography

Toward the end of dusk, shutter speeds naturally get longer, so take advantage of the slower shutter speed to capture motion and blur — like smoothed-out water, moving clouds, or the light trails of passing traffic.

In order for the shutter speed to get much longer (minutes, not just seconds) like the photos seen below, an ND (neutral density) filter needs to be used, which is beyond the scope of this post. If you’re interested, check out my free eBook (PDF), Getting Started with Long Exposure Photography (shameless plug 😅).

First photo: Singapore Skyline from Gardens by the Bay South. 28mm, f/9, 161 secs, ISO 100.
Second photo: Singapore Skyline from Helix Bridge. 18mm, f/13, 120 secs, ISO 100.

Sunset Direction

The blue hour sky is ethereal, but the best comes from the West (where the sun has set) with soft twilight hues lingering in the sky, making blue hour shots extra pleasing. The East, on the other hand, looks flat and dull. This is something to keep in mind, though in practice, we don’t always have control. For example, the city skyline might face away from the sunset, meaning the sun sets behind us as we shoot. 😭

Tokyo Skyline from Yebisu Garden Place Tower, Japan

First photo: Shanghai Skyline from Opposite the Bund (China). 18mm, f/11, 164 secs, ISO 100. Beautiful twilight hues are seen in the West sky at blue hour.
Second photo: Tokyo Skyline from Yebisu Garden Place Tower (Japan). 35mm, f/5.6, 30 secs, ISO 100. The East sky at dusk looks rather dull and monotonous.

End of Blue Hour

Dusk signals the end of blue hour. Beyond dusk, the bluish hues in the sky quickly disappear, and the scene turns into dark night rather abruptly. From my experience, blue hour photos are best shot 10 to 5 minutes before the end of dusk. 📸

If you’re interested in how I shoot long exposure photography at blue hour, you’re welcome to download my 10-page free eBook (PDF) by clicking the banner below.

P.S. If you liked the eBook, please take a moment to rate/review it and help improve the visibility of my eBook. Thank you in advance. 😀

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About the Author: LASTLIGHTS.NET is a passion project of Joey J, a Singapore-based Japanese photographer primarily shooting cityscape photography with long exposure at blue hour. Visit his Photo Gallery (40 most favourite photos taken) or download his free eBook, Getting Started with Long Exposure Photography .