Many photographers think that good natural lighting ends when the sun goes down, but there’s a little secret I want to let you in on…

Have you heard of the Blue Hour?

Blue Hour refers to the period of time known as Twilight, just after sunset and right before complete darkness. And, just like the Golden Hour, the Blue Hour infuses a beautiful color cast into your photographs. But instead of a warm golden glow, the effect is more cool and calm.

Here is an example of a photo I shot during the blue hour while camping earlier this month.

Photo Specs: Nikon D60 | 18-55mm lens at 22mm | f 4 | 1/50 sec | ISO 1600

Normally you want to use a low ISO and preferably a tripod with a slower shutter speed, but I was in the mountains and away from all my extra gear. So, I made do with just handholding my camera and a higher ISO. If you’re new to the term ISO, check out this simple definition.

First off, I shot this with my 18-55mm lens with a focal length of about 22mm. I chose a high ISO of 1600, a larger aperture of f4, and set my shutter speed to 1/50 (somewhat slow, but still manageable)…all to let in as much light as possible and reduce blurriness due to camera shake. I wasn’t too worried about the grain caused by the high ISO, it was more important for me to get the shot…plus, I could always reduce noise in Camera Raw…which is what I did.

So tell me, was this helpful? If you enjoyed this little tip, share it with a friend or two who are also starting out in photography, using the social links below.