Most photographers know about golden hour. Far fewer know about what comes after — and that's exactly why the ones who stay after sunset come home with shots that make everyone else's jaws drop.
Blue hour is one of the best-kept secrets in photography. Here's everything you need to know about it.
What is Blue Hour?
Blue hour is the period of twilight just before sunrise and just after sunset when the sun is below the horizon but the sky is still illuminated. Instead of the warm golden tones of golden hour, blue hour produces a deep, rich, cool blue light that fills the entire sky evenly.
The name is slightly misleading — it's rarely a full hour. Blue hour typically lasts between 20 and 40 minutes, depending on your location and the time of year. Near the equator it can be as short as 15 minutes. At higher latitudes it can stretch longer, especially in summer.
Why Does the Sky Turn Blue?
During blue hour, the sun is between 6 and 4 degrees below the horizon. The sun's rays are hitting the upper atmosphere at an extreme angle, and the scattering effect that removed the warm red and orange wavelengths during golden hour continues — but now the sky is lit entirely by indirect light.
The result is a uniform, deep blue illumination that comes from everywhere at once rather than from a single direction. There are no harsh shadows. The quality of light is almost studio-like in its evenness, but with a color temperature and depth that no studio can replicate.
Blue Hour vs Golden Hour — What's the Difference?
Warm, directional light
Orange, amber and red tones. Strong side lighting creates dramatic shadows and depth. Best for portraits, landscapes, and anything that benefits from warm, flattering light.
Cool, even light
Deep blue tones, no directional shadows. City lights are on. Best for cityscapes, architecture, and any scene where you want the balance of artificial warm light against a cool blue sky.
They're not competitors — they're companions. The best photographers shoot both, staying from golden hour through sunset through blue hour. Each produces completely different images from the same location.
When Does Blue Hour Happen?
Blue hour happens twice a day — once in the morning before sunrise, and once in the evening after sunset. The evening blue hour is far more popular because you don't need to wake up before dawn.
Evening blue hour starts immediately after the sun disappears below the horizon — right when most photographers pack up their bags. It ends when the sky becomes too dark to show detail, roughly 20-40 minutes later.
🌃 Find today's blue hour times
Our golden hour calculator shows exact blue hour times for any city in the world — morning and evening, updated daily.
Find Blue Hour Times →Why Cityscape Photographers Love Blue Hour
Blue hour is the secret weapon of cityscape photography, and the reason is simple: during blue hour, city lights turn on while the sky is still bright enough to show detail and color. This creates a perfect exposure balance that's impossible to achieve at any other time of day.
At full night, city lights are bright but the sky is black — high contrast, hard to expose correctly. During midday, the sky is bright but city lights are invisible. Blue hour is the brief window where both are perfectly balanced. The warm glow of streetlights, office windows, and neon signs contrasted against the deep cool blue sky — that's the image that stops people scrolling.
Camera Settings for Blue Hour
- Use a tripod — light levels drop fast during blue hour, and you'll need slower shutter speeds. A tripod is non-negotiable.
- Shoot RAW — the subtle blue tones in the sky require the full dynamic range of a RAW file to capture accurately.
- ISO 400-1600 — higher than golden hour, but keep it as low as your shutter speed allows.
- f/8 to f/11 for cityscapes — you want everything sharp, from foreground to background.
- Use a remote shutter release — or your camera's self-timer — to avoid camera shake on slow exposures.
- Shoot quickly — blue hour ends fast. Have your composition ready before it starts.
The sweet spot of blue hour is usually 10-20 minutes after sunset. Check the golden hour calculator for your city — it shows exact blue hour start and end times so you're never guessing.
The Best Locations for Blue Hour
Blue hour works best in locations where artificial light and the open sky can be seen together. Cities are ideal — bridges with city skylines behind them, canals reflecting warm building lights, rooftop viewpoints overlooking lit streets. The contrast of warm artificial light against the cool blue sky is the whole visual idea.
Bodies of water are especially powerful during blue hour — the still surface of a river, lake, or harbor doubles the sky, giving you blue both above and below. Check golden hour times for some of the world's most photogenic blue hour locations: London, Amsterdam, Paris, Tokyo.