Out Of the Blue

The ‘blue hour’ around dusk is the ideal time to capture landmarks that are bathed in artificial light. Jason Parnell-Brookes shows you how

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1 EVENING

Light pollution is increasingly becoming a hindrance to photographers across the globe, but for this project we’re going to make it work for us. In the right setting, city lights can look great at dusk, and if those lights are illuminating an already-impressive landmark they can give it a real lift. With this in mind, we set out to photograph one of the UK’s most iconic bridges, the second severn crossing, between england and Wales, at twilight.

For a shot like this to work, it’s best to shoot in the direction of the setting sun, as the sky in that direction will retain its colour for longer. Timing is also key: shoot too early, and the sky will be much brighter than the landmark (and the landscape below), which means that if  you expose for the sky, the landmark will be turned into a silhouette; shoot too late, and the sky will be black, with no colour. What you’re after is that moment when the lights are all on, but there’s still a hint of blue in the sky. This is known as the ‘blue hour’, and part of its appeal lies in the fact that the warm glow of the lights complements the cool blue of the sky. here’s how it’s done…