December Blue Hour

We have seen a lot of rain this autumn, much more than usual, but because of that we are experiencing some beautiful blue hours.

First recognised in French artistic circles about 200 years ago as l’heure bleue, it is a period of twilight at dawn or dusk when the sun is far enough below the horizon – between about 4 and 8 degrees – so that its blue wavelengths dominate the sky while the red wavelengths are absorbed by the ozone in the atmosphere.

In overcast or partially overcast conditions the blue light is reflected and enhanced, leading to lovely blue photos, even if the day has been grey.

I enjoyed taking these of Penticton’s Okanagan Lake shoreline. I find that the artificial lights make a good counterpoint to the blue.

Many of the boat masts at the northern marina have been decorated with seasonal lights which I thought was another lovely visual counterpoint.

On additional note, I am experimenting with a new camera which has also been fun. These pictures are some of my results.

Happy Tuesday.

26 thoughts on “December Blue Hour”

I'd love to hear what you have to say!