What twilight photography is
Twilight is the period between daylight and full darkness, either after sunset or before sunrise, when the sun is below the horizon but the sky is still lit. Twilight photography means shooting during that window. The sky often turns deep blue, purple or pink, and artificial lights such as windows, street lamps and headlights are bright enough to stand out against it.
Photographers often call this the blue hour, though the term is informal and the actual length varies with location and season. Many sources suggest a good window of roughly 15 to 40 minutes after sunset, with the best balance of sky and lights in a shorter span within that. Treat these as rough guides and watch the sky itself.
Stages of twilight
Astronomers divide twilight into three stages based on how far the sun is below the horizon.
- Civil twilight: The sun is up to about 6 degrees below the horizon. This is the brightest stage and the most useful for blue-hour pictures.
- Nautical twilight: About 6 to 12 degrees below. The sky is darker and the horizon is fading.
- Astronomical twilight: About 12 to 18 degrees below. The sky is close to fully dark.
Twilight vs golden hour
Golden hour happens while the sun is still above the horizon. The light is warm and directional, with visible shadows. Twilight comes after, when the light is cool, soft and nearly shadowless, coming from the whole sky. They suit different pictures, and a good evening can offer both back to back.
Camera settings
The light drops quickly, so expect to adjust often.
- Tripod: Shutter speeds can reach seconds. A tripod, plus a remote release or the self-timer, keeps shots sharp.
- ISO: Start at base ISO for the cleanest image and increase only if you need a faster shutter, for example with moving subjects.
- Aperture: A mid-range aperture such as f/8 is a common choice for sharp cityscapes and landscapes. Narrow apertures can turn point lights into star shapes.
- Shutter speed: Let it fall where the exposure demands. Moving traffic will blur into light trails at longer speeds, which many people like.
- Mode: Aperture priority with exposure compensation works, or manual once you find a good exposure.
- Focus: Autofocus can struggle in low light (see how to focus your camera). Switch to manual focus or magnify the live view if needed.
- Format: RAW preserves detail in both sky and lights.
White balance
Twilight mixes cool sky light with warm artificial light, so no single white balance is perfect. Auto may push the sky toward neutral and lose the blue. Many photographers choose a slightly cool setting, or shoot RAW and adjust later. Decide whether you want the sky or the lights to look natural.
Real estate twilight shots
Twilight is popular for property photography because lit windows and exterior lights look inviting against a blue sky. Turn on interior lights before you start, shoot from a tripod, and expect a short working window. Some photographers bracket exposures and blend them so the interior, the exterior and the sky are all well exposed.
Cityscapes and landscapes
Cities are well suited to twilight, since lit buildings balance the sky. For landscapes, look for water, which reflects the sky and lets long exposures smooth the surface. Arrive early, compose while there is still light, and start shooting before the sky reaches its peak color.
Common mistakes
- Arriving after the best light has gone.
- Handholding at slow shutter speeds.
- Letting the sky clip to white or the lights blow out. Check the histogram.
- Using only auto white balance.
Editing the look
If you want the sky richer, adjust white balance, contrast and the blue and purple saturation modestly. Over-processing quickly looks artificial. For a nearby technique, see silhouette and backlight photography, which works well against a twilight sky.