Sunrise and sunset, the sun enters or leaves and it seems that the world has changed completely. It happens over and over again, every day, reconfirming that life goes on and that everything begins again.
It is in those moments, minutes after the sun appears on the horizon or moments before it hides completely, when the sky is dyed in spectacular colors such as orange, wine, or violet. It is so sensational that sometimes, whatever we are doing, we stop to look at the beautiful spectacle that nature offers us.
For centuries hundreds of artists have dedicated themselves to capturing the moments of the magic hour and leaving them captured in beautiful paintings. All the dexterity and complexity of the stroke aim to convey that feeling of peace and fullness that light offers in the landscape that is drawn before the artist’s eyes. And we as viewers, we are able to feel those emotions.
Photo by Jonas Papier
But don’t worry, you don’t have to be a great French Impressionist painter to be able to appreciate and capture the beautiful light of the magic hour. All you need is a phone with a good camera and a few tips to do it.
If you live in the city, you may have noticed that there is a time of day when the sun has gone down, but it is still radiating light, and the street lights come on. There, a powerful mix of visual impact called “light draw” is generated, an excellent moment to take some photos.
how do you explain to us Jonas Paperdirector of the school of photography motivate youit is during the “magic hour” when we can see the effect produced by the “light draw” which is the term used to name that amazing moment due to its visual beauty. At that moment, the lights of the city turn on while the intensity of the blue sky decreases until a balance is achieved between the varied colors that the continuous artificial light gives us. Meanwhile, the sky becomes more saturated as its light intensity decreases until it achieves a deep blue. The most important thing to keep in mind is the patience we must have to test minute by minute which is the best light combination between natural and artificial light.
Photo by Jonas Papier
One of the most important tips is to look first with your eyes and then with the camera. Observe the environment and trust in light as our main ally. And although we call this moment the «magic hour», we must clarify that this natural effect lasts between 20 and 30 minutes, so, although the good things are brief, do not despair, explore all the functions offered by the camera system and Motorola equipment lenses in their manual mode: ISO sensitivity, shutter, exposure, and others; and you will see hundreds of possibilities appear before your eyes so that you can play creatively with light.
Another feature that can help make the capture even better is that the phone has technology quad-pixelwhich focuses on getting as much brightness as possible in any low-light scene.
Normally, traditional mobile sensors have smaller pixels, which are capable of capturing less light from the scene.
What Quad Pixel technology does is offer larger pixels, which in turn are capable of capturing much more light from any scene. And today, it is an accessible technology, which can be found in an entry-level smartphone like the motorbike e7; in smartphones with a good price/quality ratio, such as the moto g9 powerand also in the premium range, such as the motorola razr. Photo by Jonas Papier
And if it didn’t work out the first time, don’t worry. The sun rises and sets every day, so you’ll have plenty of time to experiment.
We invite you to use these easy tips to make the most of the most beautiful light of day and achieve impressive photos. Share the results of your photography with these tips using the hashtag #hellohoramagica in social networks. So we can all appreciate your art and technique.