“It’s all about the light.” As you read this line post after post, we must sound like a broken record. And of course, our name “Sweet Light Photos” comes from our favorite time to shoot – the golden hour.

This past week, we headed north to the Painted Desert. If you live in Arizona, and possibly if you do not, you probably have heard of the Painted Desert.  It is a desert of badlands running from the Grand Canyon to the Petrified Forest National Park. These badlands get the name of “painted” due to coloring ranging from lavenders to shades of gray with vibrant red, orange and pink. During the day, this painted desert looks muted but during the golden hour and into the blue hour the colors come alive.

So to take advantage of these colors, we headed to the Little Painted Desert County Park in Winsow, Arizona, for our sunset shoot. After setting up my tripod and camera, I set about framing a shot. When all of sudden Jeff looked at me and asked, “What are you doing?” I thought it was obvious, I was photographing the painted desert before us. So I gave him one of those funny looks. Jeff, the master of photo technology,  looking at PhotoPills iPhone app, tells me I can’t start shooting until 6:23pm when the golden hour begins. Our photography has taken on a new level of precision.

Just for the heck of it (a waste of film – I know) I snuck in a photo before 6:23…

Just before the Golden Hour

(6:12 pm) Just before the Golden Hour (notice the harsher shadows)

The Golden Hour (6:23 pm to 6:59 pm)

(6:55 pm) Amazing color at the Golden Hour

(6:55 pm) Amazing color at the Golden Hour

 

The last vestige of the golden hour. In just a moment these mounds will turn blue and purple.

(6:54 pm) The last vestige of the golden hour. In just a moment these mounds will turn blue and purple.

With the golden hour complete the “blue hour” started. The blue hour is the time just after sunset when the sky turns an interesting post sunset hue, often pinks and purples and the colors of the landscape often glow in the reflecting light. The blue hour only lasted a few moments, so precisely 6:57 pm, we began shooting.

The Blue Hour (6:59 pm to 7:16 pm)

(7:01 pm) The Blue Hour - the sky turns purple & blue, and the colored desert reflects the fading light

(7:01 pm) The Blue Hour – the sky turns purple & blue, and the colored desert reflects the fading light

 

The "Blue" hour is so different than the "Golden" hour even though they occur moments apart.

(7:02 pm) The “Blue” hour is so different than the “Golden” hour even though they occur moments apart.

So what do you think, do you prefer the blue hour or the golden hour?

And of course, it is all about the light!