The Blue Hour

I always loved the blue hour, even before I knew it had a name. Photographers gush over the golden hours, that time just after dawn or before sunset when everything is a soft amber color. And don't get me wrong, I love me some golden hours too. But the blue hour is my favorite. Especially in a city, when you can contrast the blue with the yellow and red tungsten city lights. Mmmmmm, delicious.

I remember the first time I really got it about the blue hour. Evan and I were in Myanmar, on a bicycle ride near Inle Lake, and we had taken a little too long at the small outdoor restaurant where we had stopped for tea. Consequently we were racing the light to get back to Nyaungshwe where our hotel was. On a small country road in Myanmar there are no streetlights, and there are many potholes, so we were serious about getting back in time. But it was so difficult because with each passing second the light just got more and more beautiful. I swear Evan must have aged a few years waiting for me to take my photos every time I stopped and pleaded, "Just one more?"

This was clearly not taken in Myanmar, but the light was no less beautiful. I shot this from a friend's hotel room in Soho during my time in New York. There is nothing more stunning than Manhattan during the blue hour.