On a production with large windows, a very short stretch of time sometimes decides the result. During the blue hour the sky still holds color while the lights inside are already clearly visible.
A balance that does not keep
That balance does not last. Before it, the world outside is too bright and burns out. After it, the panes turn into dark mirrors. For the production at the Franziska in the Henninger Turm, camera positions, room and lighting had to be ready before the decisive light arrived.
Preparation takes longer than the exposure
It is much the same with hotel rooms that have a view, with terraces, or with exteriors of a lit building. The photography itself often takes less time than the preparation. Test frames, composition and order are settled beforehand.
At the Radisson Blu Stuttgart the arithmetic was identical: set up first, then twenty minutes of light.
Less a style than a production plan
The blue hour is therefore less a style than a production plan. Anyone who starts setting up once the sky has reached the color they wanted has already lost the best moment.
Exteriors of this kind are collected under exterior design.
