Daylight: hours, shadows and colour

1Simulator When the sun is high, its light passes through little atmosphere: it arrives white and strong and draws short, crisp shadows. When it’s low, it passes through much more air: the blue is scattered along the way and what’s left is a warm, orange, weaker light that casts very long shadows. That scattered blue is the colour of the sky itself: that’s why shadows, lit only by the sky, are cool.

1Simulator The height of the sun also changes with the seasons. In Trieste, at midday, the sun reaches about 68° on 21 June and only 21° on 21 December: in winter the shadows stay long all day, in summer at midday they almost disappear under your feet.

1Simulator Golden hour: roughly the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset, when the sun is less than 6° above the horizon (and down to 4° below it). Warm, soft, raking light, beautiful on faces and façades. Blue hour: after sunset or before sunrise, when the sun is between 4° and 8° below the horizon. The sky is a deep blue and balances with the city lights. It lasts about half an hour.

1Simulator Midday: hard light coming from above. On faces it creates dark circles under the eyes, but in black and white street photography it’s an asset: crisp shadows, geometry, blades of light. It’s the light I use most. Overcast sky: the clouds diffuse the light, shadows disappear and colours turn soft. To know in advance where and when the sun rises and sets there are apps like PhotoPills or The Photographer’s Ephemeris.