The 30-minute period from 15 minutes before to 15 minutes after sunset is when sunlight is at its most beautiful.
In photography, this time of day is called the “magic hour.” If you have a camera, you should definitely capture the world bathed in this beautiful light. Even better, though, is putting the camera down and taking in the beauty of the world with your own eyes.
I love driving on the highway during the magic hour. When I drive, I can fully enjoy the scenery without being distracted by my camera. Still, I can’t help but feel the urge to take a photo. There are views you can only see while driving, and the magic hour enhances that experience. It's hard to resist.
That’s when an interval timer comes in handy. I set the focus to infinity and the exposure to aperture-priority auto. The aperture is set to f/2.8, and the ISO is set to auto. Since I want to capture the sense of motion, I set the slowest shutter speed to around 1/15. If I set the camera to take a photo every three seconds, I can shoot 600 photos in 30 minutes.
The more photos you take, the more good ones you’ll get. Even if you shoot without looking through the viewfinder, let a baby press the shutter button, or attach the camera to a cat’s collar, about 3% of the photos will turn out good. With 600 shots, you’re guaranteed at least 18 good ones. People who aren’t good at photography simply don’t take enough photos.
At a rest stop just before the magic hour begins, I put my pre-set GR on the dashboard in a spot where it won't get in the way and set off. It's kind of like a dash cam, but since it’s not video, I don’t worry if the camera tilts during the drive. I can fix it with cropping, and honestly, the photos are fine even if they're tilted.
Due to the unbearable heat, UV rays, and mosquitoes, summer has become my least favorite season. However, I’ll always love the magic hour in summer.
Hatano Hiroshi
Born in Tokyo in 1983. Studied under advertising photographer Tsutomu Takasaki and won the Nikon Juna21 Award for "Marine Ruins." Winner of the Epson Photo Grand Prix. Diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2017 and has been living with the disease ever since.
’Bokutachi ga erabenakatta koto o erabi naosu tameni (To Choose Again What We Could Not Choose)','Shashinshu (Photos)','Boku ga kodomo no koro hoshikatta oya ni naru (Being the Parent I Wanted When I Was a Child)','Nan de boku ni kikun daro (Why Do They Ask Me?)','Tanin no nayamigoto wa hitogoto, jibun no nayamigoto wa ogoto (Other People's Problems are Trivial, My Problems are Serious),'Love letter',
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