Editors' Choice Photo Challenge: The blue hour

In our most recent Editors' Choice Photo Challenge, we asked you to show us the 'blue hour', a period shortly before sunrise or after sunset when the sun is below the horizon but still provides enough light to make the sky appear deep blue in photos. Once again, we were seriously impressed with some of the images you entered.

This time around, we added an extra twist: all entries had to be shot after the day the challenge was announced, so all the photos you'll see in this slideshow were taken by your fellow readers after September 22nd.

If you didn't get a chance to enter this challenge, you can watch for our November Editors' challenge, which is coming soon and will be open to photos taken at any time.

Praia da Ursa - 6

Photographer: luCalretas

Description: This beach is near the "Cabo da Roca" cape in Sintra [Portugal], featuring beautiful and gigantic rock formations. It's difficult to get there, but the view is worthy.

Equipment: Sony a5100 + Sony 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS

Fifty Shades of Blue

Photographer: rshoub

Description: None provided.

Equipment: Sony RX10 III

Blue Hour Reflection

Photographer: Brighton Shooter

Description: After a heavy night's rainfall, a photo of Brighton's i360 tower and prom during blue hour.

Equipment: Sony a7R V + Sony 16-35mm F4 G

Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in Oamaru, New Zealand

Photographer: jlg84

Description: I had been hoping that I'd get to see the comet of the moment one day, and for several days, I would wake up at 4 am or so and take a quick Look out the window to see if the clouds were thin enough for a shot, and at last, that happened on 29 September 2024, coincident with New Zealand switching to summer time.

Equipment: Canon EOS R5 + Samyang 135mm F2.0 ED UMC

Yik Cheong Building (aka Monster Mansions) Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

Photographer: Walters44

Description: The Yik Cheong Building (aka Monster Mansions) could easily pass as a backdrop building in BladeRunner. A dystopian ultra-cramped government housing block, it provides limitless photographic subjects.

Equipment: Canon EOS M6 II + Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art

Arts Building Valencia

Photographer: windmillgolfer

Description: Valencia Arts and Science Park after sunset, which was shortlived.

Equipment: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III + 8mm fisheye lens

Goonies Beach

Photographer: Kenster63

Description: Northern California coast, one hour after sunset.

Equipment: Nikon D750 + Nikon AF-S 35mm F1.8G ED

The Calm Waters

Photographer: Bento2

Description: View down the Chicago River as the city sparkles to life after sunset.

Equipment: Sony a6700 + Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 Di III-A C RXD

Istanbul Sunset

Photographer: GZieses

Description: From the rooftop of the Seven Hills Restaurant in Istanbul, Türkiye looking across toward the Blue Mosque.

Equipment: Nikon Z6 + Nikon Z 24-200mm F4-6.3 VR

Beam Me Up, Scotty!

Photographer: Aidan Williams

Description: Walking into the scene, I fired a cold flashlight to complement the warm sunstars of the streetlights. The location is underneath a long-retired cargo crane in central Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Equipment: Sony a7C + CV 10mm F5.6