Day 18/365 - Blue Hour at Sanfong Temple: Mastering HDR Bracketing

Sometimes the best shots come from working within constraints.

I arrived at Sanfong Temple in Kaohsiung planning to shoot from the upper level, but renovation work had closed access. Rather than leave disappointed, I stayed low—and discovered a composition I wouldn't have found otherwise.

The Setup

Using my Leica D-Lux8 on a tripod, I waited for the blue hour—that magical window between sunset and full darkness when the sky holds a deep, rich blue while artificial lights begin to glow warm and inviting.

The Technique: Three-Bracket HDR

I took three exposures, each one stop apart:

• One underexposed to preserve the sky detail

• One metered for the temple's mid-tones

• One overexposed to recover shadow detail in the stone and lanterns

This bracketing approach gives Lightroom Classic the information it needs to create a seamless HDR image without the artificial look that comes from heavy processing.

Processing in Lightroom Classic

The HDR merge combined all three exposures, and then came the careful work of color grading. The goal was simple: let the deep twilight blue dominate the sky while allowing the warm temple lighting—those beautiful lanterns and architectural details—to breathe naturally.

I avoided heavy saturation or contrast boosts. Strong images come from strong light, not fancy sliders.

The Lesson

Renovation work, weather, crowds—these aren't obstacles to avoid. They're part of the process. Sometimes they force you to see differently, to compose better, to wait longer for the light you really want.

This is what I teach in my photography workshops across Taiwan, and in my global and online mentoring sessions. Photography isn't about having perfect conditions. It's about seeing what's in front of you and making the most of it.

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