Golden Hour Calculator
Find golden hour, blue hour, sunrise, and sunset times for any location and date.
Golden hour is the window just after sunrise and before sunset when the sun is low and the light is warm, soft, and directional. For outdoor and portrait photography, these windows are worth planning around. I've shot hundreds of outdoor portraits and the difference between golden hour and midday light is not subtle. Blue hour, the 20-30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset, produces a different quality entirely: cooler, more even, atmospheric.
Golden hour is not actually an hour. Depending on your latitude and the time of year, it can be 20 minutes at lower latitudes near the equinoxes, or several hours at high latitudes in summer. The closer to the poles, the longer and more dramatic the golden light.
Why golden hour light is different
When the sun is near the horizon, sunlight travels through more atmosphere than at midday. This atmospheric distance scatters the short blue wavelengths and transmits the longer red and orange wavelengths, producing the warm color temperature. The low angle also means light hits subjects from the side rather than above, creating longer shadows and more dimensional texture. Skin tones look warmer and more flattering. Shadows are longer and more interesting.
Blue hour
Blue hour occurs when the sun is between 4 and 8 degrees below the horizon: after sunset but before full dark, and before sunrise but after full dark. The sky acts as a large soft light source with a cool blue color temperature. Artificial lights begin to turn on, creating a balance between ambient and artificial that works beautifully for urban and architectural photography. The exposure window is narrow, often 15-25 minutes, requiring pre-planned positioning.
Planning for a specific shot
For golden hour portraits: arrive at least 30 minutes early. The light changes quickly. The warmest, most directional light is in the 15-20 minutes just after sunrise or before sunset. For landscapes: cloudy days after a storm often produce the best post-sunset color as light bounces off cloud layers. For architecture: blue hour gives you balanced interior and exterior exposure without the harsh contrast of full daylight or full dark.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find the exact golden hour for my city?
This calculator gives approximate times from latitude. For exact times including timezone-adjusted local time, apps like PhotoPills, The Photographer's Ephemeris, or even the free Sun Surveyor give precise times, sun angles, and directional information for any location on any date. For professional shoots, these apps are worth having.
Does the golden hour change through the year?
Yes significantly. In summer at mid-latitudes, the sun rises and sets at a shallower angle, extending golden hour. In winter, the sun angle is steeper at sunrise and sunset, shortening it. Near the solstices, the effect is most pronounced. In some Arctic and Antarctic locations, the sun barely rises above the horizon for weeks, creating extended golden light conditions photographers travel specifically to experience.