Golden hour calculator · plan around the light
Golden Hour Calculator
Enter a place and date to get sunrise, sunset, golden hour, and blue hour. The best light of the day is short and it moves, so plan the shoot around it and be set up early.
Times shown in America/New_York. Calculated from the sun's altitude, accurate to about a minute. Local terrain (mountains, tall buildings) can shift the practical light a little.
How to use it
Step 1
Pick the place
Choose a city, enter latitude and longitude, or tap Use my location. The light times depend on where you are on the planet.
Step 2
Pick the date
Set the day you plan to shoot. Golden and blue hour shift through the year, and they get long near the poles in summer.
Step 3
Plan around the windows
Arrive before golden hour starts, scout in blue hour, and shoot the warm light while it lasts. The light moves the whole time, so be set up early.
Make the most of the window
Once you know when the light lands, the craft is in being ready for it. Start with golden hour settings, learn how the exposure triangle shifts as the light drops, and if you are heading somewhere specific, check the rules for where you can legally shoot.
Frequently asked questions
What is golden hour?
Golden hour is the stretch when the sun is low, roughly from the horizon up to about six degrees of altitude. The light is soft, warm, and directional, which flatters almost any subject. This tool marks it for both morning and evening.
What is blue hour?
Blue hour is the twilight before sunrise and after sunset, when the sun is between about six degrees and just below the horizon. The sky holds a deep, even blue that is ideal for cityscapes and long exposures.
How accurate are these times?
They are calculated from the sun's altitude using the standard solar equations, accurate to about a minute. Local terrain like mountains or tall buildings can shift when the light actually reaches you, so treat the times as a plan, not a stopwatch.
Why does it ask for my time zone or location?
The underlying times are absolute moments. To show them as clock times we render them in the chosen city's time zone, or in your browser's time zone when you use your own location or coordinates. That keeps daylight saving correct.
Why do some times show a dash?
Near the poles in summer or winter the sun may never cross a given altitude, so there is no sunrise, sunset, or golden hour that day. The tool shows a dash and a short note when that happens.