Golden Hour Calculator

Find the exact golden hour, blue hour, sunrise and sunset times for any location and date — so you're set up before the light happens.

Enter coordinates or use your location to see today's light schedule.

Times are shown in your device's timezone. A dash means the sun doesn't reach that angle on the selected day (far northern or southern latitudes).

What Is Golden Hour?

Golden hour is the window when the sun sits low in the sky — roughly between 6° above and 4° below the horizon. Sunlight travels through more atmosphere, which scatters the harsh blue wavelengths and leaves warm, soft, directional light with long gentle shadows. It happens twice a day: just after sunrise and just before sunset.

Despite the name, it rarely lasts an hour. Near the equator it can be 20 minutes; at high latitudes in summer it can stretch for hours. That's why photographers use a calculator tied to real coordinates instead of a rule of thumb.

What Is Blue Hour?

Blue hour comes before sunrise and after sunset, when the sun is 4–6° below the horizon. The sky turns deep, even blue and city lights balance beautifully against it — it's the prime window for cityscapes, architecture and moody landscapes. It's shorter than golden hour, so arrive set up and ready.

Camera Settings for Golden Hour

For golden hour portraits: aperture priority, f/2–f/2.8, ISO 100–400, and watch that your shutter speed stays above 1/250. Backlight your subject — sun behind them — and expose for the face, letting the background glow. For golden hour landscapes, stop down to f/8–f/11 and consider bracketing: the dynamic range shifts fast as the sun drops.

Our free camera settings cheat sheet covers these scenarios and a dozen more, with a printable version to keep in your bag.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is golden hour?

It depends on latitude and season. Near the equator, expect 20–30 minutes. In mid-latitudes it's typically 40–70 minutes, and near the poles in summer the sun can hover in the golden zone for hours. The calculator above gives the exact window for your coordinates.

Is golden hour before or after sunset?

Evening golden hour starts before sunset (when the sun drops below 6° altitude) and continues briefly after it, until the sun is 4° below the horizon. After that, blue hour takes over.

Can I find out when a photo was taken during golden hour?

Yes — if the photo still has its metadata, the capture time and often GPS coordinates are embedded in the file. Upload it to the EXIF data viewer to see exactly when and where it was shot.

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