Golden Hour Calculator

What is Golden Hour?

Golden hour is the period shortly after sunrise and before sunset when the sun is low on the horizon (roughly 0–6° elevation). Sunlight travels through more atmosphere at these angles, scattering blue wavelengths and leaving warm reds, oranges, and yellows. Shadows are long and soft, contrast is lower, and skin tones glow. It’s widely considered the most flattering natural light for photography.

Blue Hour

Blue hour occurs just before sunrise and just after sunset, when the sun is between 4° and 6° below the horizon. The sky takes on a deep blue tone with cool, even illumination and no direct sunlight. It’s ideal for cityscapes (the blue sky balances perfectly with street lights and building lights), twilight landscapes, and moody portraiture.

Tips for Shooting

Arrive early. Golden hour light changes fast — conditions at the start and end are dramatically different. Get set up 15 minutes before the window opens.

Shoot into the light. Backlighting during golden hour creates rim light, lens flare, and glowing edges. Side light emphasizes texture. Experiment with the sun at different angles.

Watch the sky. A few scattered clouds can make golden hour spectacular by catching and reflecting warm light. Overcast skies eliminate golden hour entirely — the sun never "breaks through" at a low angle.

Use a lower ISO. Golden hour light is dimmer than midday. On film, you may want to open up a stop or two. With a light meter app like TLR Companion, you’ll get accurate readings for the changing light.

Sources & Methodology

The solar position calculations on this page are based on the NOAA Solar Calculator, which uses Jean Meeus’s astronomical algorithms from Astronomical Algorithms (Willmann-Bell, 1991). Golden hour is defined as the period when the sun is between 0° and 6° above the horizon; blue hour when the sun is between 4° and 6° below the horizon (civil twilight). These thresholds are approximate — atmospheric conditions, terrain, and altitude all affect the actual quality of light.