Golden Hour & Blue Hour
Sunrise, sunset, golden hour and blue hour times for your exact location and date
The golden hour is the soft, warm light just after sunrise and just before sunset. The blue hour is the short window before or after it, with cool twilight. Enter your location and date to see exactly when each one starts and ends.
Sun times: sunrise-sunset.org (NOAA algorithm, open data) · Weather: Open-Meteo (open data) · Address search & map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Golden Hour & Blue Hour: how it works
This tool calculates exact times for sunrise, sunset, golden hour and blue hour based on your location and chosen date. Use it whenever you are planning a shoot and need to know precisely when to be on location. Generic online tables rarely account for your exact spot, this one does.
Golden hour and blue hour: what the light actually does
The golden hour is the window just after sunrise or just before sunset. The sun sits low, the light is warm and directional, and shadows stretch long across the frame. Contrast is softer than at midday, which means you get more detail in both highlights and shadows without much effort.
The blue hour falls just before sunrise or right after sunset. There is no direct sunlight, but the sky holds a cool blue-purple glow. This is when artificial light and ambient daylight reach a natural balance, which makes it one of the better times to shoot cityscapes, architecture or any scene where you want lit windows and a sky that still holds colour.
Planning a shoot around the light
Arriving five minutes before golden hour is cutting it close. Depending on the season and your latitude, the golden hour can last as little as fifteen to twenty minutes. At higher latitudes in winter, the sun stays low and the golden light can stretch for most of the day. Knowing the exact window for your date and location removes the guesswork.
If you shoot with long exposures during blue hour, the low ambient light often calls for extended shutter speeds. In those situations the ND Filter Calculator can help you figure out adjusted exposure times when you add a filter to the setup.
Frequently asked questions
How long does golden hour actually last at my location?
It depends on the season and how far you are from the equator. At mid-latitudes in summer, golden hour typically runs 30 to 45 minutes. In winter the sun rises and sets at a shallower angle, which can shorten it to 20 minutes or stretch it considerably longer.
What is the difference between civil twilight and blue hour?
Civil twilight is a defined astronomical term, roughly the period when the sun is between 0 and 6 degrees below the horizon. Blue hour overlaps with this but is more of a photographic concept describing the quality of light during that window rather than a precise measurement.
Can I look up golden hour times for a trip two weeks from now?
Yes, the tool works for any date you enter, not just today. Plug in your destination and the date of your shoot to see all the relevant times before you travel.