Golden Hour Calculator for Photos

Golden hour is the stretch of warm, low, forgiving light just after sunrise and just before sunset. Pick a place and a date and the calculator works out exactly when it starts and ends.

Photographers plan around this window because the sun sits low enough to light faces from the side instead of from above, shadows go soft, and skin, sand and stone all turn warm. In the desert Southwest the effect is dramatic: the same canyon that looks flat and bleached at 2 p.m. glows orange at 6:45.

Use the evening time for engagement sessions, sunset wedding portraits and senior pictures. The morning window is quieter — empty trails, cooler temperatures in summer and calm air for reflections on water.

Remember that the calculator assumes a flat horizon. If you are shooting in a canyon, against the Franklin Mountains or between downtown buildings, the sun will slip behind the ridge early. Arrive 30 minutes before the start time so you can warm up while the light builds.

How it works

• The tool computes the sun's elevation minute by minute for the date and place you choose.
• Golden hour runs from the sun 6° above the horizon to 4° below it; blue hour runs from 4° to 6° below.
• Times are shown in the local time zone of the place, including Arizona's no-daylight-saving rule.
• Choose Use my location to calculate for wherever you are standing (your location never leaves your device).