Golden Hour & Blue Hour Photography Calculator
Calculate morning and evening golden hour and blue hour photography times, solar elevation angles, and optimal camera settings for any location and date.
Location & Date
Full Daily Solar Photography Schedule
About this tool
How to use it
- Select your target city preset (e.g. New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney) or choose 'Custom GPS Coordinates' and enter your latitude and longitude.
- Pick your target shooting date to calculate seasonal daylight variations and solar declination shifts.
- Select the local UTC timezone offset for your shooting location.
- Review the exact morning and evening time windows for golden hour (warm directional light) and blue hour (deep saturated twilight).
Why it matters
Golden hour and blue hour represent the two most desirable natural lighting windows in photography, cinematography, and drone videography. Midday direct sunlight produces harsh shadows and blown-out highlights, while golden hour (sun between +6° and -4°) provides warm diffused sidelight with long flattering shadows. Blue hour (sun between -4° and -6°) perfectly balances artificial architectural city lights with deep indigo skies.
When to use it
Use this calculator when scouting landscape or wedding photography locations, planning outdoor portrait shoots, timing real estate exterior photography, or scheduling drone flights.
Good to know
Calculations use NOAA solar position equations with atmospheric refraction compensation (-0.833° horizon crossing). Mountainous terrain or tall urban buildings will cause local optical horizons to differ by 5 to 15 minutes.
Common questions
What is the exact definition of golden hour in photography?
Golden hour occurs when the sun's center is between 6° above the horizon (+6°) and 4° below the horizon (-4°). During this period, sunlight travels through a greater thickness of Earth's atmosphere, scattering short blue wavelengths and bathing the scene in warm orange, red, and golden tones.
What is the difference between golden hour and blue hour?
Golden hour occurs immediately before sunset and after sunrise (+6° to -4° solar elevation), producing warm, directional, high-contrast gold light. Blue hour occurs immediately after golden hour at dusk or before it at dawn (-4° to -6° solar elevation), producing cool, diffuse, deep blue ambient light.
What camera white balance should I use for golden hour and blue hour?
For golden hour, set your white balance to 'Cloudy' or 'Shade' (6,000K to 7,500K) to enhance the warm amber and gold tones. For blue hour, set white balance to 'Tungsten' or 'Incandescent' (3,200K to 4,000K) to preserve rich deep blues without yellow streetlamp casts.
How long does golden hour actually last?
Despite the name, golden hour rarely lasts exactly 60 minutes. Near the equator, golden hour can last only 20 to 30 minutes due to the sun's steep descent angle, while in high-latitude locations (such as the UK, Scandinavia, or Canada) in winter, it can last over 90 minutes.
Do I need a tripod for blue hour photography?
Yes. Because ambient light levels drop significantly during blue hour, shutter speeds often drop between 1/4 second and 30 seconds. A sturdy tripod, low ISO (100–200), and a 2-second shutter delay or remote trigger are essential for tack-sharp exposures.