Exact golden hour, blue hour, sunrise and sunset times for any location on Earth, on any date. Search a city, tap the map, or use your location — and never miss the light again.
Times are shown in your device's timezone.
Golden hour is the stretch just after sunrise and just before sunset when the sun sits low on the horizon and its light travels through more atmosphere. The result is soft, warm, directional light with long gentle shadows — the most flattering natural light there is for portraits, real estate exteriors, product shots and landscapes. Its length changes with your latitude and the season, which is why a real calculator beats the “one hour” rule of thumb.
Blue hour is the short window before sunrise and after sunset when the sun is just below the horizon and the sky glows a deep, even blue. It's the secret behind twilight real estate photos with warm glowing windows, moody cityscapes, and clean architectural shots without harsh contrast.
Arrive 30 minutes before evening golden hour starts. Backlight your subject for glow, and keep shooting into blue hour for a soft editorial look.
Turn on every interior light, then shoot exteriors 10–25 minutes after sunset — peak blue hour — so the windows glow against the sky.
Low sun means texture: long shadows reveal terrain, waves and architecture. Golden hour is also when drone footage grades most cinematically.
It depends on your latitude and the season. Near the equator it can be as short as 40 minutes; at higher latitudes in summer it can stretch past 90 minutes. This calculator computes the exact window for your spot and date instead of guessing.
No — evening golden hour starts before sunset, while the sun is still above the horizon. Blue hour comes after sunset. The best sessions use all three phases back to back.
The last 45–60 minutes before sunset. The light is warm and low, squinting stops, and skin tones look their best. Morning golden hour works just as well if the location faces east.
Yes — tap anywhere on the map or search any city worldwide, and pick any date, past or future. Handy for planning shoots, trips and weddings months ahead.
Sunset Cliffs, Windansea Beach, the Coronado dunes and Crystal Pier are hard to beat. We keep a full ranked list — with parking and permit notes — on our San Diego Photo Spot Index.
Jump straight to a live calculator preset for your city — times, blue hour and local shooting tips included.
Pair the perfect time with the perfect spot — our San Diego Photo Spot Index ranks 20 locations with parking, permit and best-light notes. Or skip the planning entirely and let Kanyon Studio shoot it for you.
