For example, around the equator during the equinoxes, it only takes about 50 minutes for the sun to move all the way from 6 degrees below the horizon (twilight) to 6 degrees above it (daylight). As this means it has only a short distance to “travel”, these transitions between night and day happen pretty fast. This also explains why your location and the seasons have such an influence on what time Golden Hour is.ĭuring summer the sun rises almost straight up from the horizon. Depending on the elevation of the sun, we call them:Īs you can see, the exact definition of the Golden Hour is the period where the sun lies between 4° below and 6° above the horizon, so it even starts a bit before sunrise in the morning and lasts a bit longer than the sunset in the evening. When the sun sets in the evenings and rises in the morning it passes through several light phases.
Pro Tip: If you’re out shooting somewhere and want a rough estimate about how long it will take before the sun will set, just use your hands to figure out how much time is left before sunset. The second golden hour starts around an hour before sunset. Then the first golden hour of the day will start just before sunrise for about an hour. You can also use this handy sunset and sunrise calculator to get a rough estimate of what time the golden hour will be in the morning or evening.
The Photographer’s Ephemeris (app & website).Just enter a location and time and they will give you a plethora of information to plan your shoot. If you want to know exactly when Golden Hour is for a specific location there are some handy tools available online and as smartphone apps. But if you are far north and the sun doesn’t rise very high during the day you might be able to enjoy this great light the whole time. Depending on the season and your location the golden hour might be a lot shorter or longer.įor example, if you are close to the equator where the sun rises quickly the golden hour might only last a couple of minutes. So, there are actually two golden hours every day. Roughly speaking, the golden hour is the first hour of light after sunrise and the last hour of light before sunset.