Golden hour and blue hour
In short
- Golden hour is when the sun is low, roughly −4° to +6° above the horizon; blue hour is roughly −6° to −4° (definitions vary).
- Near the equator both are short; at high latitudes, and in summer, they can last much longer.
- Low sun gives warm, soft, directional light with long shadows.
- Plan with a sun calculator, arrive early, and set white balance on purpose instead of leaving it on auto.
What causes golden and blue hour
Both are defined by the sun's elevation, its angle above or below the horizon, not by the clock. When the sun is low, its light travels through far more atmosphere before reaching you.
A common photographer's definition puts golden hour between about −4° and +6°, and blue hour between about −6° and −4°, when the sun is just below the horizon and the sky itself becomes the light source. These numbers are approximate: apps, books and astronomers draw the lines differently, and some call any sun below about 10° “golden”.
Blue hour sits inside civil twilight, which runs from sunset to −6°. After that, the sky darkens quickly into nautical twilight and night.
How latitude and season change the length
The sun's path decides how fast it crosses that narrow band of angles. Near the equator it rises and sets almost vertically, so golden hour can be over in 20–30 minutes and blue hour in about 15–20 (approximate).
Farther from the equator the sun slides along the horizon at a shallow angle, so the same band takes much longer. At around 50–60° latitude, a summer golden hour can stretch past an hour, and in high Arctic summers the sun may stay low for most of the night.
Winter at mid latitudes brings another bonus: the sun stays fairly low all day, so warm, angled light is available even at midday.
Because the name says “hour” but the real length varies so much, always check the times for your exact place and date. The calculator on this page does that for you.
Why the light looks the way it does
Warm: the long path through the air scatters away much of the blue light, leaving more red and orange. In color-temperature terms, golden-hour sun is often around 3,000–4,000 K, versus about 5,500 K for midday sun (approximate).
Soft: haze and the extra air diffuse the light and lower contrast, so highlights are less harsh and skin looks kinder.
Directional: a low sun lights subjects from the side or front, shapes faces and buildings, and throws long shadows that reveal texture in sand, bark and stone.
Blue hour is different: the direct sun is gone, and the scattered blue light of the sky fills everything with an even, cool glow. It mixes beautifully with warm streetlights and lit windows.
Planning a shoot
Check the sun times and the sun's direction for your location the day before. Knowing where it will rise or set lets you choose a spot where it lights your subject the way you want.
Arrive 20–30 minutes before your window starts. The best light often lasts only a few minutes, and you don't want to spend it walking or setting up.
Watch the weather: a few high clouds can glow red after sunset, while a thick bank on the horizon can block the sun entirely. Clear skies give clean light but plainer skies.
At sunset, stay after the sun disappears. Many people pack up just before the sky turns its richest colors and blue hour begins.
Suggested settings
Golden hour, people: aperture priority at f/2.8–f/5.6, ISO 100–400, and let the camera pick a shutter speed. Backlit portraits often need +0.7 to +1 EV of exposure compensation so faces aren't too dark.
Golden hour, landscapes: f/8–f/11 for depth of field, base ISO, and a tripod as the light fades. Shooting into the sun can fool the meter, so check the histogram.
Blue hour: light levels drop fast, so expect shutter speeds of 1–30 seconds at f/8 and ISO 100. Use a tripod and a 2-second timer or remote. Handheld, raise the ISO to 1600–6400 and use a wide aperture.
These are starting points (approximate). The light changes minute by minute, so re-check exposure often.
White balance
Auto white balance tries to make scenes neutral, which can wash out the very warmth you came for. Setting Daylight (about 5,200–5,500 K) keeps golden-hour light golden.
For blue hour, Daylight keeps the sky rich blue. Choosing Tungsten (about 3,200 K) makes it even bluer and turns streetlights neutral; Cloudy or Shade adds warmth instead.
If you shoot RAW, white balance can be changed freely later, but setting it sensibly in the camera gives you a truer preview while you work.
Try it: Golden hour calculator
Find the golden and blue hours for any place and date.
Estimated times, shown in your device's time zone. Terrain and weather can change them. Golden hour is taken as sun elevation −4° to 6°, blue hour as −6° to −4°.