Light planning tool
Golden Hour Calculator and Shoot Planner
Use this golden hour calculator to find sunrise, sunset, and the blue and golden hour windows for a date at a preset photo location or at coordinates you enter. The planner also suggests when to arrive and when to wrap. Every calculation runs in your browser.
How the golden hour times are calculated
The planner works from the date, latitude, and longitude. It evaluates the sun's declination and the equation of time for that date using the NOAA solar position equations, then solves the hour angle for each target solar altitude. Sunrise and sunset use the standard -0.833° horizon, which allows for atmospheric refraction and the apparent size of the sun.
Golden hour is not a fixed 60 minutes. Here it runs while the centre of the sun is between 4° below the horizon and 6° above it. Blue hour is the band between 6° and 4° below the horizon, immediately before the morning golden window and immediately after the evening one. The exact duration changes with latitude and season, which is why a winter window at Mount Greylock is shorter than a summer window at the same place.
Times are converted from UTC to the time zone you choose using your browser's IANA time zone data, so daylight saving changes are handled without a separate setting. The arrival time subtracts your setup buffer from the first usable window; the wrap time is the close of the last window.
What each light window means
| Window | Sun altitude | What it usually suits |
|---|---|---|
| Morning blue hour | 6° to 4° below the horizon | Even, cool light before sunrise; long exposures and quiet water. |
| Morning golden hour | 4° below to 6° above | Low warm light, side lighting, and mist across the scene. |
| Evening golden hour | 6° above to 4° below | Warm backlight, silhouettes, and colour on clouds or ridgelines. |
| Evening blue hour | 4° to 6° below the horizon | Even light after sunset; useful for water, streets, and buildings. |
Thresholds are the definitions this tool applies. Other apps may use different bands, so compare the stated altitude rather than the label.
How to plan the shoot
- Pick one of the preset locations or choose Custom coordinates and enter the latitude and longitude in decimal degrees.
- Set the date you will be on location, not the date you are planning from.
- Add the setup time you need for parking, walking, and setting up a tripod.
- Build the plan and note the arrival and wrap times for the morning and evening windows.
- Check access rules, gate times, tides, and weather separately before committing to a window.
If you are scouting a new spot, run the plan for the date you will return and again for a nearby date. The difference shows how quickly the light is shifting at that time of year.
Preset locations and coordinates
The presets are rounded map positions for five coastal and mountain locations. They are a starting point, not a survey. Move the coordinates to the exact overlook, beach access, or bridge you plan to use.
| Location | Region | Latitude, longitude | Time zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. John | U.S. Virgin Islands | 18.3358, -64.7303 | America/St_Thomas |
| Nubble Lighthouse | Cape Neddick, York, Maine | 43.1653, -70.5914 | America/New_York |
| Silver Sands & Walnut Beach | Milford, Connecticut | 41.2022, -73.0344 | America/New_York |
| Mount Greylock | Berkshires, Massachusetts | 42.6373, -73.1657 | America/New_York |
| Shelton | Housatonic River, Connecticut | 41.3165, -73.0931 | America/New_York |
What this planner does not do
- It does not fetch a weather forecast or include cloud cover, haze, or smoke. A clear-sky calculation can still meet a flat grey morning.
- It does not model terrain, buildings, tree lines, or elevation. A ridge can hide the sun long before the calculated sunrise, and a high overlook can see it earlier.
- It does not support polar day or polar night, and it limits latitude to 66° north or south so sunrise-based windows stay meaningful.
- It does not confirm access, parking, permit rules, tide times, or closing hours. Check those with the land manager before travelling.
- It does not upload, store, or transmit the coordinates, date, or result. Everything runs in this browser tab.
Common questions
What counts as golden hour and blue hour on this page?
This planner uses solar altitude, not clock rules. Golden hour runs while the centre of the sun is between 4 degrees below the horizon and 6 degrees above it. Blue hour is the band between 6 and 4 degrees below the horizon, immediately before morning golden hour and immediately after evening golden hour. Sunrise and sunset use the standard -0.833 degree horizon, which allows for atmospheric refraction and the size of the sun.
How accurate are the sunrise, sunset, and golden hour times?
The times come from the NOAA solar position equations evaluated in your browser for the date and coordinates you enter. For the preset locations they should be within a minute or two of published almanac times. Real conditions still vary: the page does not model elevation, mountains, buildings, haze, or unusual atmospheric refraction, and a ridge can hide the sun well before the calculated time.
Why does this page disagree with a weather app?
Different services use different definitions. Some treat golden hour as a fixed number of minutes after sunrise, some use a different solar altitude, and some round coordinates or report civil twilight instead. This page states its altitude bands so you can compare like with like. If a location sits in a valley or behind a mountain, the practical light will also arrive later or leave earlier than the open-horizon calculation.
Can I plan a shoot somewhere that is not in the preset list?
Yes. Choose Custom coordinates, then enter the latitude, longitude, and time zone. Decimal degrees are used, with negative values for south latitude and west longitude. Preset coordinates are rounded map positions, so adjust them if you know a more precise spot such as a particular beach access or overlook.
What do the suggested arrival and wrap times mean?
The planner subtracts the setup time you enter from the start of the first usable light window to give an arrival time, and ends the plan at the close of the last window. Setup time is the walking, parking, and tripod time you need before the light starts. The wrap time is the end of the blue or golden window, not a limit on how long you may stay.
How is the automatic best-window suggestion made?
The planner adds the morning golden and blue windows and compares that total with the evening golden and blue windows. The longer combined window is suggested as the primary shoot. When the two totals are within five minutes of each other the page reports either window as equally suitable.
Plan the location as well as the light
The light window is only one part of a landscape shoot. Use the location guides to scout access, compositions, and what changes with the season, then keep the plan with your notes for the day.