Golden hour is the period shortly after sunrise and before sunset when the sun sits low in the sky. The light is softer, warmer and more directional than at midday, which is why so many outdoor portraits are scheduled around it. It’s roughly an hour long, but the real length depends on where you are and the time of year.
Here’s what makes that light different, how we plan a session around it and what we do when the schedule or the weather doesn’t cooperate.
What golden hour is and why the light looks different
When the sun is low, its light passes through much more of the atmosphere before it reaches you. The atmosphere scatters shorter blue wavelengths more than longer red and orange ones, so the light that arrives is warmer in color. It’s the same effect that turns sunsets orange.
The low angle matters just as much. At midday the sun is high, lighting the top of the head and leaving shadows under the eyes, nose and chin. Near sunrise and sunset it reaches the face from the side or front, close to eye level, and fills those shadows in. The light is also less intense, so skin looks smoother, highlights are easier to hold and people can look toward the light without squinting.
How long golden hour lasts
The common definition is roughly the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset, but that’s a rule of thumb. What matters is the sun’s angle above the horizon, and how quickly that angle changes depends on latitude and season.
- Closer to the equator, the sun rises and sets at a steep angle and passes through the low, warm band quickly. In South Florida or Hawaii, the best light goes by faster than it does in Seattle or Minneapolis.
- At higher latitudes, the sun’s path is shallower, so golden hour stretches out. In the northern states, and especially in Alaska, it can last well beyond an hour.
- Through the year, golden hour at mid-latitudes tends to be shortest around the spring and fall equinoxes and longer near the solstices. In northern winters the sun never climbs very high, so low, angled light lasts through more of the day.
The practical takeaway: look up the actual sunrise or sunset time for your date and location, and treat the hour before sunset as the target rather than a fixed clock time.
Blue hour, the second window
After the sun drops below the horizon, the light doesn’t vanish at once. For a short stretch of twilight the sky turns deep blue and the light becomes cool, even and very soft. Photographers call this blue hour, though it’s usually much shorter than an hour, and it passes quickly.
Blue hour suits city skylines, lit buildings, string lights and portraits with a cooler, quieter mood. Because light levels fall fast, we often add a small, controlled light on the subject to keep faces clean. It’s also a strong time for short video clips, where city lights and sky tones carry the scene. Many of our evening sessions start in golden hour and finish in the first minutes of blue hour.
Planning a session around sunset
In much of the country, the clock time of sunset moves by three hours or more between December and June once daylight saving time is included. We plan every outdoor session from the actual sunset time for the date and location, then work backward.
- Start 60 to 90 minutes before sunset. That leaves time for warm-up frames and outfit changes before the best light arrives.
- Account for the horizon. Official sunset assumes a flat horizon. Hills, trees and tall buildings can put a location in shade well before that, so we check the terrain in advance.
- Choose which way to face. Facing the sun gives warm, glowing faces. Putting the sun behind the subject gives a rim of light in the hair and a softer, airier look. We usually plan for both.
- Consider sunrise. Popular locations are often empty at dawn, the light is similar, and early risers tend to be at their best.
When golden hour isn’t an option
Harsh midday light
Sometimes a session has to happen in the middle of the day: a family reunion, a school schedule, a travel day. Midday light isn’t unusable; it just needs different handling.
- Open shade. We move people into the shade of a building, a porch or a dense tree canopy, facing the open sky. The sky becomes a large, soft light source, and the hard overhead sun is off their faces.
- Backlight. With the sun behind the subject, it stays out of their eyes and outlines them in light. We expose for the faces, or add a reflector or flash to fill in the front.
- Diffusion. On brand and editorial shoots, a large scrim held above the subject softens direct sun.
Cloudy days
Overcast skies are often better for portraits than people expect. A thin, even layer of cloud works like a giant softbox, giving smooth skin tones, no squinting and far more flexibility on timing. Colors are cooler and contrast is lower, which we adjust in editing. Heavy, dark overcast is different, since light fades fast late in the day, so on gray days we often start earlier.
Scheduling tips for families with young children
Golden hour can land right on top of dinner, bath time and bedtime, especially in summer, when sunset often comes after 8 p.m. A few things help:
- Plan around naps and meals first, then choose the closest good light, even if it isn’t the final hour.
- In summer, consider a morning session. Young children are often at their best early, and the light is similar.
- In late fall and winter, early sunsets work in your favor, and an afternoon session that wraps up by 5 p.m. fits a normal day in much of the country.
- Bring snacks, water and a favorite toy, and feed everyone before you arrive.
- Get the full family group first, while everyone is fresh, then move to smaller groupings and play.
We’d rather have 40 relaxed minutes in good light than 90 tense ones at the ideal time. You can see how we approach family sessions and portrait sessions on our services pages.
Plan your session
If you’re thinking about an outdoor session, send us your date and location and we’ll suggest a start time based on the light.
