What golden hour is and when it happens
Golden hour is the period shortly after sunrise and before sunset when the sun is low in the sky. The light travels through more atmosphere, so it tends to look warmer, softer and more directional than at other times of day.
The name suggests an hour, but the real length varies with your latitude, the season and the terrain around you. Near the equator it passes quickly. At higher latitudes it can last noticeably longer. Hills, buildings or clouds on the horizon can shorten the usable light further.
To plan a shoot, check the sunrise and sunset times for your location with a weather app or a dedicated sun-tracking app, and arrive well before the light peaks. Sunset time alone is a guide, not a guarantee, because the light you want often starts earlier than you expect.
Starting camera settings
There is no single correct setting, because the right values depend on the light, your lens and your subject. The following are reasonable starting points that you can adjust.
- Mode: Aperture priority is a convenient choice because the light changes continuously. Manual mode gives you more control once you know the exposure you want. The settings below work in either mode.
- ISO: Begin at your camera’s base ISO, often around 100 to 200, and raise it only when the shutter speed gets too slow to hold sharp.
- Aperture: Choose it by what you want in focus (see below).
- Shutter speed: In aperture priority the camera picks this. Watch it. A rough rule for handheld shots is to keep the shutter speed at or above the reciprocal of your focal length, and faster if the subject moves.
- File format: Shooting RAW keeps more room to adjust white balance and recover highlights, which is useful with a bright sky.
- White balance: Auto white balance can neutralize the warm tones you went out to capture. Try a daylight preset, or shoot RAW and set it afterwards.
Settings by subject
Portraits. A wide aperture such as f/2 to f/4 blurs the background and separates the subject. Focus on the nearer eye. If you shoot toward the sun, you may need to add exposure compensation so the face is not too dark.
Landscapes. A narrower aperture such as f/8 to f/11 generally keeps more of the scene sharp. Low light often means slower shutter speeds, so a tripod helps. Focusing about a third of the way into the scene is a common way to balance near and far sharpness.
Backlit and silhouette scenes. Shooting toward the sun produces rim light and glow, but it also confuses metering. We cover this in detail in silhouette and backlight photography.
Keeping up with changing light
Golden hour light changes minute by minute. Check your histogram and highlight warnings regularly rather than trusting the first test shot.
- Exposure compensation is the fastest adjustment. A little negative compensation protects bright skies. A little positive compensation helps when the camera darkens a backlit subject.
- If you are in manual mode, expect to open the aperture, slow the shutter or raise ISO as the light drops.
- Bracketing exposures can help when the sky is much brighter than the foreground.
- Avoid chasing exposure so much that you miss the moment. Take the shot, then fine-tune.
Light direction in golden hour
The same low sun gives very different results depending on where it sits relative to you.
- Front light from behind you is even and warm but can look flat.
- Side light reveals texture and shape, which is why many landscape and portrait shooters like it.
- Backlight creates glow and rim light, with the exposure challenges mentioned above.
Common mistakes
- Arriving at sunset time rather than before it.
- Leaving auto white balance on and losing the warm tone.
- Underexposing the main subject while protecting the sky.
- Packing up as soon as the sun sets. The sky can still be colorful, and the twilight period offers a different look.
Frequently asked questions
What time is golden hour? It follows sunrise and precedes sunset, and the exact span depends on location and season. Use a sun-tracking app for your date and place.
Is 7 am golden hour? It can be, if sunrise is shortly before then where you are. In summer at many latitudes, 7 am is already well past it. In winter it might still be dark. Check local sunrise.
Is 2 pm a good time to take photos? In most conditions the sun is high at that time, which makes hard light. It is not golden hour, but it can still work with the right approach. See midday photography.
What about overcast evenings? Thick cloud mutes golden hour. See overcast light for how to work with it.