To capture the magic of the golden hour in your photos, try following these guidelines: The golden hour is a great time to shoot any kind of picture, including portraits, landscapes, cityscapes, and still life. Close to the poles, it can even last for several weeks around the equinoxes, when the Sun's zenith slowly passes the equator and the polar night gives way to the Midnight Sun. Within the polar circles and just outside them, the Sun does not sink lower than 6 degrees below the horizon during the summer, so the golden hour can last all night. In Oslo (about 60° north) and the northernmost tip of Antarctica (about 60° south), the golden hour lasts over 90 minutes at that time of the year. At around 40 degrees north and south, for example in New York and Wellington, it takes around 1 hour in March.

For example, in Quito, Ecuador, which is very close to the equator, it takes the Sun only about 50 minutes to move from 6 degrees below the horizon to 6 degrees above it.Īt higher latitudes, the same process takes longer. In locations where the Sun is directly overhead at noon-for example at the equator during the equinoxes-the Sun traverses the horizon at an angle of 90°, making for swift transitions between night and day and a relatively short golden hour. The duration of the golden hour depends on both the latitude and the season. Halos, Sundogs, and other golden hour phenomena Does the Golden Hour Last for 60 Minutes? While this period is commonly included in the definition of the golden hour, it produces a lighting effect very different from the direct morning or evening sunlight, also requiring photographers to work with different camera settings.

This scattering decreases the sunlight's color temperature and makes it take on a golden or reddish hue.Īstronomical terms & definitions Twilight Colorsĭuring civil twilight, when the Sun is at most 6 degrees below the horizon, Earth's upper atmosphere reflects the sunlight, illuminating the lower atmosphere and making the sky appear in golden and reddish colors. This process also adds more indirect light to the mix, softening contours and reducing the contrast.Īt the same time, the thicker layer of atmosphere that the sunlight has to pass through scatters the blue and violet wavelengths, allowing more light in the orange and red spectrum to reach Earth. On their way to the Earth's surface, they encounter atmospheric particles such as dust and water droplets, which filter the sunlight, ultimately making it less bright. When the Sun is just above the horizon, its rays impact the Earth at a low angle and they have to travel through more of the Earth's atmosphere before they reach us. What is the blue hour? Why Is the Light Golden? The Sun's angle in your city-click on the table By this definition, the golden hour begins with civil dawn in the morning and ends with civil dusk in the evening. However, the warm sunlight that is characteristic for the golden hour most likely occurs when the Sun is between 6 degrees below and 6 degrees above the horizon. Rather, it refers to a state of natural lighting that is most common around sunrise and sunset. ©/maxontravel Definition of the Golden Hourīecause the golden hour is a colloquial term, it doesn't have an official definition similar to dawn, dusk, and the 3 phases of twilight. The warm sunlight makes the golden hour a favorite among photographers and filmmakers. Business Date to Date (exclude holidays)Ī golden retriever enjoys the golden hour on a beach in Vietnam.

Golden hour time tomorrow