Golden hour is the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset, when a low sun gives warm, soft, directional light. The best starting settings are ISO 100 to 400, an aperture of f/2.8 to f/5.6 for people or f/8 to f/11 for landscapes, a shutter speed fast enough to stay sharp, and a warm white balance. The rest of this guide shows you how to use that light, not just survive it.
When is golden hour?
Golden hour happens twice a day, after sunrise and before sunset. Near the equator it can last under 30 minutes. Farther north, and in winter, it lasts longer. A free sun app such as PhotoPills or Sun Seeker tells you the exact times and the direction the sun will be in, so you can plan where to stand.
Arrive 30 minutes early. The best light often comes in the last 10 minutes before the sun touches the horizon, and you want to be set up, not scrambling.
What are the best camera settings for golden hour?
| Setting | Portraits and details | Landscapes |
|---|---|---|
| Mode | Aperture priority (A or Av) | Aperture priority or manual |
| Aperture | f/2.8 to f/5.6 | f/8 to f/11 |
| ISO | 100 to 400, raise as light fades | 100, use a tripod as light fades |
| Shutter speed | 1/250 s or faster for people | Whatever the exposure needs |
| White balance | Cloudy or Shade (about 5,500 to 6,500 K) | Cloudy or Shade |
| File format | RAW | RAW |
Why aperture priority? The light changes minute by minute. Aperture priority lets you choose the look (blurred background or sharp from front to back) while the camera keeps up with the brightness.
Why a warm white balance? Auto white balance often “corrects” golden light back to neutral, which drains the glow you came for. Cloudy or Shade keeps it.
Why RAW? Golden hour scenes have bright skies and deep shadows. RAW files hold more detail in both, so you can recover a sky or lift a face later.
How do you expose for golden hour?
Expose for the highlights. If the sky or a sunlit face turns pure white, that detail is gone for good. Use exposure compensation and dial it down by 1/3 to 2/3 of a stop until the brightest part of the scene keeps its color. Shadows are easy to lift later. Blown highlights are not.
Five ways to use golden light
- Backlight your subject. Put the sun behind a person, a flower or tall grass and watch the edges glow. Expose for the subject’s face, and accept a bright background.
- Side light for texture. With the sun to one side, stone walls, bark and fabric show every ridge. This is the light that makes villages look like paintings.
- Shoot into the long shadows. Low sun stretches shadows across the ground. Use them as leading lines.
- Find the reflection. Windows, wet sand and still water catch the warm sky and double your color.
- Turn around. The scene behind you, lit straight on by the setting sun, is often better than the sunset itself.
What about blue hour?
Do not pack up when the sun goes down. Blue hour, the 20 to 40 minutes after sunset, turns the sky deep blue while lights come on in windows. Use a tripod or steady surface, ISO 100 to 400 and a slower shutter speed.
Golden hour on a phone
Phones handle golden hour well with two habits. Tap the subject to focus, then drag the exposure slider down until the brightest areas keep their color. Use the main lens rather than digital zoom, and turn the flash off.
Golden hour rewards the photographer who is already standing in the right place. Plan the spot, arrive early, and spend the light making photographs instead of finding them.
If you want to practice this with guidance, every Focused Eye workshop, from San Francisco to Sedona & Lake Powell, is planned around two golden hours a day.
Quick answers
What time is golden hour?
Golden hour is roughly the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset, when the sun is low and the light is warm and soft. The exact length changes with season and latitude, so check a sun app for your location.
What are the best camera settings for golden hour?
Start at ISO 100 to 400, an aperture of f/2.8 to f/5.6 for portraits or f/8 to f/11 for landscapes, and let shutter speed follow. Set white balance to Cloudy or Shade, or about 5,500 to 6,500 K, and shoot RAW if your camera allows.
Can I shoot golden hour on my phone?
Yes. Tap your subject to focus, then slide the exposure down slightly so the highlights keep their color. Turn off flash and avoid zooming past the main lens.