The Magic Hour: Best Time for Photography

Taking advantage of the magic hour is a fantastic way to ensure the best lighting for outdoor projects. The magic happens when the night sky meets dusk or dawn.

The angle of sunlight as the sun crosses the sky dramatically affects the warmth, depth, texture, form, contrast, and color of photographs.

When the sun is low on the horizon in the early morning or late afternoon, photographers are gifted with a diffused light that’s often gold or orange in hue.

Since the sun is in this position for a relatively short period of time, photographers call these two times of day—near sunrise and sunset—the “magic hour.”

In the morning hours, as the sun begins to climb across the sky, it becomes a harsh light source; harsh light sources aren’t generally complimentary for most photography. This “hard light” causes deep, dark, and distinct shadows on facial features and underneath the eyes.

Although problems with harsh light can sometimes be addressed using open shade or flash photography, these techniques don’t create the same visually pleasing effects you’ll see when I’m using the natural warm natural sunlight found during and near the magic hour.

The sunrise magic hour generally begins fifteen to thirty minutes after sunrise, while the sunset magic hour usually ends about fifteen minutes before sunset. In both cases, the “magic hour” only lasts thirty to forty-five minutes.

Because of this limited timeframe, staying on schedule is helpful to take advantage of the light. Generally speaking, the farther away you move from the magic hour, the less complementary unobstructed light becomes for headshot photography and portrait photography.

I’m often asked about two other timing and weather-related conditions regarding light and photography.

When you’re interested in spectacular sunset skies in your photos, in that case, the sunrise/sunset “effect” typically appears ten minutes before the published sunrise time and ten minutes after the published sunset time. However, if there are no clouds or dissipating marine layer, sunrise and sunset skies are often brief and unspectacular.

Another weather-related condition that affects photography is seen on days with overcast conditions. With cloudy skies, sunlight is highly diffused. And diffused light is often excellent for portrait and wedding photographers. Although the sky may not be particularly interesting for your photos, the evenly diffused light complements most subjects.

As a closing comment, I want to mention that I realize not all significant events can be planned around the availability of the “magic hour.” As a professional photographer, I’m skilled in various techniques to address challenges that arise from harsh lighting conditions. However, when feasible, I recommend considering the “magic hour” when scheduling your events or portrait sessions. See tomorrow’s sunrise & sunset times.