What is the best time for family photos outside?
The best time is golden hour: the hour or so before sunset, or just after sunrise, when the sun is within about 6 degrees of the horizon. Light is low, warm and soft, so nobody squints. For families, start about 15 minutes before golden hour begins so children can settle, and finish around sunset.
That 6-degree figure comes from timeanddate's golden hour explainer, which notes there's no official definition but the warm light most likely happens with the sun between 6 degrees below and 6 degrees above the horizon. How long that lasts depends on where you are: about an hour around 40 degrees north in March, shorter near the equator, longer further north.
Book the light, not the clock: in December and June the same city's best start time can be four hours apart.
How the start time moves through the year
Sunset times for 2026, calculated for each city with a standard solar formula (check any of them against the NOAA Solar Calculator). Golden hour begins roughly 40 to 60 minutes before each of these.
| City | Dec 21 | Mar 20 | Jun 21 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 5:35 pm | 7:32 pm | 8:15 pm |
| Los Angeles | 4:47 pm | 7:04 pm | 8:07 pm |
| New York | 4:32 pm | 7:09 pm | 8:31 pm |
| Seattle | 4:20 pm | 7:23 pm | 9:11 pm |
| London | 3:53 pm | 6:14 pm | 9:22 pm |
The summer column is the problem for parents. A 9:22 pm sunset in London means golden hour starts well after most toddlers are asleep, which is why the calculator above always shows the morning option next to the evening one.
Who this isn't for
If your photographer has already set the time, trust them: they know the location, the trees and the hill behind it, which no calculator does. If you're shooting indoors, at a midday event, or want crisp, bright noon light on purpose, golden hour timing won't help you either.
And if what you need is a whole sky forecast, cloud and all, this page only does the clock part. Asterfold does the rest.
Questions parents ask
How long before sunset should family photos start?
Start when the sun is about 6 degrees above the horizon, which is roughly 40 to 60 minutes before sunset in much of the US and UK, and arrive 15 minutes earlier to settle the kids. The calculator above gives the exact time for your city and season.
What if sunset is after my toddler's bedtime?
Use the morning golden hour instead. Light just after sunrise is just as low and warm, and in summer it lines up with early risers. The comparison table shows both.
Is an overcast day bad for family photos?
Not usually. Thin, even cloud softens shadows and is kind to faces, though you lose the warm glow and the rim light. A thick low cloud bank on the horizon can cut the sun off before sunset, so check the sky toward the setting sun.
What about winter family photos?
Winter golden hour arrives early and the sun stays low all day, so a mid-afternoon session can look like golden hour. Start times around 3 to 4 pm are common in northern US cities and the UK in December.
Planning the session in Asterfold
Asterfold is our sunset planner. You save the exact spot you'll shoot from, choose the light window (golden hour, sunset or blue hour), and add notes, gear and a reminder.
One design decision we'd stand by: calculated times, forecasts, estimates and what you actually saw are labelled differently in the app, so a rough guess never looks like a fact. The Studio, aiming and plans for 2 viewpoints, the journal and tonight's ratings are free; Asterfold Plus is optional.
Honest limits
- Times on this page assume a flat horizon. A hill, tree line or building to the west makes your light end earlier, sometimes by half an hour. Asterfold has the same limit: hills, buildings and trees are not modelled.
- City times are for the city center. Within a big time zone, a place 300 miles east or west can be 15 or more minutes different.
- Asterfold's ratings are a rule-of-thumb estimate, not a probability or a guarantee. Clouds will do what they like.
Your result, in plain words
Pick a city, season and bedtime at the top.
If the evening light lands after bedtime, the morning version is the same light with fewer meltdowns.
Save the spot, catch the light.
Plan the session, set a reminder and open it in Maps when it's time to go. Free in Asterfold.