Best Light Planner
Enter your address and shoot date. See golden hour, blue hour, and when the sun is on the front of your building.
Key Times
The Day at a Glance
Where the Sun Is
What This Means for Your Shoot
Planning Exteriors Around the Sun
The side of a building that faces the sun looks warm and even. The side in shade looks flat. For a listing or a storefront, I schedule exterior photos and drone video for when the sun is on the front, and I save the evening blue hour for the twilight shot with every light on inside.
Which Way Does the Front Face?
East facing homes get the best light in the morning. West facing homes get it in the late afternoon and golden hour. South facing homes get sun most of the day, so early or late light keeps the contrast soft. North facing homes stay in shade most of the day and only catch early morning and evening sun in summer, which makes twilight the strongest exterior shot.
Best Time for Exterior Drone Photos
Golden hour is the best time for property aerials, lot and neighborhood views, and waterfront homes. Low sun brings out the shape of rooflines and landscaping. Indoor FPV drone tours work best around midday, when window light is steadiest.
Long Island Sunset and Twilight Times by Month
| Month | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset | Blue hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:16 AM | 4:10 | 4:52 | 5:10 to 5:22 |
| February | 6:48 AM | 4:51 | 5:29 | 5:47 to 5:57 |
| March | 7:06 AM | 6:25 | 7:01 | 7:18 to 7:29 |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:57 | 7:34 | 7:51 to 8:02 |
| May | 5:37 AM | 7:26 | 8:05 | 8:24 to 8:36 |
| June | 5:23 AM | 7:46 | 8:28 | 8:48 to 9:01 |
| July | 5:36 AM | 7:44 | 8:24 | 8:44 to 8:57 |
| August | 6:05 AM | 7:15 | 7:52 | 8:10 to 8:22 |
| September | 6:35 AM | 6:27 | 7:03 | 7:20 to 7:31 |
| October | 7:06 AM | 5:37 | 6:14 | 6:31 to 6:42 |
| November | 6:41 AM | 3:56 | 4:36 | 4:54 to 5:06 |
| December | 7:11 AM | 3:44 | 4:28 | 4:47 to 4:59 |
Evening times are PM. Times for the 15th of each month in central Nassau. The East End runs a few minutes earlier. Sunrise is in the planner above. Enter your address above for exact times on your date.
Want This Light on Camera?
Coonan Creative shoots exterior drone photos and video, twilight exteriors, real estate, brand video, and indoor drone tours across Nassau County and Suffolk County. Send your date and I'll plan the shoot around the best window.
Times are for the location shown, in Eastern time. Sun positions are calculated in your browser with the same equations as NOAA’s solar calculator and match it to within a minute. Trees, neighboring buildings, and clouds aren't accounted for. Golden hour is sun between 4° below and 6° above the horizon, and blue hour is 4° to 6° below. Address search by © OpenStreetMap contributors.