Choose the light direction before choosing the time
Decide whether you want light on the front of the subject, side lighting or a backlit outline. Mark both the subject's position and a safe place to stand. A sunset photograph aimed toward the sun needs a different setup from a portrait lit by the same sun behind the photographer.
Golden hour is a description, not a fixed sixty minutes
Warm, low-angle light around sunrise or sunset depends on latitude, season, atmosphere and weather. The useful period can be shorter or longer than an hour. Buildings can remove direct light from a street well before the published sunset.
The changing seasonal solar path is explained in NASA's guide to the seasons. Recheck a location for your shooting date instead of relying on a photograph taken months earlier.
Scout a sequence in Coffee in the Sun
- Find your subject's location and the nearby buildings.
- Select the shooting date and local time.
- Step through the lead-up to the planned photograph and watch the building-shadow boundary.
- Check an alternative viewpoint or nearby subject in case the first loses light.
- Arrive early enough to verify the actual conditions and access.
The app estimates shadows from mapped building outlines and heights. It does not simulate a precise facade detail, a subject at a chosen height or a camera's view. Trees, awnings and terrain are not included, so hillside skylines and wooded locations need separate scouting.
Leave room for weather and local obstructions
Clouds may soften, colour or remove direct light; a building-shadow map does not predict those effects. Bridges, temporary structures and vegetation can also interrupt the sightline. Check the forecast and use the map as one part of the plan.
Make a useful location note
Record the date, local time, subject, camera position, direction of light and the obstacle that ended direct sun. Keep a reference photograph. That gives you a better starting point for a return visit than “good at sunset.”
For longer outdoor sessions, use the outdoor planning checklist. To understand a moving shadow edge, read how to check when sun reaches a location.
