Chasing the sun: Web app guides you to the best golden hour photo opportunities

posted Friday, November 14, 2014 at 4:38 PM EST

Photos often live or die by the quality of the sky in the background, and golden hour skies can add a stunning backdrop. But relying on luck to get the perfect sky isn't always a great idea. How can you figure out where the best golden hour skies will be ahead of time, so you can plan accordingly?

That's where a new web app called Skyfire comes in. Doubtless, you've seen the plethora of apps for Android, iOS and other smart devices which will show you in which direction the sun will rise or set, and at what time the golden hour will begin and end, but Skyfire goes a step further. Recognizing that weather plays a key part in creating those spectacular skies, Skyfire tries to estimate where the best golden hour skies are to be found, with just enough notice to get yourself and your gear in the car and on the way.

The SkyFire web app is designed to help you get the perfect golden hour skies.

Skyfire's creator, Matthew Kuhns, doesn't identify precisely what data he's relying on, saying only that satellite data and other weather observations factor into Skyfire's predictions. We'd imagine there are masses of data out there which could be used to make and fine-tune these predictions, though, ranging from the obvious (like cloud cover and visibility) to the less so (air quality and atmospheric pressure, for example.)

For the time being, Skyfire is available only in the continental United States, although Kuhns apparently plans to expand the app to other regions in the future. Obviously, programming the site, crunching the numbers and hosting the service costs money, so Skyfire is a paid app, costing $3/month or $25 annually. If you're uncertain whether it's for you, a 90-day money-back guarantee is provided to give you some peace of mind.