THE LIGHT WILL NOT WAIT FOR YOUR TRIPOD
Know when to leave.
Before the sky changes.
Work backward from a sunset time you have checked. Include the journey, setup and the minutes you want to be ready before sunset.
You supply the sunset time. This tool does not fetch weather, calculate the Sun’s position or assess route safety.
Set up →
Look up.
Less last-minute arithmetic.
More time to compose.
Build your evening timeline
Use one local time zone throughout. Times are clock arithmetic, not live journey estimates. Check date, access, conditions and your return plan separately.
MAKE THE RESULT USEFUL
Arrival time is not ready time.
With sunset at 16:45, a 20-minute lead, 10 minutes of setup and 35 minutes of travel, leave at 15:40. Arrive at 16:15 and be ready at 16:25.
- Count parking and the walk to the viewpoint in your travel estimate.
- Allow your own setup margin for equipment and composition.
- A hill, building or tree may hide the Sun before the listed sunset time.
What changes when the walk takes longer?
Watch the sunset departure planner build two schedules for the same evening in this silent 17-second browser demonstration.
Read the example
For a checked sunset at 18:10, reserve 25 minutes to compose, 15 minutes for setup and 30 minutes for travel. Leave at 17:00, arrive at 17:30 and be ready at 17:45. If the walk adds 15 minutes to travel, leave at 16:45 instead. Arrival and ready times stay the same.
THE NEXT STEP
Find the light for the place you actually use.
Asterfold combines sun-path planning, saved viewpoints and a field journal. Its Studio lets you explore the Sun’s direction and build a session around a viewpoint.
Get Asterfold on the App Store ↗The free tier includes Studio and planning for two viewpoints. Optional Plus purchases expand viewpoints and other features. Forecasts and ratings are not guarantees; check current App Store terms.
Publisher disclosure: Honest Little Apps publishes Asterfold and this companion resource. This is not an independent review. App details checked November 4, 2026.
