Film production in Istanbul
Between June and December, usable daylight in Istanbul moves by 5h 51min — from 15h 06min down to 9h 15min. An exterior day in December is a different day from one in June. This page carries sunrise, sunset and golden-hour times for all twelve months, the climate profile.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Istanbul rises at 05:32 and sets at 20:39; the evening golden hour starts at 19:57 and runs for 41 minutes. By December that shifts to 08:23–17:37, with a 44-minute golden-hour window from 16:53.
In practice, a spread of 5h 51min means a schedule that works here in summer does not work in winter at the same location — with the same setup count, the hours simply are not there.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 08:28 | 18:00 | 9h 33min | 17:18 |
| February | 08:00 | 18:38 | 10h 38min | 18:00 |
| March | 07:17 | 19:11 | 11h 53min | 18:34 |
| April | 06:26 | 19:43 | 13h 17min | 19:07 |
| May | 05:47 | 20:15 | 14h 28min | 19:36 |
| June | 05:32 | 20:39 | 15h 06min | 19:57 |
| July | 05:45 | 20:36 | 14h 51min | 19:55 |
| August | 06:14 | 20:05 | 13h 50min | 19:27 |
| September | 06:45 | 19:16 | 12h 31min | 18:39 |
| October | 07:16 | 18:25 | 11h 10min | 17:48 |
| November | 07:52 | 17:47 | 9h 55min | 17:06 |
| December | 08:23 | 17:37 | 9h 15min | 16:53 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Istanbul starts at 20:59 in June and ends at 21:12 — a window of 13 minutes. In December it is 12 minutes from 17:57. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:11) and September (19:16) there are 5 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Istanbul averages 14 rain days in January and 4 in August. A three-day exterior shoot in January statistically loses 1.4 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.
| Month | Mean temperature | Rain days | Sunshine hours/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.3 °C | 14 | 5.5 |
| February | 7.4 °C | 11 | 6.8 |
| March | 8.6 °C | 11 | 7.8 |
| April | 12.4 °C | 9 | 10.2 |
| May | 17.0 °C | 9 | 11.7 |
| June | 22.0 °C | 9 | 12.9 |
| July | 24.6 °C | 5 | 13.5 |
| August | 25.0 °C | 4 | 12.6 |
| September | 21.6 °C | 8 | 10.9 |
| October | 16.6 °C | 8 | 8.4 |
| November | 12.8 °C | 9 | 7.1 |
| December | 8.8 °C | 13 | 5.5 |
Planning a shoot here
A schedule that ignores these numbers looks fine on paper and falls over on the day. TillyGen folds sun position, travel and crew availability straight into the schedule — if the exterior no longer fits before sunset in December, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in Istanbul?
In June it starts at 19:57 and lasts 41 minutes; in December it starts at 16:53 and lasts 44 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Istanbul get?
Between 9h 15min in December and 15h 06min in June. The 5h 51min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Istanbul?
Combining daylight and rain days, July comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.