Film production in Albuquerque
Between June and December, usable daylight in Albuquerque moves by 4h 41min — from 14h 30min down to 9h 49min. 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 Albuquerque rises at 05:53 and sets at 20:23; the evening golden hour starts at 19:46 and runs for 37 minutes. By December that shifts to 07:08–16:57, with a 39-minute golden-hour window from 16:18.
In practice, a spread of 4h 41min 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 | 07:15 | 17:18 | 10h 03min | 16:40 |
| February | 06:54 | 17:50 | 10h 56min | 17:15 |
| March | 07:18 | 19:15 | 11h 56min | 18:41 |
| April | 06:35 | 19:39 | 13h 04min | 19:05 |
| May | 06:04 | 20:04 | 14h 00min | 19:28 |
| June | 05:53 | 20:23 | 14h 30min | 19:46 |
| July | 06:04 | 20:22 | 14h 18min | 19:45 |
| August | 06:27 | 19:57 | 13h 29min | 19:22 |
| September | 06:50 | 19:15 | 12h 25min | 18:42 |
| October | 07:13 | 18:33 | 11h 20min | 17:59 |
| November | 06:42 | 17:02 | 10h 20min | 16:25 |
| December | 07:08 | 16:57 | 9h 49min | 16:18 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Albuquerque starts at 20:41 in June and ends at 20:53 — a window of 12 minutes. In December it is 11 minutes from 17:14. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:15) and September (19:15) there are 0 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Albuquerque averages 5 rain days in January and 3 in April. A three-day exterior shoot in January statistically loses 0.5 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 | 1.8 °C | 5 | 8.6 |
| February | 4.7 °C | 4 | 9.7 |
| March | 9.8 °C | 5 | 10.6 |
| April | 14.6 °C | 3 | 11.8 |
| May | 19.6 °C | 3 | 13.0 |
| June | 25.8 °C | 3 | 13.2 |
| July | 27.3 °C | 5 | 13.0 |
| August | 25.8 °C | 3 | 12.1 |
| September | 22.6 °C | 3 | 11.4 |
| October | 15.4 °C | 4 | 10.3 |
| November | 8.0 °C | 4 | 9.3 |
| December | 3.3 °C | 4 | 8.7 |
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 Albuquerque?
In June it starts at 19:46 and lasts 37 minutes; in December it starts at 16:18 and lasts 39 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Albuquerque get?
Between 9h 49min in December and 14h 30min in June. The 4h 41min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Albuquerque?
Combining daylight and rain days, June comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.