Film production in Buffalo
Between June and December, usable daylight in Buffalo moves by 6h 18min — from 15h 20min down to 9h 02min. 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.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Buffalo rises at 05:37 and sets at 20:57; the evening golden hour starts at 20:14 and runs for 43 minutes. By December that shifts to 07:40–16:43, with a 46-minute golden-hour window from 15:57.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 37 and 46 minutes across the year. Put it last in the day and the first overrun takes it.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:44 | 17:07 | 9h 22min | 16:22 |
| February | 07:14 | 17:47 | 10h 33min | 17:07 |
| March | 07:29 | 19:22 | 11h 53min | 18:45 |
| April | 06:35 | 19:58 | 13h 23min | 19:20 |
| May | 05:54 | 20:32 | 14h 38min | 19:51 |
| June | 05:37 | 20:57 | 15h 20min | 20:14 |
| July | 05:51 | 20:53 | 15h 02min | 20:11 |
| August | 06:22 | 20:19 | 13h 57min | 19:40 |
| September | 06:56 | 19:27 | 12h 31min | 18:50 |
| October | 07:29 | 18:35 | 11h 05min | 17:56 |
| November | 07:08 | 16:54 | 9h 45min | 16:11 |
| December | 07:40 | 16:43 | 9h 02min | 15:57 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Buffalo starts at 21:18 in June and ends at 21:32 — a window of 14 minutes. In December it is 12 minutes from 17:03. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:22) and September (19:27) there are 5 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
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 Buffalo?
In June it starts at 20:14 and lasts 43 minutes; in December it starts at 15:57 and lasts 46 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Buffalo get?
Between 9h 02min in December and 15h 20min in June. The 6h 18min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Buffalo?
On daylight length alone, June is strongest with 15h 20min of usable light.