Society of the Four Arts — a botanical garden in Palm Beach County, Florida — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Palm Beach, about 600 m away (Society of the Four Arts lies W of town).
The Society of the Four Arts is a non-profit charity organization that was founded in 1936. Its campus on the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Beach is home to the Esther B. O’Keeffe Gallery Building, which includes the Esther B. O’Keeffe Art Gallery, a concert hall auditorium, two libraries, an administration building, and gardens. The Plaza's original building, designed by Maurice Fatio, now serves as the town's library. The O'Keefe Gallery building was designed by architect Addison Mizner. The Mary Alice Fortin Children's Art Gallery is on the second floor of the Rovensky Administration building, as well as the Four Arts Children’s Library.From the Wikipedia article “Society of the Four Arts”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Society of the Four Arts the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 87° in summer but only 40° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:32 PM | 270° W | 63° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:28 AM | 63° ENE | 8:17 PM | 297° WNW | 87° | 13h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 64° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 116° ESE | 5:33 PM | 244° WSW | 40° | 10h 28m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:46 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 39m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 16m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 47m |
| May | 6:09 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 27m |
| June | 6:01 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 49m |
| July | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 40m |
| August | 6:29 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:27 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 06m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 33m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 50m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 28m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Society of the Four Arts, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 34° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 8 (city sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:31 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.0 | 21° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:36 AM – 6:06 AM | 2.5 | 31° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 4.0 | 34° | SE → S |
| May | 11:37 PM – 4:57 AM | 5.3 | 34° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:47 PM – 4:47 AM | 7.0 | 34° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:46 PM – 3:26 AM | 5.7 | 34° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:21 PM – 1:21 AM | 4.0 | 34° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 11:24 PM | 2.7 | 31° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:10 PM – 9:20 PM | 1.2 | 22° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.38 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (64%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 85 | 87 | 94 | 95 | 98 | 98 | 96 | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89 | 86 |
| Low °F | 28 | 33 | 36 | 49 | 57 | 69 | 73 | 73 | 67 | 46 | 42 | 31 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 4.4 | 7.8 | 6.7 | 7.2 | 6.7 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this botanical garden
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Society of the Four Arts, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
State ParkFAQ
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Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.