Dusk is a short but powerful window of time for photos. Right after sunset, the sky turns deep blue, and city lights start to glow. It’s an ideal moment to capture dramatic scenes, but getting the editing right is key.
Coming to you from Serge Ramelli Photography, this detailed video walks through a five-step method for editing dusk photos in Lightroom. The first step is adjusting exposure. Opening the shadows and lowering the highlights helps balance the image while preserving contrast. A crucial detail is ensuring that bright areas, like street lamps, don’t look too artificial. Slightly overexposing the brightest parts keeps the glow natural rather than harsh. The second step is white balance. Auto settings don’t always get it right, so adjusting temperature and tint manually can refine the overall tone. A small magenta shift counteracts excessive yellow from artificial lighting.
Color adjustments come next, using the color mixer and the new Point Color feature in Lightroom. Selecting and fine-tuning specific hues makes a big difference in how natural the image appears. A subtle magenta shift in the sky or a tweak to the warm tones in streetlights can bring the scene to life. Dodging and burning follow to direct attention where it matters. Darkening the edges of the image pulls the eye inward, while brightening key areas helps define depth. A radial gradient can enhance the horizon glow, making the transition between the deep blue sky and artificial lights more seamless.
The final step is sharpening. Instead of relying on texture and clarity—both of which can create harsh effects—selective sharpening is applied using masks. Edges get enhanced while smooth areas like sky and water remain untouched. This avoids adding noise to the wrong parts of the image. A final check ensures no distracting elements stand out, using AI-powered removal tools to clean up unwanted details. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Ramelli.
