2025 Sunset Beach Session - Sydney Maternity Photographer

On editing sunsets with heart, memory, and intention

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll notice: not all my skies look the same.

That’s because I don’t believe in ironing out the colour of the sky just to suit a formula. Some evenings cast golden light. Others are cooler, moodier, or tipped with lilac. And some, like this one, wrap the whole world in a warm apricot glow.

The tones of the sky might shift, but my style stays true.

Always warm. Always artful. Always woven in wonder.

It’s taken me years to find the balance; how to honour the real colours of a session, while still holding onto the cohesive, storytelling tones that define my work. Because sunsets aren’t background noise. They are often the soul of the memory.

I remember a shoot I had once, long ago. The sky was vivid, unforgettable. But when I got the gallery back, the colours were completely changed. I know it’s a personal choice, but I still remember wishing that just a little more of that sky had been left in.

Because some skies stay with you.

And that’s why I edit the way I do.

Preserving Real Colour in Sunset Photography

There’s a temptation, sometimes, to make the sky match, to bring every gallery into harmony, warm and golden, just so. But the truth is, no two skies are ever the same. And in natural light photography, that’s part of the story.

Some sessions unfold under coppery glow. Others drift into soft greys with a kiss of pink. And some, like the most breathtaking motherhood sessions I’ve captured across Sydney’s coastlines; gift us skies you couldn’t replicate if you tried.

I used to think I had to correct that.

To warm up the pale ones, deepen the soft ones, unify every sunset family photo into a single palette.

But now I preserve them. Because the sky, like the moment, doesn’t come again.

For the Photographers: Editing Tips for Sunset Images

If you’re learning how to photograph sunset sessions and want to capture skies with authenticity and emotion, here are a few tips I’ve learned:

Expose for the sky when it’s glowing: Slight underexposure helps retain richness in both colour and cloud detail.
Always use Kelvin white balance: It gives you full control over the tones in your image, especially when shooting in natural light. Whether the sky is warm, moody, or somewhere in between, Kelvin lets you respond to what’s really there, not what auto thinks it should be.
Shoot during the shift: The 10 to 15 minutes after sunset often hold the softest, most poetic tones don’t pack up too soon.
Layer intentionally: If the sky needs a little warming or your subjects need cooling down, use masks and local adjustments. Don’t be afraid to do the work, your image deserves it.
Let the light lead: Instead of forcing a formula, build your edit around the colours that were truly there. A lilac sky doesn’t need to be made gold to be beautiful.

In my experience, the best sunset family photos, the ones that stay with people, are edited with care, not just consistency. Your client may not remember the exact colour of their dress, but they’ll remember what the sky looked like that day.