Make every pixel count: Master low-light photo editing and turn small lights into big impact

A nighttime view of St. Paul's Cathedral, illuminated with lights, beside a bridge reflected in the Thames River against a deep blue sky

Here are 5 easy steps in Affinity Photo 2 that will enhance your low-light photography (Image credit: Kim Bunermann)

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Before and after
Editing steps
Key tip

Shooting in low light can create magical, cinematic photos – but it also comes with editing challenges. When your image relies on just a few small light sources, getting the right contrast, mood and subject focus can be tricky.

In this step-by-step tutorial, you'll learn how to enhance low-light photos in Affinity Photo 2 using powerful targeted editing tools like Curve Adjustment Layers or Detail Refinement & Noise Reduction.

Whether you're working with a candelit portrait, a neon-lit street scene or ambient twilight, you'll learn how to guide the viewer's eye, deepen the atmosphere, and make every pixel count.

Before and after

Night view of St. Paul's Cathedral silhouetted against a deep blue sky, with a lit bridge in the foreground and a crane nearby — Before: Dark elements in the image overwhelm the frame and obscure the subject’s details, while highlights are blown out, resulting in an unbalanced and uninteresting image (Image credit: Kim Bunermann)

St. Paul's Cathedral illuminated at night, viewed across a softly lit bridge with reflections shimmering on the water below — Final: By targeting exposure and contrast editing in mid-tones and enhancing the colour and exposure of individual light sources, the low-light scene is improved (Image credit: Kim Bunermann)

Editing steps

1. Change Tonal Curve

Screenshot of photo editing software displaying noise reduction and tone curve settings for RAW image processing — (Image credit: Future)

Open your RAW file and the Development Persona will open. Affinity automatically sets the Tonal Curve to Apply tone curve, which enhances highlights and contrast. To start with a more neutral base, set the Tonal Curve to Take no action by clicking on the seventh symbol in the headbar.

2. Basic edits

Image of a photo editing interface showing adjustment sliders for brightness, contrast, and color settings against a dark background — (Image credit: Future)

Go to the Basic option and increase the Shadow slider while also decreasing the Highlight slider. Navigate to the Detail option and use the Luminance sliders to reduce image noise. Use the Detail Refinement slider to bring back sharpness. Don’t overdo these settings as it may start to look unnatural.

3. Select midtones

Screenshot of Affinity Photo 2 showing the 'Select' menu with options for selecting midtones, shadows, and highlights — (Image credit: Future)

After clicking on the Develop option, it’s time to start working non-destructively on the major edits. Go to the headbar and click on Select. Next, enable the Select Midtones option under the Tonal Range category. This will enable Affinity to autoselect all midtones for you to work on.

4. Bring back midtone contrast

Editing software screenshot showing dome at night with a curves adjustment panel for color correction — (Image credit: Future)

Create a new Pixel Layer above the Background Layer. Add a Curve Adjustment Layer and adjust the anchor points to modify the curve as per your preference. Keep in mind that, for now, you’re only working on the midtones. For the best results, focus on enhancing the contrast.

5. Fine-tune exposure

Nighttime view of a historic building's dome with glowing street lamps. Editing software interface overlays on the right, featuring color and opacity options — (Image credit: Future)

To adjust the exposure of specific image elements, add a Pixel Layer. Change the Blend mode to Overlay and decrease the Opacity to 20%. Select the Brush tool with a soft setting. In the Color Panel, choose White to lighten or Black to darken elements and paint over them.

Key tip

Edit exposure and add colour

Using a soft brush with a White or Black color on a pixel layer above the background layer can do more than simply adjust the brightness of image elements. Using a light or dark shade of the color pink, for example, can enhance the tone of the image, making the colours pop.

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Kim is a photographer, editor and writer with work published internationally. She holds a Master's degree in Photography and Media and was formerly Technique Editor at Digital Photographer, focusing on the art and science of photography. Blending technical expertise with visual insight, Kim explores photography's time-honored yet ever-evolving role in culture. Through her features, tutorials, and gear reviews, she aims to encourage readers to explore the medium more deeply and embrace its full creative potential.

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