Many people underestimate the time and thought that go into editing a photograph. What often looks like a simple image can take hours sometimes days of work to bring to life.
Take this photo of Mumbles Pier in South Wales as an example. It took roughly 18 hours of editing, but the process started long before the edit even began.
The foundation was research and lots of it. I studied the sunrise patterns, angles, and weather conditions for weeks. I wanted the sun to rise just to the right of the RNLI lifeboat station at the pier’s end, framed by soft morning clouds.
Two months later, the conditions aligned.
I arrived about an hour before sunrise to scout the best location. One of the biggest challenges was the pier railings. Eventually, I found a position where my tripod could clear the railings and provide the composition I envisioned.
Two key exposures were captured:
📷 Shot 1 – 1/2 sec | ISO 200 | f/11 @ 18mm
📷 Shot 2 – 8 mins | ISO 200 | f/11 @ 18mm
Everyone has their preferred workflow, and for me, it starts with Capture One Pro to match white balance and exposure across images. Using natural filters (NDs and grads) significantly reduces editing time. Just matching the WB between the two shots took about 15–30 minutes.
The heavy lifting happened in Affinity Photo:
First, I overlaid the long exposure onto the base shot.
Then, using masking tools, I carefully blended the two images.
Next came the meticulous task of removing the pier’s infrastructure, leaving only the lifeboat station standing in the sea beneath the rising sun. This part took the most time because it had to feel natural, not edited.
I finished with colour grading to bring the final mood to life.
Gear used:
Camera: Nikon D850
Lens: Nikon 16-35mm f/4
Filters: NiSi ND and Grad
Tripod: Leofoto
Backpack: F-Stop
Software: Capture One Pro, Affinity Photo
Editing is not just technical, it’s part of the creative vision. It’s about turning what the eye saw and the heart felt into a piece of art worth sharing.
