Adobe Photoshop

Create a golden hour glow.

Warm up your family photos with the best light of the day. Watch the short video above with Katrina Williams and follow the steps to try it for yourself.

Shed some light.

Open the Layers panel using right-click and choose Convert to Smart Filter. Go to Filter > Camera Raw and adjust settings like Temperature and Exposure to add light and warmth.

Select your subjects.

Choose Select > Subject to automatically select figures in your photo with a single click.

Edit specific areas.

Brighten and refine contrast in a selected area using a Curves adjustment layer from the Layers panel.

Add warmth.

Add a Solid Color adjustment layer from the Layers panel, and then choose a warm orange color. Select layer style to Screen and lower the Opacity.

Make it glow.

Click the Fill layer mask and press Command+I (Windows) or Control+I (macOS) to invert the mask. Choose a large, soft brush and set the color to white. Then brush over areas of your image to create a golden glow.

Try more tutorials.

See more tips from Katrina Williams for editing family photos.

Katrina Williams

Katrina Williams is a photographer based in Durham, North Carolina, who founded Fifty Two Hundred Photo + Film to help families celebrate the everyday moments in their lives. Learn more

Katrina Williams

Katrina Williams is a photographer based in Durham, North Carolina, who founded Fifty Two Hundred Photo + Film to help families celebrate the everyday moments in their lives. Learn more

“The camera allows me into spaces that I otherwise wouldn’t be invited. It opens me up to meeting different kinds of people and being a part of these special moments in their lives.”