Aurora

Aurora brings the light of the northern lights into your photos. Not as a gimmick, but as atmosphere. The combination of deep green and soft purple gives an image a cool glow that feels mysterious and grounded at the same time. As if the night is starting somewhere above Iceland.

Technically, the preset pulls back the highlights to preserve detail in brighter areas, while keeping the shadows open. The green sits mainly in the midtones, the purple reaches up toward the highlights. Contrast is kept moderate, which creates a cinematic softness without losing sharpness. Skin tones in portraits shift slightly cooler but stay recognisable. You rarely need to do much after applying it.

The preset works best on photos that already carry some sense of dusk or artificial light. Street photography under neon signs, portraits shot at blue hour, landscapes with overcast skies, industrial scenes with mixed light. It also works well in interiors with a cool tone. Photos taken in warm golden sunlight usually call for a different approach.

You reach for Aurora when you want an image that feels calm but slightly unknowable. Not dramatic, not loud. More like the photo has existed for a while and came from somewhere. That makes it a good fit for series work, portfolio edits, or that one frame you feel has more to give than it currently shows.

One practical tip: apply Aurora at 80% opacity before you judge it. At 100% the colour shift can feel like a lot. At 80% you see immediately whether the direction is right. From there, small adjustments to white balance or exposure compensation are usually all you need, depending on the original shot.