How to Turn Day to Night in Affinity Photo

In Affinity Photo you can turn a day photo into a night scene and completely change the look of your image. You may want to add a spooky or a romantic feel, or even a touch of magic. We are going to show you exactly how to do this and even add a glowing moon.

For today’s tutorial we are using this photo of Stonehenge from the Plus Hub. If you’re not a Plus Member yet, you can sign up for a free month of the Gold Membership today!

To add a little touch of magic we are also using this moon cycle photo bundle.

Step 1 - Edit Photo with Adjustment Layers

Open your image in Affinity Photo. We are going to add two adjustment layers to create the day to night effect. First, double click on the layer name and rename to Photo Layer.

Desaturate the Photo

Let’s begin by adding an HSL adjustment layer to the photo. Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > HSL.

We adjusted the following settings.

Saturation: -80%

Luminance: -2%

Since this is a non-destructive way of working, you can always adjust these layers later on.

Now, right click this adjustment layer and select Mask to Below. This will place it as a child layer beneath the Photo Image.

Add a Levels Adjustment Layer

Make sure the Photo Layer is selected. Once again, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels.

The settings below were used for our photo. As before, right click > Mask to Below.

Black: 0%

White: 100%

Gamma: 1.74

Output black: 0%

Output white: 80%

Step 2 - Add a Fill Layer to Photo

There are various ways of creating a night effect but the easiest is to add a Fill layer.

To do this, go to Layer > New Fill Layer. This will add a fill layer above the Photo Layer.

Next, change the color to a slightly dark blue. We used the HEX code #03367A. You can choose another color from the Color Picker Tool if you want. Now, adjust the blend mode to Multiply and lower the Opacity to 90%.

Step 3 - Import then Edit Moon Element

The moon element we are using does not have a background. We have a great tutorial on how to remove a background in Affinity Photo if needed.

Drag and drop the moon image into your project. Now resize the image to what works best with your project and reposition as needed.

We want to create a better blend as well as a glow around the moon. With the moon layer selected, change the Blend Mode to Screen.

Now, click on the fx icon at the bottom of the Layers Panel. This will open the Layer Effects panel. Tick the box for Outer Glow then click on the option to open the settings.

We used the following settings to add a glow to our moon.

Blend Mode: Normal

Opacity: 80%

Radius: 180px

Intensity: 30%

For the color we used a slightly off white with HEX code #F6F7E8.

Step 4 - Add Falling Moonlight

Nighttime photos are not completely blue. They have a slight yellow tint from the moonlight.

Add a Lens Filter Adjustment

Before adding light from the moon, let’s add an overall filter. Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Lens Filter.

For the yellow color we used the HEX code #EBFC09. Optical Density was set at 50%, Preserve Luminosity was selected and Opacity left at 100%.

Create Falling Moonlight Rays

We want to add some moonlight falling on Stonehenge. At the bottom of the Layers Panel click on Add Pixel Layer. Rename the layer to Moonlight. With this layer selected, click on the Paint Brush Tool on the left side toolbar.

The Brushes panel can be found on the right hand side. Select Dry Media > Oil Pastel (no 64). This brush will give us some texture.

Depending on the application, you may need to adjust the brush size. The settings below worked best for our photo.

Brush size: 280px

Opacity: 100%

Flow: 25%

Hardness: 100%

HEX color code: #FEF8C0

To use the HEX code, click the Color Panel on the right. Select RGB Hex from the drop down menu.

Now, add paint strokes arching out from the moon to the ground. Keep in mind that you want the “rays” to shine in between the stones. So make sure to place the paint strokes alongside the stones.

You can use the image below for reference. We will mask out any unwanted paint strokes on the stones if needed.

Change Blend Mode of Paint Strokes

We want the paint strokes to be barely there but still obvious.

At the top of the Layers Panel, change the Blend Mode to Overlay and lower the Opacity to 20%. Depending on your photo, you may need to experiment until you get the desired result.

Mask Unwanted Paint Strokes

Make sure the Moonlight layer is still selected then click on Add Mask at the bottom of the Layers Panel.

Click on the arrow next to the Moonlight layer to open the group. Then click on the Mask layer to select. Check that the foreground and background colors are black and white. To get black, move the Gray slider to the left and the opposite direction for white.

White reveals and black conceals what is beneath the mask. Select black then go to the Brush panel. Click the drop down menu Basic > Round Light Brush (512). Now paint over any areas you don’t want the moonlight on such as the stones.

We also painted along the edges of paint strokes leading from the moon. This gave a softer effect.

Extend Glow of the Moon

The moon can be exceptionally bright, extending a glow further out. So let’s do the same with our moon.

Add a new layer and rename it Glow Extension. Again select the Oil Pastel brush. These are the settings we used.

Brush size: 420px

Opacity: 20%

Flow: 25%

Hardness: 50%

HEX code color: FEF8C0

Now, paint from left to right at an angle starting from the top left corner. Paint about a third of the way across the top. Change the Blend Mode to Add and lower the Opacity to 50%.

Add a Mask layer and change the brush back to the Round Light Brush. Lower the Opacity to 50%, with Flow set at 25%. Select black as the color and paint over the hard edge of the brush stroke.

Add Shadows to Edges

For the final step, let’s add some shadows to the bottom and right top corner. Create a new pixel layer then select the Paint Brush. Click on the black color and change the Opacity to 20% under the Color Panel.

Gradually paint over the top right corner and along the bottom of the image until you are happy. This will create a subtle shadow effect.

You can also add a Levels Adjustment layer to lighten up the image if it appears too dark. Here is the final result of our Stonehenge image.

In Affinity Photo, adding a day to night photo effect is not as difficult as it seems. With just a few adjustment layers, you can create a realistic magical moonlit image. We hope this tutorial was fun and added to your editing knowledge.