The light around your computer
(This article was last updated in Sept 2025)
Never underestimate the influence of the ambient light while you’re editing your photos. I’ve seen many people comment that when they edit photos at night, then look at them during the daytime (or vice versa) they look markedly different. The light around you is so important.
It’s gotta be bright enough
Some people say you should edit in a darkened room. That’s completely ridiculous. What kind of idiot stares for hours directly at the brightest light source in the room? How is that good for you? And what about if you need to write something down, or read something you wrote down earlier? And how on earth are you supposed to compare your prints to your screen to see if your calibration is accurate? (Actually, the answer to that last question is: you’re meant to buy a fancy viewing booth. That's baloney too.)
Any time somebody asks me about light, I always give the same response: "You should only edit in light that you’d be happy for your kids to do their homework in." You wouldn’t like them to be risking eye strain by reading or writing in too-low light, and you mustn't risk it either.
It’s gotta be white enough
I've fielded many questions over the years about photos in print not matching the photos on screen – most commonly: "My prints are too yellow!". Most people are quick to blame the lab, the calibrator, or the screen, but in the vast majority of these situations, it’s the light. The prints aren’t too yellow, they just appear too yellow because they’re being viewed in too-warm light.
When the photographer changes their light bulbs, or views the prints in a different room with white light, or even takes them outside to some nice white daylight … Voila! The prints look fine.
It’s gotta be consistent
This is crucial. Your light has to be the same every time you edit. And that’s not always an easy thing to achieve.
As it happens, I got incredibly lucky. Our house has a small windowless room with fluorescent light fixtures, which makes it perfect for editing in. No matter when I’m editing – day or night – the light is exactly the same. It plays a huge role in the consistency of my work, and that’s important.
Not many people will be as lucky as me, I guess. Some of you might be able to find a windowless nook in your home, away from that nasty changing sunlight. But most of you will have windows to contend with, so you have to do the best you can. Heavy curtains are the best answer, of course. Cardboard is also good, but doesn’t flatter your house! Anyway, you’ve got to block out that outdoor light, and install some good indoor light.
It’s gotta be positioned correctly
Ideally, your light fixture should be directly above the keyboard.
If it's behind your screen, the light can get in your eyes and affect your perception. If it's behind your head, the glare gets on your screen and affects your view. Straight above your keyboard is best.
A bit to one side or the other is okay, as long as it's still in line with your keyboard.
It’s gotta be in the ceiling
Lamps don't work. The light they cast is too direct and harsh. Your workspace must be illuminated with the nice even spread of a ceiling fixture.
What bulbs to get
Remember: bright and white. My fluoro bulb is an Osram Lumilux 36 Watt 6500K "Daylight". 36W is easily bright enough for my small room, and 6500K is, of course, a match for my monitor calibration.
Be careful with the descriptor "Daylight". Its meaning varies between manufacturers. Make sure you're getting 6500K.
I hope you're lucky enough, like me, to have fluorescent light fixtures. They're the best. But anything is fine, as long as it's bright and white. If your light fitting has a cover over the bulb, as most do, make sure that cover is white too! You don't want your lovely white bulb to be ruined by yellow glass.
One more thing to mention
Often people ask me what I think about laptops for editing. I don’t like them. Not because of the laptops themselves (yes, some have really bad screens, but others have perfectly good screens), but because of the very thing that makes them attractive – their portability. If you’ve got a laptop, you’re tempted to edit on the couch, or in the hammock, or wherever. Please be careful about this. Give a thought to the light you’re in, and what impact it might be having on your edits.