Tide & Ridge – Coastal Colour Collection

For more than 15 years, I have been photographing the landscapes, coastlines, and changing light of Kaikōura. From golden sunrises over the ocean and dramatic mountain weather to quiet beach walks, native forests, and the deep blues of the evening sky, this place has shaped the way I see and capture the world.

Over the years, I have developed my own editing style to bring out the unique character of Kaikōura’s landscapes while keeping images natural, timeless, and true to the moment. The Tide & Ridge Coastal Colour Collection is a collection of Lightroom presets inspired by the colours, textures, and moods I experience every day — from the warmth of golden light to the drama of winter storms and the calm of coastal mornings.

Each preset has been carefully created from my own photography workflow to help you achieve beautiful, professional edits while preserving the feeling behind the photograph.

The Collection

🌅 Golden Light — warm sunrise and sunset tones with rich golden highlights

🌊 Ocean Blue — vibrant turquoise water and bright coastal colours

💙 Deep Blue — dramatic, moody oceans and winter seascapes

❄ Alpine — clean, crisp mountain and snow tones

🌲 Forest Greens — rich native bush colours with natural depth

🍂 Earth — warm autumn tones and earthy landscapes

🌾 Coastal Neutrals — the signature Tide & Ridge look, inspired by sand, driftwood, grasses, and relaxed coastal living

🌧 Storm — dramatic weather, wild seas, and atmospheric landscapes

🌌 Twilight — deep blue hour tones and evening landscapes

⭐ Night Sky — Milky Way and astro photography with enhanced detail

🟢 Aurora — Southern & Northern Lights

🌸 Soft Pastels — light, airy landscapes with gentle and dreamy tones

Inspired by Kaikōura’s meeting point of ocean, mountains, and sky, this collection is designed to help photographers bring more emotion, atmosphere, and story into their images.

Golden Light

Sunrise & Sunset Lightroom Preset

Capture the warmth and atmosphere of the day’s most beautiful light.

Golden Light is designed to enhance sunrise and sunset images with rich golden tones, vibrant oranges, and deep reds while maintaining a natural, realistic look. Soft magenta hues bring life to colourful clouds, gentle contrast adds depth, and a subtle glow creates that magical golden-hour feel—without looking over-edited.

Whether you’re photographing a quiet beach, alpine peaks, or a portrait in the last light of the day, Golden Light helps recreate the warmth and emotion you experienced behind the camera.

Perfect For

• Beach sunsets
• Mountain sunsets
• Golden hour portraits
• Lakes and reflections
• Coastal landscapes
• Travel photography

What You’ll See

• Warm golden highlights
• Rich orange and red tones
• Soft magenta colour in clouds
• Deep, natural contrast
• A subtle, cinematic glow
• Clean, realistic colour that works across a wide range of scenes

Designed to bring out the very best in golden-hour photography while preserving the natural beauty of every image. See more before and afters.

Ocean Blue

Bright Water Lightroom Preset

Bring the brilliance of crystal-clear water to life.

Ocean Blue is designed to enhance vibrant blues and turquoise tones, making oceans, lakes, and coastal scenes appear crisp, fresh, and full of depth. It intensifies the natural colour of clear water while maintaining realistic tones in the surrounding landscape, creating images that feel bright, clean, and true to life.

Whether you’re photographing the stunning Kaikōura coastline, a tropical beach, or boats on calm blue water, Ocean Blue helps your images capture the clarity and colour you experienced in person.

Perfect For

• Kaikōura coastline
• Tropical beaches
• Boats and harbours
• Clear lakes and rivers
• Coastal landscapes
• Travel photography

What You’ll See

• Rich turquoise and deep blue water
• Enhanced clarity and detail
• Bright, clean coastal colours
• Natural contrast throughout the scene
• Fresh, vibrant images without oversaturation
• Balanced tones that keep skies and landscapes looking realistic

Created for photographers who want to showcase the beauty of clear water with natural colour, striking depth, and a polished, professional finish. See more before and afters.

Deep Blue

Moody Ocean Lightroom Preset

Create powerful coastal images with rich tones and dramatic atmosphere.

Deep Blue is crafted for photographers who love wild coastlines, stormy skies, and the mood of the ocean in winter. Cooler white balance, deep navy water, strong contrast, and rich blacks combine to produce striking images that feel cinematic while remaining true to the scene.

Whether you’re capturing crashing waves along the Kaikōura coast, a rain-soaked shoreline, or silky long-exposure seascapes, Deep Blue adds depth, intensity, and emotion to every frame.

Perfect For

• Winter coastlines
• Rainy days
• Moody seascapes
• Long-exposure photography
• Storm clouds
• Rugged coastal landscapes

What You’ll See

• Deep navy blue water
• Dramatic stormy skies
• Increased contrast for added depth
• Cooler white balance
• Rich, deep blacks
• Crisp detail with a cinematic finish

Designed for photographers who want to capture the raw beauty and power of the ocean with bold, timeless edits that never feel over-processed. See more before and afters.

Alpine

Snow & Mountain Lightroom Preset

Reveal the crisp beauty of alpine landscapes with clean, natural tones.

Alpine is designed to enhance snowy mountain scenes by producing neutral white snow, removing unwanted blue colour casts, and bringing out the texture of rugged rock faces. Bright whites, cool tones, and exceptional detail combine to create fresh, clean images that reflect the true atmosphere of the mountains.

Whether you’re exploring the Southern Alps, photographing Aoraki / Mount Cook at sunrise, or capturing glaciers and ski fields after fresh snowfall, Alpine delivers sharp, natural results that let the landscape speak for itself.

Perfect For

• Southern Alps
• Aoraki / Mount Cook
• Ski fields
• Glaciers
• Snow-covered landscapes
• Alpine hiking adventures

What You’ll See

• Neutral white snow with no blue colour cast
• Bright, clean whites
• Enhanced detail in rock faces and mountain textures
• Cool, fresh alpine tones
• Crisp contrast and clarity
• Natural colours with a clean, professional finish

Created for photographers who want to capture the purity and grandeur of alpine landscapes with realistic colour, stunning detail, and a timeless look. See more before and afters.

Forest Greens

Native Forest Lightroom Preset

Bring the richness and depth of the forest to every image.

Forest Greens is designed to enhance the lush colours of native bush while maintaining a natural, realistic look. It removes unwanted yellow colour casts, creates better separation between green tones, softens harsh shadows, and preserves natural skin tones—making it equally suited to landscapes and people immersed in nature.

Whether you’re wandering through ancient forests, photographing towering ferns, or capturing the mist around a waterfall, Forest Greens helps reveal the beauty, texture, and atmosphere of the outdoors.

Perfect For

• Bush walks
• Ferns
• Waterfalls
• Native forests
• Moss-covered landscapes
• Nature and outdoor portraits

What You’ll See

• Rich, vibrant green foliage
• Reduced yellow colour casts
• Better separation between green shades
• Soft, natural-looking shadows
• Realistic skin tones
• Clean, balanced colours with a fresh, timeless finish

Created for photographers who want to showcase the beauty of forests and native bush with true-to-life colour, beautiful depth, and a polished professional look. See more before and afters.

Earth

Autumn & Earthy Landscape Lightroom Preset

Capture the warmth, texture, and timeless beauty of the natural world.

Earth is designed to bring out the rich tones of autumn and rustic landscapes with warm browns, deep rust colours, and golden hues. Soft contrast and a subtle film-inspired feel create images that feel nostalgic, inviting, and connected to the landscape.

Whether you’re photographing autumn forests, winding country roads, rural scenes, or a cosy cabin surrounded by nature, Earth adds warmth and character while keeping your images natural and authentic.

Perfect For

• Autumn trees
• Rural landscapes
• Country roads
• Cabins and retreats
• Farm landscapes
• Rustic travel photography

What You’ll See

• Warm earthy browns
• Rich rust and copper tones
• Golden autumn colours
• Soft, natural contrast
• A subtle film-inspired finish
• Warm, timeless tones that enhance the feeling of place

Created for photographers who love the quiet beauty of changing seasons, rural landscapes, and the warm textures found in nature. See more before and afters.

Coastal Neutrals

The Signature Tide & Ridge Lightroom Preset

A calm, coastal edit inspired by the meeting point of land, sea, and sky.

Coastal Neutrals captures the relaxed beauty of the shoreline with soft beige grasses, weathered driftwood, sandy tones, muted ocean blues, and creamy highlights. Designed with a Scandinavian-inspired aesthetic, this preset creates images that feel peaceful, natural, and effortlessly timeless.

Perfect for photographers who love soft textures, quiet moments, and the understated beauty of coastal living. Whether you’re photographing a beach walk, a coastal home, or everyday lifestyle moments, Coastal Neutrals brings a refined yet authentic feel to your images.

Perfect For

• Coastal homes
• Beach walks
• Lifestyle photography
• Interior photography
• Minimal landscapes
• Travel and everyday moments

What You’ll See

• Soft beige and sandy tones
• Natural driftwood colours
• Muted ocean blues
• Creamy highlights
• Gentle contrast and soft shadows
• A relaxed Scandinavian-inspired finish

Created as the signature Tide & Ridge look—an edit inspired by slow mornings, coastal landscapes, and the simple beauty of life beside the sea. See more before and afters.

Storm

Moody Weather Lightroom Preset

Capture the raw power and atmosphere of dramatic weather.

Storm is designed for photographers who chase wild skies, crashing waves, and the moments when the landscape feels most alive. Deep tones, cool colours, enhanced texture, and subtle dehaze bring out the intensity of stormy conditions while preserving the natural character of the scene.

From powerful ocean swells to rugged cliffs beneath heavy skies, Storm transforms challenging weather into striking, cinematic imagery full of mood and depth.

Perfect For

• Stormy coastlines
• Big surf
• Rainy landscapes
• Rugged cliffs
• Dramatic skies
• Moody long exposures

What You’ll See

• Dark, atmospheric skies
• Enhanced cloud detail
• Slight dehaze for added depth
• Strong natural texture
• Cool coastal tones
• Rich contrast with a cinematic finish

Created for photographers who embrace wild weather and want to capture the drama, movement, and emotion of the landscape. See more before and afters.

Twilight

Blue Hour Lightroom Preset

Capture the quiet beauty of the moments between day and night.

Twilight is designed to enhance blue hour photography with rich indigo skies, deep blues, and smooth tonal transitions. It balances artificial lights with the surrounding environment, creating images that feel atmospheric, calm, and cinematic while maintaining a natural, low-noise appearance.

Whether you’re photographing a peaceful evening coastline, glowing town lights, or the first light of the moon, Twilight helps bring out the magic of those fleeting moments after sunset.

Perfect For

• Evening landscapes
• Town lights
• Moonrise photography
• Coastal nights
• Twilight skies
• Long-exposure scenes

What You’ll See

• Rich indigo and deep blue tones
• Balanced artificial light colours
• Smooth sky gradients
• Clean, low-noise appearance
• Soft cinematic atmosphere
• Natural contrast in low-light conditions

Created for photographers who love the peaceful transition between light and darkness—the quiet moments when landscapes take on a completely different character. See more before and afters.

Night Sky

Milky Way & Astro Lightroom Preset

Reveal the beauty of the night sky with clarity, depth, and detail.

Night Sky is designed for astrophotography and low-light landscapes, enhancing the stars while maintaining a natural, balanced look. Increased contrast, brighter stars, reduced orange light pollution, and controlled noise help transform dark skies into rich, immersive night scenes.

Whether you’re capturing the Milky Way above rugged mountains, photographing the glow of an aurora, or creating dramatic night landscapes, Night Sky helps reveal the incredible detail hidden in the darkness.

Perfect For

• Milky Way photography
• Aurora photography
• Night landscapes
• Mountain skies
• Coastal nights
• Long-exposure astro images

What You’ll See

• Brighter, more defined stars
• Increased contrast for deeper skies
• Reduced orange light pollution
• Neutral, natural blacks
• Controlled noise for cleaner images
• Enhanced detail while preserving atmosphere

Created for photographers who chase the stars and want to capture the quiet wonder of the night sky with a clean, professional finish. See more before and afters.

Aurora

Southern & Northern Lights

Bring out the depth of colour in aurora. The amazing greens, pinks and reds. Reflections in lakes of the night sky, bringing clarity to stars and reducing noise, this preset will make your auroras pop.

• Aurora Australis
• Aurora Borealis
• Mountain landscapes
• Coastal aurora
• Snowy landscapes
• Lakes and reflections

Perfect for

• Rich, natural greens
• Enhance purple and magenta aurora
• Deep, clean night skies
• Bring out subtle aurora detail and movement
• Slightly cooler tones
• Crisp stars without over-processing
• Maintain natural snow, mountains and foregrounds

See more before and afters.

Soft Pastels

Light & Airy Landscape Lightroom Preset

Create images with a soft, peaceful, and dreamlike atmosphere.

Soft Pastels is designed for gentle landscapes and quiet moments, bringing out delicate pinks, soft blues, and bright whites while maintaining a natural, airy feel. Low contrast and subtle colour tones create a light, romantic finish that feels calm, timeless, and beautifully understated.

Whether you’re photographing spring blossoms, misty coastlines, or the soft light of a peaceful morning, Soft Pastels helps capture the delicate beauty of the scene with a refined and elegant edit.

Perfect For

• Spring landscapes
• Blossoms and flowers
• Calm morning light
• Coastal fog
• Minimal landscapes
• Lifestyle photography

What You’ll See

• Gentle pink tones
• Soft blue hues
• Bright, clean whites
• Reduced contrast for an airy feel
• Dreamy, peaceful atmosphere
• Natural colours with a delicate finish

Created for photographers who love soft light, quiet moments, and the subtle beauty found in nature’s most gentle scenes. See more before and afters.