The Benefits of True-to-Colour Photography

Back in 2010, when I first fell in love with photography, apps like Instagram and RetroCam were all the rage. Bold filters, extreme exposure, and heavy film grain were the norm—it made every photo feel instantly “cool.”

Fast forward 15 years, and those heavily filtered photos look seriously dated. But true-to-colour photos from the same era? They’ve barely aged. That’s why it’s now my editing style of choice.

Back in 2010 I slapped Instagram filters on everything…eek!

What is true-to-colour editing?
It’s all about preserving the original tones and colours of the moment, while gently enhancing the photo’s natural vibrancy. It’s not about leaving images untouched—there’s still subtle colour correction, cropping, straightening, and sometimes a little retouching. I might also use techniques like dodging, burning, or selective sharpening to help the focal point stand out.

Here are 3 reasons I love true-to-colour photography:

1. It’s timeless

Even decades from now, your photos will still look beautiful. The outfits might feel vintage, but the colours and skin tones will remain true to life.

2. It’s intentional

Rather than just copy + pasting a trendy filter onto the photos, I treat each image as completely unique. Care and time go into manually tweaking each image to enhance its natural beauty.

3. It suits every season

Summer, autumn, winter or spring, true-to-colour editing looks timeless and classic. The aim is to make it feel like you’re looking through a window right into the very moment.

Of course, there’s no “right” way to edit—it’s a creative art, after all. But if you're after a true-to-colour photographer in Sydney or NSW who captures your day in a natural, timeless way, I’d love to hear from you.