Ashraful Arefin is a visual artist and photographer based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, whose images seem to exist between dreams and reality. With a background in fine arts, his work is celebrated for its painterly style, emotional depth, and storytelling approach.
In this guest feature, Ashraful shares how his love for painting influences his photography, and how light, color, and emotion shape his creative process. Watch the video for his full step-by-step Lightroom walkthrough, or read the blog post for the detailed breakdown.
Watch: Ashraful Arefin’s ColorPro Talks Mini
Go behind the scenes as Ashraful walks through his Lightroom workflow and shares his approach to editing, lighting, and storytelling.
From Fine Art to Photography
I’ve always been drawn to fine art — painting, drawing, and creating things by hand. As a child, I dreamed of becoming a painter, and that dream still lives in my photography today. When I bought my first camera in 2010 to photograph my artwork, I had no idea it would change my path completely.
By 2013, I had started a 365-day photo project, taking one photo every day for a full year. It was a challenge, but it taught me discipline, patience, and creativity. Every day, I learned something new about light, colors, and editing. That project made me fall in love with photography for life.
Studying graphic design also helped me understand composition and color balance — two elements that guide everything I do today.
On Lighting and Storytelling
For me, lighting and storytelling are what make a photograph come alive. I always aim to create dreamy scenes that pull the viewer into a world full of mystery and beauty.
I love shooting during early mornings or late afternoons, when the light is soft and golden. That’s when everything feels calm, and the light wraps around the subject like a painting. I also use a shallow depth of field to keep the background soft — it helps create a peaceful, almost magical feeling.
Light gives an image its soul. In post-processing, I use editing to enhance that feeling, adding gentle tones and subtle contrast to bring the story to life.
Light is the soul, and color is the heart of every image.
Ashraful Arefin
Finding the Right Subjects
Living in Dhaka, one of the busiest cities in the world, has deeply shaped my storytelling. Every corner of the city is alive — from the street markets and food stalls to the quiet old neighborhoods that still carry traces of the Mughal era.
Finding the right subjects is about more than just location; it’s about emotion. I look for expressive faces, people with stories in their eyes. When photographing someone, I try to build trust and connection. I believe that emotion only comes through when the subject feels comfortable and seen.
Photography, for me, is about positivity. I always try to capture moments of joy, beauty, and hope — small reminders of the good things in life.
On Editing: Light Is the Soul, Color Is the Heart
Light is the soul of a photo, but color — that’s its heart. Color brings emotion. Warm tones can make a photo feel alive, passionate, and full of energy, while cooler tones can make it calm, thoughtful, or even nostalgic.
When I edit, I always think about what feeling I want the viewer to experience. My ColorPro monitor from ViewSonic helps me see every shade and subtle detail clearly, so I can fine-tune colors until they express exactly what I want.
Behind the Scenes: Editing with a ColorPro Monitor
Color accuracy is essential for my work. With the ColorPro monitor, I can trust that the colors I see while editing are the colors my viewers will see too. It makes a big difference when fine-tuning tones and keeping the mood consistent across different projects.
Lightroom Editing Breakdowns
Below are two examples of how I create my signature dreamy looks using Lightroom. You’ll also find images showing each main editing step.
Blue Hour Lightroom Editing Breakdown
Creating a blue, moody atmosphere helps express calm and introspection. For this image, I leaned into cool tones — soft blues and teals — to create a cinematic feel.
Camera setup
- Shutter speed: 1/2000 sec
Main editing steps
1. Basic adjustments for balance and clarity.
2. Dodging and burning using masking
3. Curve adjustments for richer tones
4. Color mixer to fine-tune hues.
5. Color grading for cool, cinematic tones.
6. Final skin tone corrections using masks.
Before & After
The final result is a palette of deep charcoals and icy blues — a scene that feels both cinematic and still.
Before
After
Golden Hour Lightroom Editing Breakdown
Golden light adds life and emotion. For this photo, I wanted warmth, depth, and a sense of storytelling.
Camera setup
- Shutter speed: 1/4000 sec
Main editing steps
1. Exposure and contrast adjustments.
2. Cleaning distracting elements.
3. Dodging and burning for depth.
4. Curve adjustments for a vivid effect.
5. Color mixer to enhance reds and yellows
6. Color grading for warm, sunlit tones
Before & After
The final palette combines golden browns, taupes, and soft beige highlights — a color harmony that feels alive and full of emotion.
Before
After
Closing Thoughts
Photography is more than just capturing moments — it’s about turning them into art. Through light, color, and emotion, you can tell stories that people feel.
Each photo is a small piece of that dream world I’ve been chasing since I first wanted to be a painter.
Ashraful Arefin, Fine Art photographer
Ashraful Arefin is a visual artist and photographer based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, whose images seem to exist between dreams and reality. With a background in fine arts, his work is celebrated for its painterly style, emotional depth, and storytelling approach.
Explore more of his work through the links below.