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Haze Reduction >

4 - Method #3:

Color Burn Blending Mode

This method was adapted from a method by Butch.

The method uses the Color Burn blending mode.

1) Create a blank layer.

2) Rename the blank layer as Haze.

3) Fill the Haze layer with white.

Do the following.

a) Make white the foreground color.

If you haven't already, go to Foreground & Background Colors.

b) Select the Paint Bucket tool.

c) Make sure the Haze layer is active (highlighted).

d) Click on your screen.

This step is optional.

The white fill does allow you to see the faint brushing you'll do below.

White is not "seen" by the color burn blending mode.

4) Change the blending mode for the Haze layer from Normal to Color Burn.

Blending Mode?

At the top of the layers stack, look for the unlabeled Blending Mode box.

It's to the left of the Opacity box.

Blending Mode Box

5) Select the Brush tool.

6) Change the opacity in the options bar to 5%, or thereabouts.

Again, change the opacity of the brush in the options bar.

Don't change the opacity of the Haze layer.

7) Click, hold, and brush on the haze.

If your brush strokes overlap, the overlapped areas will display more haze reduction.

Therefore, do the brushing all at once, if possible.

You can increase the effect.

Release the mouse, click, hold, and brush over an area again.

Example of Color Burn

Original

Brush Tool at 30% Opacity

Use a Much Lower Opacity Value for Haze Reduction

Saturation Reduction

The colors in the haze may become too saturated.

Do the following.

8) Make sure the Haze layer is active (highlighted).

9) Go to Select > All, or press Ctrl + a.

The Haze layer is selected.

10) Go to Edit > Copy, or press Ctrl + c.

The Haze layer is copied to the clipboard.

11) Create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer.

Don't make any adjustments.

12) Click OK (Pre-8.0 only).

13) Press and hold Alt, and click on the mask thumbnail in the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer.

That's the white box in the layer.

14) Go to Edit > Paste, or press Ctrl + v.

The color burn layer is pasted into the mask.

15) Go to Filter > Adjustments > Inverse, or press Ctrl + i.

The mask is now reversed.

The area that wasn't brushed is black.

Black blocks the affect of the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer.

The area that was brushed is now a dark gray, allowing the Hue/Saturation layer to act on that area.

16) Reopen the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer by double clicking on the icon in the layer (Pre-8.0 only).

17) Reduce the saturation by moving the Saturation slider to the left.

Saving the Photograph

If you haven't already done so, go to Saving Files.

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