Everything you need to know about Clarity
Clarity enhances local contrast in the midtones, adding depth and dimension to your images without affecting the overall brightness. It makes textures pop and gives images a more three-dimensional, "punchy" appearance – a staple adjustment in portrait and landscape photography.
Parameters
- Method
Overlay (punchy): Uses overlay blending for a more dramatic, contrasty result with deeper blacks and brighter highlights. Linear (soft): Applies a gentler, more subtle enhancement that preserves the original tonal character. - Strength
Controls how much of the clarity effect is blended into the image. At 0, no change is visible. At 1.0, the full effect is applied. - Clarity Amount
The intensity of the local contrast boost. Positive values (0 to +1) increase clarity and make details stand out. Negative values (-1 to 0) soften the image for a dreamy, diffused look. - Radius
Determines the size of the area used for local contrast calculation. Smaller values (0.5–2) enhance fine details. Larger values (6–12) affect broader structures and shapes. - Protect Highlights
Prevents bright areas from being over-processed and blown out. Higher values leave highlights more natural while still applying clarity to midtones and shadows.
Tips
- Use positive clarity (0.2–0.5) to add punch to landscapes, architecture, and textures
- Use negative clarity for skin smoothing or soft-focus portrait effects
- Enable "Protect highlights" when working with bright skies or reflections
- Overlay method works best for dramatic edits; Linear is better for subtle refinements