Everything you need to know about Dehaze
Dehaze cuts through atmospheric haze, fog, mist, and smog to reveal clearer, more vibrant images. Based on the "dark channel prior" algorithm used in professional photo editing, it estimates the amount of haze in each area and mathematically removes it, restoring colors and contrast lost to atmospheric scattering.
Parameters
- Strength
Controls how much of the dehazed result is blended with the original. At 0, no change is visible. At 1.0, the full dehaze effect is applied. - Dehaze Amount
Sets the intensity of haze removal. Higher values remove more haze but may over-process clear areas. Start around 0.5–0.7 and adjust based on how hazy your image is. - Radius
Controls the size of the area used to detect haze. Larger values work better for uniform, heavy fog. Smaller values preserve more local detail but may be less effective on thick haze. - Airlight
The assumed brightness of the haze/fog. For typical white/gray haze, keep this at 1.0. Lower values if the haze has a darker tint (e.g., smog or smoke). - Transmission Min
Sets a minimum visibility threshold to prevent over-processing. Higher values (0.2–0.4) produce safer, more conservative results. Lower values (0.05–0.15) allow more aggressive haze removal but may introduce artifacts in very hazy areas.
How It Works
The plugin uses the "dark channel" of your image – the minimum color value in each region – to estimate how much light is scattered by the atmosphere. It then reverses this scattering to recover the original scene colors.
Tips
- Works best on outdoor photos with visible atmospheric haze or fog
- Can also boost contrast and saturation on haze-free images – use sparingly
- If skies look unnatural, reduce the amount or increase transmission min
- Combine with Auto Levels afterward to maximize tonal range