Purple haze (actually blue)

[sjordan93436]

I have spent some time on this.  I want to neutralize the blue haze so I can boost some color.

Problem:  the haze gets worse with distance.  And the rocks have greenery in them. 

Minor problem:  fixing the haze messes with sky and water.  Answer:  selection?

I tried rough select with curves.  That made the rocks et al yellow.  I think a mask or gradient mask is necessary.

Any suggestions on how to kill the color haze?

[ggroess]

Alright then....

Here is what I tried quick and dirty...

1) Create a new layer set mode to multiply.
2) Copy the multiplied layer.
3) turn off the background layer.
4) Flatten the visible layers
5) turn on the background.
6) Use CM to make a mask from the L channel that allows the change to come through in the sky blocks the foreground.
7) Copy that mask using the Copy channel command.
8 > Add a Mask to the multiplied layer and paste the L channel mask into it.
9) With a very wide brush feathered... paint white on the mask in the sky and part of the mountain range to taste.
10) Flatten image and then finish editing with CM and PS.

Good challenge...It took a few swings to get as far as I got...I'm sure others will add to the results...
Greg

[mikemeister_admin]

This is an area that interested me in the past and I did some experiments a couple of years back (when I was learning)
http://www.broadhurst-family.co.uk/lefteye/MainPages/Tutorial_Haze.htm - but did not include Local Contrast, which I now think is possibly the best way to tackle it.

You can download that action from my action pages
http://www.broadhurst-family.co.uk/lefteye/MainPages/actionOverview.htm
It is explained in the 1st year, but the 3rd year version is better.

The following image is the action at 50 pixels and 67% opacity for the far cliffs - I have not done anything else, so one could then start normal processing.

Hope this helps, but try a higher pixel setting - maybe 100 on the full image.  There are some people who swear by this action as the last step of post-processing (at a much reduced opacity) to give the image that little bit extract.
Zog

[sjordan93436]

It is an interesting image.  Removing blue simplistically causes problems.  There is greenery.  There are skies and water.  The blue gradually increases. 

I will try both the mighty zog and Gregg's method on the original.  I have a panorama shot in the same conditions- it is a little bigger than 300k...

[sjordan93436]

zog,

I went on your site.  It will take some time to absorb.   

Off topic, you mention that you use Focus Magic.  I am still looking for the best sharpening tools.  I just got an interesting photo, but slightly out of focus.  It was an important event.  Best man toasting newlyweds.  I hope focus magic can save.

Do you use that program as a general sharpener?  Final sharpener?  Or specialized recovery tool?  Your site implies that you always use. 

[ggroess]

It is an interesting image.  Removing blue simplistically causes problems.  There is greenery.  There are skies and water.  The blue gradually increases. 

I will try both the mighty zog and Gregg's method on the original.  I have a panorama shot in the same conditions- it is a little bigger than 300k...

Just want to remind you that some of the haze is real...getting rid of all of it might not make the best image...
Greg

[mikemeister_admin]

Indeed, I always use it as the first step in my processing

I think that focusing is different from sharpening and will use the latter as the last step, or alternatively the Local Contrast action.

I believe you can download and try focusmagic without buying and see if it makes a difference.  With my D70 and old film lenses I always seem to need 2 pixels correction, but modern lenses may be better!

Here is your original with just 1 pixel of focusmagic - download it over the original you posted and see the difference
The 2nd image is your original with Dan's standard PPW sharpening action (you can get it in the 3rd year actions).
I think the difference between the two image is quite striking and they do different things to the image even on these small compressed images.

I did a whole set of comparisons (18 months ago)
http://www.broadhurst-family.co.uk/lefteye/MainPages/sharpening.htm
which may save you sometime in your experiments!
[just checked the above pages and my IPS seems to be very slow at the moment - so try again later if it is not responding]

Good luck
Zog

[sjordan93436]

Greg, good point about removing all the haze.  No haze removal means little or no color boost.  Too much haze will look artificial. 

Zog's method seems to get more of the haze.  Recent applied theory is (unless I garbled this badly) implying that sometimes blending corrections perhaps over corrections will get a more acceptable final product.

Onward and upward.  CM is still the best.

[ggroess]

I would say try it multiple ways..now that you have some additional directions to travel you can mix and match as you see fit...

Greg