This invaluable evolution of a key photographer's filter gives you the power to bring out blue skies, selectively affect color ranges, and more.
Setup
Set tints, position your gradient, and choose a blend mode. The easiest way to learn is to use one of the many presets as a starting point for your intended usage, then tweak the controls from there.
- The Gradient group sets the position and transition between the two tints.
- Center sets the gradient's position.
- Angle rotates the gradient.
- Crossfade adjusts the transition softness between the tints. Higher values are smoother.
- The First Tint and Second Tint groups set the behavior of the gradient's two colors with these controls:
- Color sets the tint color.
- Blend adjusts how much of that tint gets mixed into the final result.
- Increasing Mask makes the tint more selective about what it affects. Higher values only affect colors similar to the tint. For example, if you have a blue ocean surrounded by beige sands and the tint is blue while you increase the mask, the ocean remains blue but the sands are generally untouched.
- Blend Mode selects how the gradient tint composites with the source image. Most blend modes are opposite pairs. To observe the full effect of a mode, for both tints, set Blend to 100 and Mask to 0. Play with the modes and discover your favorites!
- Normal simply places the tint over the source, meaning only the tint will show when Blend is 100. Lowering Blend reduces the opacity of the gradient, allowing the source to show through.
- Pop uses the tints to vividly boost the source's dynamic range, making the result "pop". The other reason why it's called this is because it's a popular effect used in a lot of modern cinema. Pop is a combination of Screen and Multiply: the tints screens lighter pixels while multiplying darker ones, while preserving highlights and shadows.
- Screen lightens by multiplying the inverse of the tints and the source. When lighter colors tint an image, it can produce silhouette effects suitable for beautiful backdrops.
- Multiply darkens by multiplying the tints and the source. This can make a daylight scene appear as it if were shot at night, and create other moody atmospheres.
- Lighten compares the tint to the source and for each pixel, picks the lightest of the two. The overall image is always lighter.
- Darken compares the tint to the source and for each pixels, picks the darkest of the two. The overall image is always darker.
- Color Dodge decreases exposure and lightens the image in a harsher way than Screen and Lighten, especially when the tints are very light colors.
- Color Burn increases exposure and darkens the image in a harsher way than Multiply and Darken, especially when the tints are very dark colors.
- Negation results in psychedelic, artistic effects. Since the tints are added to the source, tinting with white does nothing, while tinting with black results in a negative image (hence the name).
- Hue retains the source's luminance and saturation while applying the tint's hue. This is a delightful way to get selective coloration from the subtle to the surreal.