Noise reduction
This function gives advanced way to remove high ISO noise while keeping details. The texture based method remove the noise by the analyzing of texture structures around a pixel, it have great result in most time.
You can choose only removing the red-blue spots in chroma channels by selecting ‘Clear color spots only’. This function works on original photo, no resizing and no in-camera noise reduction before. Otherwise, you may get the unsatisfied results.
If the noise is too heavy to remove, try 'smooth' mode, which keep less detail while removing more.
Smart erase
Select an unwanted object; use this magic function to make it disappear. No parameters needed. If unsatisfied, repeat selecting unsatisfied area and running.
Defog
This function has an ‘adaptive contrast’ algorithm inside. It is used to enhance the photo which is foggy locally. The algorithm will analyze each pixel, and set a contrast parameter based on the contrast level around.
It is useful to enhance large areas with low contrast, like clouds on sky. You may use this function with a selected area.
Clean skin
This function helps cleaning the wrinkles, blemishes and nevus on the skin of a portrait photo. It will only effect on the skin area of the specified color.
- More pink/More light: Adjust the skin color to avoid yellow and dark.
- Skin clean: Remove small defects from skin.
- Use noise reduction: Only clean small textures
- Add fake texture: In case the result is too smooth, add textures to make it looks natural.
To optimize a portrait, there are some more suggestions,
- Use ‘repair and inpainting’ tool for big defects on skin.
- Use ‘change shape’ tool to modify the shape of face and body or reduce fat.
- The ‘Diffuse filter’ is another common filter used on portrait photo with high-tone.
- Using ‘sharpen’ over the cleaned skin to emphasis the eyes.
Advanced sharpen
A general sharpen function like an ‘Un-sharp mask’ will provide parameters to control the radius and amount, pulsing on a coarse threshold parameter to control the effects on the edge. Now in the Light Developer, the advanced sharpen function introduce a ‘curve’ to replace the ‘threshold’ for more precise controlling of the sharpen result.
The y-axis means the amount of sharpen. The x-axis of the curve is the value of edge. A big value of edge means an edge with big contrast. Click on preset, you can see some selection and from them to know how it works.
For example, click ‘Sharpen texture’ from the presets. The curve only exists in the left, which means only small edges (texture) will be enhanced. The curve if other presets cover all edges range means it works for enhancing all edges. There is still difference that the bigger edges get the smaller amount, which is set to avoid ‘over-sharpen’ on the sharp edges.
Lens blur
This function simulates the camera focusing effects.
- Radius: Size of maximal blurring mask.
- Highlight: Enhance highlight part.
- Aperture shape: controls the shape of blurring mask.
- Depth mode: You can control the view depth with a simple model.
- Plain: blur all with same radius.
- Tunnel: The scene is in a tunnel shape with near around and far in center. You can click the preview to set the center.
- Horizontal: The scene is in a landscape shape with near in bottom and far in top. You can click the preview to set the horizontal line.
- Focus at: Set the focusing point from near to far.
To get a better simulation, this function works with ‘Inside/outside edge matting’, which can cut objects and blurring only background.
Instant filters
An instant filter is a combination of automation steps which adjust photo globally to get special effects. The instant filter is just like a filter gallery that is quick to apply and easy to use. You can make your own scheme, and call them here, by saving the steps with the robot icon. See ‘Workflow’-‘Global adjusting then apply to other photos’. And the scheme file can be shared between computers.
