How to remove haze from your photos in Affinity Photo for iPad

Have you ever taken a photo only to be disappointed by haze dampening your scene? The Haze Removal filter in Affinity Photo is here to rescue your image!

Before and after Haze Removal.

Why use it?

Having haze in your image can be an artistic choice, but if you want to brighten up your colours and bring out hidden detail, Haze Removal can take a misty image from pale to dynamic in one easy step. It analyses each image and enhances areas of detail and colour that were looking a little lost beheath the haze, stepping up the colours and contrasts of the image and sharpening up elements that are lost in the fog!

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Haze Removal in Affinity Photo for iPad.

How to use Haze Removal

Simply open your photograph in Affinity Photo, either the desktop or iPad version. Go to Filters and select Haze Removal. Affinity Photo will analyse your image to give you optimal settings to enhance it. You will also be given the option to adjust your settings manually. Sliders for Distance, Strength and Exposure Correction allow you to fine-tune.

There are also options to view your image ‘before and after’. Use the Mirror View to see both full images side by side, pre and post Haze Removal. Use the Split View to slice the image down the centre and view the before on the right and after on the left (or move the centre line from side to side for the ‘big reveal’).

Affinity Photo shows the image with Haze Removal applied (left) next to the original image (right) in Mirror View.

Affinity Photo shows the image split down the middle with Haze Removal applied (left) next to the original image (right) in Split View.

Tips

Use Haze Removal when your image is pale and misty all over to make hidden colours ‘pop’.

A dusty desert scene before Haze Removal has been used.

A dusty desert scene after Haze Removal has been used.

Use it as the first step to enhance your image, pairing it with other Adjustment Layers like HSL and Curves to make the most of your photograph.

The original image, Haze Removal applied, after additional Curves, HSL and Vibrance Adjustments applied.

The unedited image, the image after Haze Removal has been applied, the image with additional retouching and Adjustment Layers applied.

Haze Removal is destructive so duplicate your original image and add Haze Removal to the top layer to preserve your un-edited image as you work.
Be mindful of your lightest tones as Haze Removal can cause them to blow out or can cause banding if over-done. Combat this by duplicating your original image and masking your lightest areas, such as the sky or clouds.

A before and after where the Haze Removal has only been applied to the cliffs and sea, the sky has been masked.

Aerial and drone photos often suffer from atmospheric haze so Haze Removal is a great tool to keep in mind for post-editing.

Haze Removal on an aerial photo.

Use the Inpainting Brush Tool or other retouching tools to remove artefacts that appear or become more visible after applying Haze Removal.

An artefact is removed using the Inpainting Brush Tool from an image which has had Haze Removal applied.

You’ll be amazed at how efficient the Haze Removal filter is at boosting colour and bringing out hidden detail in one simple step. Why not give it a try on your own misty photos?