VFX Atlas
M 122 / 18305 Video & Glitchalgorithm output

Chroma Subsampling

video & glitch

Typeface · Platypi

Atlas demonstration: the free source photo and the computed Chroma Subsampling. A sweeping vista of Yosemite Valley is captured with dramatic peaks and a lush forest floor. The blue cast of the atmosphere and the green of the trees exhibit blocky color boundaries that do not align with the sharp mountain ridges.
Atlas demonstration: the free source photo and the computed Chroma Subsampling. A sweeping vista of Yosemite Valley is captured with dramatic peaks and a lush forest floor. The blue cast of the atmosphere and the green of the trees exhibit blocky color boundaries that do not align with the sharp mountain ridges.Image: Anna Goncharova goanne · CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons), processed for the AtlasView source ↗

Prompt

Apply Chroma Subsampling, preserving sharp brightness details while reducing color resolution. Make saturated boundaries bleed slightly into neighboring pixels, with small blocky color patches around vivid edges and fine colored details. Retain clear luminance contours and natural lighting without overall blur. Keep the original subject and composition.

Paste it into LetzAI with your own image to apply the effect ↗

Identify

You see an image where sharp brightness details1 remain clear, but vibrant color edges appear slightly blurred or blocky.

Principle

The algorithm separates brightness from color information and removes a portion of the color data2. It relies on the human eye being less sensitive to fine color details than to changes in light.

Try it out

Look closely at high-contrast edges like red text on a black background to spot color bleeding.

Classification

Calculated image processing result.

Further examples · 9 images

Chroma Subsampling, applied to “Face portrait (Unsplash)”
02 Chroma Subsampling, applied to “Face portrait (Unsplash)”This portrait features a man with a contemplative expression, his hand resting beneath his chin. The digital artifacting is highly apparent in the skin tones, where color blocks seem to shift away from the high-frequency detail of the facial hair.William Stitt willpower (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Chroma Subsampling, applied to “Bridge in green woods (Unsplash)”
03 Chroma Subsampling, applied to “Bridge in green woods (Unsplash)”A long suspension bridge disappears into a dense, foggy forest while figures walk along its length. The color information for the green foliage appears blocky and disconnected from the fine details of the leaves and bridge netting.Eric Huang erickeyellow (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Chroma Subsampling, applied to “Man smoking in front of graffiti (Unsplash)”
04 Chroma Subsampling, applied to “Man smoking in front of graffiti (Unsplash)”A man in a coat walks past a vibrant wall of urban graffiti. The intense reds and oranges demonstrate heavy pixelation along their edges, contrasting sharply against the crisp luminance of the spray-paint outlines.Javier García javigabbo (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Chroma Subsampling, applied to “Chestnut horse in a shed (Unsplash)”
05 Chroma Subsampling, applied to “Chestnut horse in a shed (Unsplash)”A chestnut horse looks directly at the camera under a shaded structure. The bright white blaze on its face exhibits significant color fringing and blockiness where the white meets the brown fur, illustrating a reduction in color resolution.Gert Boers geboers (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Chroma Subsampling, applied to “Old Train (Unsplash)”
06 Chroma Subsampling, applied to “Old Train (Unsplash)”An aged train car sits abandoned on tracks, showing significant weathering and rust across its side. The compression is evident where the brown rust tones bleed past their edges into the grey sky and metallic surfaces.David Hellmann davidhellmann (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Chroma Subsampling, applied to “Tending tiny white flowers (Unsplash)”
07 Chroma Subsampling, applied to “Tending tiny white flowers (Unsplash)”A hand gently reaches toward a small arrangement of white and yellow wildflowers in a glass vase. Color bleeding is noticeable around the yellow centers of the flowers, where the pigment seems to shift independently of the sharp petal edges.SnapbyThree MY snapbythree (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Chroma Subsampling, applied to “Thai Fish Market (Unsplash)”
08 Chroma Subsampling, applied to “Thai Fish Market (Unsplash)”Fresh fish are displayed in a green plastic bowl at an outdoor market next to a price sign. The green hue of the bowl spills over into the silver scales of the fish, demonstrating a typical reduction in chromatic resolution.paul morris oldskool2016 (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Chroma Subsampling, applied to “Desert Stargazing (Unsplash)”
09 Chroma Subsampling, applied to “Desert Stargazing (Unsplash)”A glowing tent sits under a sprawling night sky filled with stars and a visible galaxy cluster. Color bleeding is evident around the illuminated white fabric of the tent against the dark void of the earth.Jamison McAndie jamomca (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Sources