M 167 / 18307 Filters & Motionalgorithm output

Dark Channel Dehaze

filters & motion

Typeface · Fragment Mono

Atlas demonstration: the free source photo and the computed Dark Channel Dehaze. A close-up macro view captures a dragonfly perched against a vibrant yellow and green background. The hazy veil is completely removed on the right, revealing rich brown textures and high-frequency details in the insect's eyes and wings.Image: Boris Smokrovic borisworkshop · CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons), processed for the AtlasView source ↗

Prompt

Apply Dark Channel Dehaze, removing the milky atmospheric veil to reveal distant structures, deeper blacks, richer natural colors, and stronger local contrast. Preserve believable depth and existing light direction, keeping skies smooth and avoiding dark edge halos, excessive saturation, or crushed shadow detail. Keep the original subject and composition.

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

Identify

Hazy scenes show stronger contrast, deeper colors, and clearer distant details.

Principle

Using the dark channel prior¹, the algorithm estimates atmospheric light² and transmission from local minima across color channels. It then reverses a haze model to reduce scattered light and restore contrast.

Try it out

Vary the dehazing strength and watch for unnatural darkening around skies and bright objects.

Classification

Calculated image processing result.

Further examples · 9 images

02 Dark Channel Dehaze, applied to “Pink and purple skyline (Unsplash)”This urban landscape displays the New York City skyline across a body of water during twilight. The process effectively cuts through the thick purple haze to expose deep shadows and a dramatic, saturated orange glow in the clouds.srikanta H. U srikanta (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

03 Dark Channel Dehaze, applied to “Wedding day shoes (Unsplash)”The photograph depicts two people standing on a weathered wooden pier, focusing on their footwear. The restoration process eliminates the washed-out glare to show the rich grain of the wood and the vivid skin tones of the subjects.Josh Felise jfelise (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

04 Dark Channel Dehaze, applied to “Dubai skyline unsplash”A night view shows the brightly lit skyscrapers of Dubai reflecting in the still water below. The dark channel estimation successfully pierces through the heavy smog, resulting in a deep indigo sky and brilliant point-light clarity.Robert Bock (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

05 Dark Channel Dehaze, applied to “Eyes (Unsplash)”A primate is shown in a medium shot with a soft-focus forest background. The hazy overlay is replaced by sharp definition in the monkey's fur and a significant darkening of the surrounding foliage for a more striking portrait.Shashank Sahay shashanksahay (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

06 Dark Channel Dehaze, applied to “Victor Harbor, Australia (Unsplash DLwUVlzrP0Q)”A powerful wave crashes against jagged coastal rocks during a dramatic sunset. The restoration reveals deep blue ocean hues and defines the intricate patterns of foam and spray against the dark clouds.Dan Stark dan_stark (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

07 Dark Channel Dehaze, applied to “Admiral-plant-macro (Unsplash)”A vibrant yellow and black butterfly rests upon bright green foliage. The process eliminates the thick white veil to reveal saturated pigments and sharp anatomical details on the wings.Boris Smokrovic borisworkshop (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

08 Dark Channel Dehaze, applied to “Lion friendship (Unsplash)”A majestic lion rests on the ground, its thick mane catching the light. The enhancement clears a heavy fog, bringing out the rich golden tones of the fur and the rough texture of the earth.Gwen Weustink aboeka (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

09 Dark Channel Dehaze, applied to “Backlight Frozen Plant (31917762147)”A macro view captures frost crystals clinging to the spines of a plant. The algorithm significantly increases the local contrast, making the icy geometric structures pop against the warm background.Markus Spiske from Forchheim, Bavaria Upper Franconia (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons