VFX Atlas
M 058 / 18302 Masks & Controlalgorithm output

Saliency Map

masks & control

Typeface · Saira

Atlas demonstration: the free source photo and the computed Saliency Map. A neon sign for a cake shop glows within a bustling indoor market setting. The bright, high-contrast curves of the letters are intensely highlighted to represent the peak of visual interest.
Atlas demonstration: the free source photo and the computed Saliency Map. A neon sign for a cake shop glows within a bustling indoor market setting. The bright, high-contrast curves of the letters are intensely highlighted to represent the peak of visual interest.Image: Lance Anderson lanceanderson · CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons), processed for the AtlasView source ↗

Prompt

Transform this image into a Saliency Map, rendering visually prominent features as bright white and pale gray regions against a dark grayscale field. Emphasize distinctive contrast, color differences, and texture concentrations with softly graduated intensity, suppressing less noticeable areas without introducing directional lighting. Keep the original subject and composition.

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

Identify

You see a grayscale image1 where the most visually distinct or attention-grabbing regions glow white against a dark background.

Principle

The algorithm analyzes features like color, contrast, and texture to simulate human visual attention. It builds a spatial map2 highlighting areas that stand out the most from their surroundings.

Try it out

Test photos with single bright objects or complex textures to see how the highlighted focus shifts.

Classification

Calculated image processing result.

Further examples · 9 images

Saliency Map, applied to “Reaching (Unsplash)”
02 Saliency Map, applied to “Reaching (Unsplash)”A passenger reaches up toward the overhead panels in a dimly lit airplane cabin. The heatmap concentrates on the reaching arm and the specific illuminated buttons that draw the eye.Steven Thompson psalmsunowned (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Saliency Map, applied to “People Sscalator Portello (Unsplash)”
03 Saliency Map, applied to “People Sscalator Portello (Unsplash)”Silhouetted commuters ascend a brightly lit escalator leading toward a station exit. Strong glow effects track the linear handrails and the high-contrast figures moving toward the light source.Pierangelo Ranieri pierangelo (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Saliency Map, applied to “University Of Oxford The Bridge Of Sighs”
04 Saliency Map, applied to “University Of Oxford The Bridge Of Sighs”The Bridge of Sighs in Oxford spans a narrow street between historic university buildings. The map emphasizes the architectural ornamentation of the bridge and the high-contrast edges of the street scene.Michael D Beckwith (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Saliency Map, applied to “Fast Food for Lunch (Unsplash)”
05 Saliency Map, applied to “Fast Food for Lunch (Unsplash)”A tray of fast food featuring a burger, crinkle-cut fries, and a plastic soda cup is presented. The heat map intensely illuminates the edges of the white paper bag and the top of the burger bun where visual contrast is highest.Christopher Flowers deiscribe (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Saliency Map, applied to “Coffee and Friends (Unsplash)”
06 Saliency Map, applied to “Coffee and Friends (Unsplash)”Three hands hold drinks in a circular formation, including two lattes with foam art and one dark iced beverage. The algorithm correctly identifies the high-contrast circular rims of the cups as the primary centers of visual interest.Nathan Dumlao nate_dumlao (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Saliency Map, applied to “Man jumps roof (Unsplash)”
07 Saliency Map, applied to “Man jumps roof (Unsplash)”A silhouette of a person is captured mid-leap between two dark, geometric structures against a plain sky. Bright violet and orange glows perfectly trace the outline of the moving figure and the sharp edges of the architecture.Sonja Guina sonjulica (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Saliency Map, applied to “White Flowers (Unsplash)”
08 Saliency Map, applied to “White Flowers (Unsplash)”Delicate white blossoms emerge from the branches of a tree during the spring season. The algorithm identifies and illuminates the clusters of flowers as the most significant features against the darker foliage.Giuseppe Murabito peppemessomalex (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Saliency Map, applied to “Horse under a roof at twilight (Unsplash)”
09 Saliency Map, applied to “Horse under a roof at twilight (Unsplash)”A landscape at dusk features a small shelter and a cluster of trees beneath a fading sky. Light intensity is mapped to the silhouettes of the trees and a specific bright cloud formation.doron rosenblum doronr (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Sources