Why does Lightroom Dehaze create halos on HDR images?
Asked 11/16/2016
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2 answers
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When I apply Dehaze to an HDR image in Lightroom, I get a dark edge along the hill line with a bright edge above it. The same adjustment on a normal raw file usually doesn’t look this bad. Why does this happen on HDRs, and is there a way to avoid or reduce it?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
3
The short answer is the dark line/bright line border is already there in your HDR image, it's just not as noticeable. When you apply the "dehaze" tool in Lightroom it increases the contrast between the brightest and darkest parts of the image. It does this because haze in the air tends to decrease contrast. So the border between the dark hillside and the brighter sky is emphasized by the use of the dehazing tool. If you push it enough you'll also get "halos" around the windmill silhouettes.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Dehaze boosts local contrast because atmospheric haze normally lowers contrast. In your HDR, the dark/bright border along the hillside is already present, just subtle. When you increase Dehaze, Lightroom strengthens that transition, so it becomes visible as a dark edge with a bright halo above it. If pushed further, you can see similar halos around other high-contrast edges, like windmills.
So the issue is not that HDR uniquely breaks Dehaze—it’s that HDR processing can already contain edge contrast or haloing, and Dehaze exaggerates it.
To reduce it, use less Dehaze, watch high-contrast edges closely, and make smaller overall contrast boosts. If needed, apply the adjustment more selectively rather than globally so the skyline isn’t emphasized as much.
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