Photos © Frank Salas

The Darken Lighten Center filter within Color Efex Pro 4 helps focus the viewer’s attention by drawing the eye toward or away from the center of your image. It is reminiscent of the traditional process/practice of burning or dodging your images in the darkroom. A lighter center and darker edges draw the eye to the center of the image, while a darker center and lighter edges draw the eye to the edges. This is a great filter for directing attention while adding some depth and dimension to your image.

We will now take a look at the various filter controls for Darken/Lighten Center.

The Darken/Lighten Center shape options

Darken/Lighten Center offers two shape options; round (1) and oval (2). Using the drop-down menu at the top of the filter controls, you can easily select the appropriate shape for your image.

The Darken/Lighten Center filter control options

Center Luminosity controls the brightness at the center of your image. Moving the slider to the left decreases the percentage, darkening the center. Moving the slider to the right will increase the percentage, brightening the center.

Border Luminosity controls the brightness at the edges of your image. Moving to the left decreases the percentage, darkening the edges. Moving the slider to the right will increase the percentage, lightening the edges.

Center Size controls how large the area of Center Luminosity will be.

Place Center allows you to establish the center point for the image. This defaults to the exact middle of the image. To move the center, simply click on the icon and then click the place in your image that you want to establish as the center.

Tip: Use the Visual Presets to quickly compare how your image will look with darkened edges versus lightened edges. You can then tweak the controls to get the precise look and feel for your image.

Visual Preset Icon

The Darken/Lighten Center Presets

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