Foliage in Color Efex Pro 4 is a great filter for isolating and enhancing greens in your image in order to give them a visual boost. The filter does this by identifying the foliage/greenery, while the filter controls let you stylize the image without affecting any other colors within your image.
This is a very quick and easy filter to use; the minimal controls, noted below, allow you to make a big impact.
Foliage filter control options
The Method drop down menu enables you to control the color of the foliage throughout the image. There are 3 Method options, and the filter is set to Method 1 as a starting point.
Method drop down options
The Enhance Foliage slider controls how much of the filter is applied to the original image; 50% is the default value. Moving the slider to the left will reduce/remove any green that has been enhanced in the image, while moving it to the right will increase the enhancement of green.
Enhance Foliage slider
Tip: The obvious use of Foliage would be within landscape imagery; however this filter can be used to increase the green in any image. Try it on a portrait that may have some green accents in it or, even better, if the subject has green eyes!
Article written by Mark Rainer
Photograph © Janice Wendt – Nik Software | Education First