APA

Author: Magda Alexe

  • Clear the Air: Removing Atmospheric Haze in Photoshop

    I’m not a professional photographer. And like most of us, I’ve had to make the best of less-than-perfect photos. Over the years, I’ve spent plenty of time fixing issues like poor lighting, low resolution, sun flares, blurriness, and red eyes. Unless your images were taken by a pro with high-end gear, chances are they’ll need a little help before they’re ready for print or design.

    By: Shon Roti

    (Originally printed in the September/October 2025 issue of Insights.)

    Most photos taken today are, in fact, captured with cell phones. And although camera technology in phones continues to evolve, these photos often still need help (especially mine). Whether it’s a photo plaque, ceramic mug, T-shirt, or fridge magnet, the product is only as good as the image that is on it.

    The number of issues that can affect photos—and their possible remedies—could fill a thousand-page manual. So, I’m going to focus on just one of the most common problems I deal with daily—atmospheric haze—and the Photoshop tools I use to combat it.

    Dust, moisture, smoke, and other particles contribute to atmospheric haze. This effect is especially noticeable in outdoor photos taken on hot, humid days, where a bluish-gray color cast often appears. Distant objects can look foggy and faded, and the overall color saturation is reduced.

    Figure A 
    Figure B

    Figure A and Figure B

    The landscape of Cinque Terre, Italy, shown in figures A and B illustrates the haze effect before and after applying Photoshop fixes.

    Figure C

    This tutorial was created using Photoshop CC, but the tools demonstrated—the Camera Raw Filter and Blend Modes—have been available since Photoshop CC 8.1 (June 2013) and Photoshop 1.0 (1990), respectively.

    The Quick Fix: The Camera Raw Filter

    The Camera Raw Filter almost never fails me and can make most of my photos look like I’m using a much better camera than my iPhone 12. One benefit of using this filter is that almost all the adjustments you will need are in one dialogue box. Because this filter’s effects are destructive (will change the original image), I recommend duplicating the layer (Ctrl+J or Cmd+J on a Mac) and applying these adjustments to the duplicate layer.

    I use some of the filter adjustments more often than others. For tackling the blue-haze problem, one adjustment is indispensable: Dehaze. This adjustment instantly removes most of the haze and does so without causing a lot of negative side effects. To find this adjustment, go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter (figure C) under the Effects submenu. Like the other adjustments in this filter, it has a slider to control the amount of the effect in both a positive and negative direction.

    I mentioned there are not many side effects from this adjustment, but there are some. When using the Dehaze adjustment to combat the haze, it tends to darken the photo, sometimes too much. Fortunately, the adjustments you need to counter this effect (Exposure, among others) are also in this dialogue box.

    Below are all the adjustments and the settings used to remove the blue haze from this photo and improve the overall image, along with a description of their effects.

    Dehaze +50
    Controls atmospheric haze. This is the first setting that I use to remove the blue haze.
    Exposure +5
    Controls overall brightness (and counters the Dehaze adjustment). A little of this adjustment goes a long way. Be careful not to overexpose your photo.

    Contrast +30
    Controls how much separation there is between the dark and light areas of an image.

    Highlights –20
    Targets brighter areas of the image. By lowering this adjustment, details can be recovered from the very light areas.

    Shadows +35
    Adjusts the darker areas of the image. Moving the slider in the positive brings out details from the shadows.

    Figure D
    Figure E

    Figure E

    Whites +5
    Specifically targets the brightest tones. Increases high-end brightness or can recover details in blown-out white areas of the image.

    Blacks +12
    Targets the darkest tones. Reveals details in the shadows or darkens and adds more contrast.

    Temperature +20
    Adjusts the white balance from cool to warm and is very useful to counter the blue cast created from the blue atmospheric haze.

    Vibrance +15
    Adjusts the intensity of the colors. This is like the Saturation adjustment, but its effects are much more subtle.

    Clarity +10
    Controls midtone contrast, texture, and sharpness. This will help clear the fogginess of the blue haze.

    Keep in mind that these settings won’t work for all photos, and the results are subjective. Some experimentation will be needed to achieve the desired effect. And, while the Camera Raw Filter is a super-useful tool, its adjustments affect the image as a whole. The next set of steps allows for a more surgical approach to improvements.

    The Deep Dive: Overlay and Soft Light Blend Modes

    Even after applying the Camera Raw Filter, a significant amount of haze remains in the mountains in the background. The next set of steps—although a bit unconventional—are highly effective tools and techniques for addressing challenges in specific areas of a photo.

    What Are Blend Modes?

    Blend Modes control how two layers—the one beneath and the one directly above—interact with each other. They determine how hues and tones blend together based on mathematical formulas. Blend Modes are often used to enhance contrast, combine textures, adjust lighting, or create artistic effects. Overlay and Soft Light belong to the Contrast category of Blend Modes.

    Both Overlay and Soft Light Blend Modes add contrast, but Soft Light is more subtle, while Overlay creates a more dramatic effect. Because Blend Modes are applied on separate layers, they are nondestructive and do not alter the original image.

    When a Blend Mode is used with a desaturated image (only gray tones) above the original photo, the hues will not change—only the tint and shade of the original color will change visually. Grays at 50% value will have no effect at all. Grays with a value less than 50% will lighten, and gray values above 50% will darken.

    To best illustrate what these Blend Modes can do, see figure D. Here, a grayscale image composed of raindrops has been added to the layer above the photo and set to Overlay at 100% opacity. That Blend Mode layer was then duplicated several times to magnify the effect (figure E).

    Note: The raindrops image file, called Water 165, is a free download from texturelabs.org.

    Figure F
    Figure G

    To target and fix specific areas of the image, the Brush tool—set to either white or black—can be used to paint over challenging spots (such as the furthest mountains in the background) to add contrast and clarity and further reduce the blue haze.

    To do this, create a new layer above the original by clicking the Create a New Layer button, (figure F) or use the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+N or Cmd+Shift+N on a Mac. Select the paint brush from the Tools panel (B) and set the Hardness slider to 0% and the size appropriate to the area being fixed. Change the paint color to black (for contrast), and set the new layer to either Overlay or Soft Light mode (figure G). Start clicking and dragging with the Brush Tool (B) in the new layer over the foggy mountains. The change will be immediate and satisfying, especially with the amount of control that these tools have.

    Adjust the Brush opacity as needed (I started with a value below 50%) and fine-tune the overall opacity of the Blend Mode layer for a subtler effect.

    Fixing photos doesn’t require years of Photoshop experience—just a willingness to experiment. The combination of the Camera Raw Filter and Blend Modes offers easy, broad fixes and precise control, allowing for mitigation of the atmospheric haze and other common image issues. Each photo will call for different settings, but these techniques provide a solid foundation for enhancing your images. In time, turning hazy snapshots into impactful images will be a breeze.

    Shon Roti is the owner of 9th Street Designs. Shon has more than 25 years of experience as a production artist, graphic designer, and instructor in the awards and promotional products industry. In 2014, ARA named him Speaker of the Year. Contact him at [email protected].

  • A Family Business That Grows with Its Customer Base

    When Bertram Radbel returned home to East Chicago, Indiana, after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he was looking for work. Despite having a journalism degree from the University of Illinois, his aunt and uncle, who owned Main Auto Supply, encouraged him to open his own retail store on the same street since the area was growing.

    By Shelley Widhalm

    (Originally printed in the September/October 2025 issue of Insights.)

    “He was very athletic growing up, so sporting goods made sense to him,” says Diane Hudacin, one of Bertram’s three children and a current co-owner of the company with her brother Michael Radbel. “Since it was on Main Street, it became Main Sporting Goods. My dad didn’t think too hard about that.”

    Main Sporting Goods opened its doors in 1946, outfitting athletes with uniforms and sports equipment and selling outdoor gear and even Christmas trees. The company’s products have shifted significantly over the years to keep up with the times.

    “We had to adapt to whatever people were wanting to stay in business,” says Hudacin. “The greatest thing is we’re still here doing what we do. That says a lot for an 80-year-old business.”

    Bertram’s children all worked at Main Sporting Goods during their formative years—in high school and during breaks from college. Today, Hudacin is the president, and Michael Radbel is the vice president.

    Keeping Up with the Times

    The oldest of the Radbel children, Neal Radbel, decided to add awards to Main Sporting Goods in the late 1960s.

    “[Neal] was instrumental in bringing in trophies and a lot of business to us. He expanded the market quite a bit,” Hudacin says.

    Michael Radbel joined the team full- time in 1990. In the early 2000s, Neal passed away, and Hudacin—the youngest of the three—came on board full-time. Michael Radbel and Hudacin took over ownership of the business a few years later when their dad died.

    Over time the customer base continued to evolve, seeking less gear and fewer trophies. In the early 2000s, the team expanded into promotional products, selling tumblers, mugs, coasters, clocks, and sunglasses.

    Co-owners Diane Hudacin and Mike Radbel

    “As things change and buyers change and what they’re looking for changes, we have to keep up,” Hudacin says. “Customers were buying fewer trophies and awards, so we added promotional products to what we do.”

    Today, the business has two engraving machines, two sublimation machines, three heat presses, a screen printing machine, and a dryer to dry the ink from screen printing. The only service they outsource is laser engraving. Screen printing is done on garments like T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, jackets, and hats. Although trophies were not as in demand in the early 2000s, the trend has come back around in a big way.

    “Recently, we expanded into multicolor options because they are becoming popular,” says Hudacin. “It’s provided a whole new array of things we can do. It’s amazing what’s out there.”

    To better serve multicolor requests, the business expanded into sublimation for garments and plaques.

    Going Above and Beyond

    When asked what the secret is to sustaining 80 years in business, Hudacin says they provide very good service and important expertise.

    “We stand out because we provide very good service, and we know what we’re doing,” Hudacin says. “We can guide them into what they’re looking for, and they trust us. Our longevity and our service really stand out.”

    They’re known for going above and beyond for their customers, which has led to a strong base of repeat business and new clients discovering them through word of mouth.

    “We follow up and make sure everything is to [the customer’s] liking,” Hudacin says. “We show a lot of respect. People like that and can feel it. I like when they leave and they are happy,” Hudacin says. “When they’re happy, we’re happy.”

    That desire to see people happy also extends to their staff. Their dad started out with a couple of part-time employees. Today, Main Sporting Goods has around 15 on staff, including a few family members. The company proudly touts that they are family owned and operated, which is true, but they also consider all their employees family.

    “Most have been here a very long time, some 35, 40 years,” Hudacin says. “We spend more time together than with our own families.”

    This includes one of the store managers, William Mitchell, who has been at Main Sporting Goods for 46 years. He started as a senior in high school, looking for a job to make money so he could go to prom. Mitchell says his favorite part about working in this industry is meeting people and creating items that bring joy and happiness.

    “The customers are really what I like about it,” he says.

    The same goes for Hudacin.

    “Sometimes it’s a challenge because they don’t know what they want,” Hudacin says. “They trust us, and we don’t take advantage of that trust.”

    Continuing the Family Legacy

    For those entering the personalization industry, Hudacin recommends focusing on the customers as a primary objective.

    Main Sporting Goods furthers that customer-first approach through its membership in the APA. They joined the association nearly 50 years ago.

    “What I like most about the APA is how they introduce you to new products and the shows and the people that you meet there who are from other states and countries,” Mitchell says. “We try to go to shows every year.”

    Mitchell likes to see new products and share ideas when he’s at APA’s trade shows and expos.

    “It’s a lot of learning,” Hudacin says. “They help you get pricing and products.”

    Within the next five years, Hudacin and Radbel plan to retire. They will leave the business to Michael Radbel’s son, Ryan, who is a manager at the store.

    Hudacin is proud of the family legacy of Main Sporting Goods and hopes to see it continue for years to come.

    “My dad started this business when I was very little. It has supported many families over the years,” she says. “We will keep doing it as long as our customers keep coming, as long as people need us.”

    Shelley Widhalm is a freelance writer and editor and founder of Shell’s Ink Services, a writing-and-editing service based in Loveland, Colorado. She has more than 15 years of experience in communications and holds a master of arts degree in English from Colorado State University. She can be reached at shellsinkservices.com or [email protected].