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A graduated filter — borrowed from the graduated neutral-density (ND) glass that landscape photographers slide in front of the lens — applies an adjustment that fades smoothly across the frame instead of all at once. The classic use is taming a bright sky: darken the top of the image while leaving the foreground exactly as it was, so the whole scene fits in range. Image Machine's graduated filter tool gives you four simple controls — the Angle of the gradient, its Position along that direction, the Softness of the transition, and the Brightness adjustment on the affected side. One half of the gradient receives the full change, the other half is left byte-for-byte untouched, and a smooth ramp joins them. Negative Brightness darkens (the sky-taming default); positive Brightness lifts a dim foreground. Everything runs locally in your browser with exact maths, so there is no quality loss, no watermark, and your photo never leaves your device.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a graduated filter?
A graduated filter applies a brightness change that fades gradually across the image rather than uniformly. It mimics a graduated neutral-density filter — a piece of glass that is dark at one edge and clear at the other — used by photographers to darken a bright sky while keeping the foreground correctly exposed.
How do I darken just the sky?
Leave the Angle pointing toward the top of the image (the default), set Brightness to a negative value to darken, and use Position and Softness to place the transition along the horizon. The bottom of the image stays untouched while the sky is brought down.
Can I brighten instead of darken?
Yes. Set Brightness to a positive value and the affected side is lifted instead of darkened — useful for opening up a dim foreground. Change the Angle to grade from any direction: top, bottom, left, right, or any diagonal.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. The graduated filter is computed entirely in your browser with the Canvas API — your image is never uploaded, there is no sign-up, and the tool keeps working offline once the page has loaded.