What is a soft glow effect?

A soft glow makes the bright parts of a photo shine into their surroundings while the picture softens a little, like a shot through a diffusion filter or a touch of mist. It suits portraits, weddings, and golden hour landscapes, and gives any photo a dreamy, nostalgic mood. Landscape photographers know a close cousin of it as the Orton effect.

Tool description

Amount sets the strength, and Radius how far the glow spreads: a small radius gives a gentle haze around highlights, a large one a wide, dreamy bloom. Unlike a plain blur blended on top, the glow comes mostly from the bright areas, so shadows stay deep and skies keep their color. The preview updates live, and the download keeps the image's full size.

Features

  • Adjustable glow amount and radius
  • Highlights glow while shadows stay dark
  • Before and after comparison
  • Runs in your browser, so the photo never leaves your device

How it works

The tool blurs the image as light, the way light really scatters, and uses that blur twice. Part of the light spreads out, as through a diffusion filter, which softens details without brightening the picture overall. Then the blurred light is screened over the image in proportion to its brightness, so highlights bloom while dark areas barely change. Screening can't push a pixel past white, so highlights brighten smoothly instead of clipping.

Tips

  • Photos with bright spots on a darker background, like street lights, candles, or backlit hair, glow the most.
  • For portraits, a medium amount with a larger radius smooths skin and adds a warm haze.
  • If the result looks foggy, lower the amount before you change the radius.