Radial Filter in Camera Raw

To fully control where a viewer's attention is drawn to on a photo, highlight the subject of the image. Some filters that create a vignetting effect help you achieve that purpose. However, such filters require the main subject to be in the center of the photo.

Radial filters in Adobe Camera Raw 8.0 direct attention to specific portions of the image. For example, you can use the Radial Filter tool to draw an elliptical shape around the subject, and increase the exposure and clarity of the area within the shape to bring more attention to the subject. The subject can be off-center, or anywhere in the photograph.

This is the main workflow to modify a photo with Radial filters:

1. Open a photo in Adobe Camera Raw.
2. Identify one or more areas where you'd like to attract the viewer's attention.
3. Set up:
   • (Optional) A Radial filter to weaken focus on the background
   • A Radial filter to highlight the subject
     
   • Additional Radial filters, if you have more than one subject to highlight

Modify a Radial Filter instance using brush controls

You can modify Radial Filter masks using brush controls. Once you've added a mask, to access brush controls, select the Brush option next to New/Edit. Alternatively, press Shift+K.

As appropriate, use the + and – brushes.

Keyboard shortcuts and modifiers for the Radial Filter tool

New adjustments

• Press and hold Shift while dragging to create an adjustment that is constrained to a circle.
• While dragging, press and hold the spacebar to move the ellipse; release the spacebar to resume defining the shape of the new adjustment.

Editing adjustments

• While dragging inside an adjustment to move it, press and hold Shift to constrain the movement in the horizontal or vertical direction.
• While dragging one of the four handles to resize an adjustment, press and hold Shift to preserve the aspect ratio of the adjustment shape.
• While dragging the boundary of an adjustment to rotate it, press and hold Shift to snap the rotation to 15-degree increments.
• While an adjustment is selected, press X to flip the effect direction (for example, from outside to inside).

Deleting adjustments

• While an adjustment is selected, press Delete to delete the adjustment.
• Press Option/Alt + click an existing adjustment to delete it.

Adjustments with maximum coverage

• Press Command/Control and double-click an empty area to create an adjustment that is centered and covers the cropped image area.
• Press Command/Control and double-click within an existing adjustment to expand that adjustment to cover the cropped image area.