Tutorial: Degradr Effects

Learn creative image degradation through hands-on examples. These tutorials demonstrate operations inspired by the degradr repository (MIT licensed), adapted to use NumPy/SciPy/scikit-image for PIL integration.

Prerequisites

Tutorial Overview

Individual Operations

Learn each degradr operation through focused examples:

Tutorial Operation Effect Difficulty
05-soft-glow blur_gaussian Dreamy softness Beginner
06-dreamy-bokeh blur_circular Lens-like blur Beginner
07-film-grain noise (gaussian) Analog film texture Beginner
08-vhs-lines noise (row) VHS scan lines Beginner
09-color-shift chromatic_aberration RGB fringing Intermediate
10-digital-mosaic bayer_filter Sensor artifacts Intermediate

Creative Combinations

Master multi-operation pipelines:

Tutorial Operations Aesthetic Difficulty
01-vhs-scanlines 4 operations VHS playback Advanced
02-sensor-noise 3 operations High-ISO camera Advanced
03-lens-artifacts 3 operations Vintage photography Advanced

Individual Operations Tutorials

Tutorial 5: Soft Glow

Goal: Create dreamy softness using Gaussian blur.

Use Case: Portraits, ethereal atmospheres, soft focus photography.

Running the Tutorial 

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sevenrad pipeline docs/tutorials/degradr-effects/05-soft-glow.yaml

Expected Results

Output: tutorials/degradr-effects/soft-glow/final/ containing 105 images

Visual Characteristics:

  • Smooth, dreamy softness
  • Reduced sharpness and details
  • Gentle glow effect
  • Atmospheric quality

Example Output:

Soft Glow Result Result showing soft glow effect (sigma: 2.5)

Pipeline Breakdown 

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steps:
  - name: "soft_glow"
    operation: "blur_gaussian"
    params:
      sigma: 2.5

Parameter Explanation:

  • sigma: 2.5 - Moderate blur for soft focus without losing recognizability

Video Segment: 52-59 seconds @ 15fps = 105 frames

What You’ll Learn

  • Control blur intensity with sigma parameter
  • Balance between softness and detail preservation
  • Create atmospheric, dreamy aesthetics

Tutorial 6: Dreamy Bokeh

Goal: Simulate lens bokeh with circular blur kernels.

Use Case: Shallow depth of field, portrait backgrounds, artistic blur.

Running the Tutorial 

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sevenrad pipeline docs/tutorials/degradr-effects/06-dreamy-bokeh.yaml

Expected Results

Output: tutorials/degradr-effects/dreamy-bokeh/final/ containing 105 images

Visual Characteristics:

  • Circular blur patterns
  • Lens-like bokeh quality
  • Distinct circular smoothing
  • Professional photography feel

Example Output:

Dreamy Bokeh Result Result showing circular bokeh blur effect (radius: 10)

Pipeline Breakdown 

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steps:
  - name: "dreamy_bokeh"
    operation: "blur_circular"
    params:
      radius: 10

Parameter Explanation:

  • radius: 10 - Moderate circular kernel for noticeable but not extreme bokeh

Video Segment: 52-59 seconds @ 15fps = 105 frames

What You’ll Learn

  • Difference between Gaussian and circular blur
  • Creating lens-like bokeh effects
  • Radius selection for various intensities

Tutorial 7: Film Grain

Goal: Add analog film texture with Gaussian noise.

Use Case: Cinematic looks, retro photography, texture addition.

Running the Tutorial 

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sevenrad pipeline docs/tutorials/degradr-effects/07-film-grain.yaml

Expected Results

Output: tutorials/degradr-effects/film-grain/final/ containing 105 images

Visual Characteristics:

  • Subtle pixel-level noise
  • Film-like grain texture
  • Organic, analog feel
  • Consistent across frame

Example Output:

Film Grain Result Result showing Gaussian noise film grain (amount: 0.05)

Pipeline Breakdown 

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steps:
  - name: "film_grain"
    operation: "noise"
    params:
      mode: "gaussian"
      amount: 0.05
      seed: 42

Parameter Explanation:

  • mode: "gaussian" - Per-pixel random noise distribution
  • amount: 0.05 - Subtle grain (5% noise intensity)
  • seed: 42 - Reproducible noise pattern

Video Segment: 90-97 seconds @ 15fps = 105 frames

What You’ll Learn

  • Gaussian noise mode for film grain
  • Controlling grain intensity
  • Using seeds for reproducibility

Tutorial 8: VHS Scan Lines

Goal: Create VHS scan line artifacts with directional noise.

Use Case: Retro VHS aesthetic, 80s/90s nostalgia, glitch art.

Running the Tutorial 

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sevenrad pipeline docs/tutorials/degradr-effects/08-vhs-lines.yaml

Expected Results

Output: tutorials/degradr-effects/vhs-lines/final/ containing 105 images

Visual Characteristics:

  • Horizontal scan line artifacts
  • Row-based noise patterns
  • VHS playback degradation
  • Distinctive retro look

Example Output:

VHS Lines Result Result showing VHS scan line artifacts (mode: row, amount: 0.1)

Pipeline Breakdown 

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steps:
  - name: "vhs_lines"
    operation: "noise"
    params:
      mode: "row"
      amount: 0.1
      seed: 100

Parameter Explanation:

  • mode: "row" - Horizontal directional noise (one value per row)
  • amount: 0.1 - Moderate scan line intensity
  • seed: 100 - Consistent scan line pattern

Video Segment: 90-97 seconds @ 15fps = 105 frames

What You’ll Learn

  • Row noise mode for horizontal artifacts
  • Creating VHS-style scan lines
  • Difference between gaussian and directional noise

Tutorial 9: Chromatic Color Fringing

Goal: Simulate lens chromatic aberration with RGB channel shifting.

Use Case: Optical imperfections, color fringing, glitch aesthetics.

Running the Tutorial 

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sevenrad pipeline docs/tutorials/degradr-effects/09-color-shift.yaml

Expected Results

Output: tutorials/degradr-effects/color-shift/final/ containing 105 images

Visual Characteristics:

  • Red-cyan color fringing
  • Edge separation effects
  • Optical aberration look
  • Lens imperfection simulation

Example Output:

Color Shift Result Result showing chromatic aberration with horizontal RGB fringing

Pipeline Breakdown 

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steps:
  - name: "color_shift"
    operation: "chromatic_aberration"
    params:
      shift_x: 5
      shift_y: 0

Parameter Explanation:

  • shift_x: 5 - Horizontal shift (5 pixels)
  • shift_y: 0 - No vertical shift
  • Result: Red-cyan fringing on vertical edges

Video Segment: 52-59 seconds @ 15fps = 105 frames

What You’ll Learn

  • RGB channel shifting mechanics
  • Creating color fringing effects
  • Horizontal vs vertical shift effects

Tutorial 10: Digital Sensor Patterns

Goal: Simulate digital camera Bayer filter sensor artifacts.

Use Case: Digital camera simulation, sensor noise, mosaic patterns.

Running the Tutorial 

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sevenrad pipeline docs/tutorials/degradr-effects/10-digital-mosaic.yaml

Expected Results

Output: tutorials/degradr-effects/digital-mosaic/final/ containing 105 images

Visual Characteristics:

  • Color fringing at edges
  • Moiré patterns on details
  • Slight softening
  • Digital sensor look

Example Output:

Digital Mosaic Result Result showing Bayer filter sensor artifacts (pattern: RGGB)

Pipeline Breakdown 

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steps:
  - name: "digital_mosaic"
    operation: "bayer_filter"
    params:
      pattern: "RGGB"

Parameter Explanation:

  • pattern: "RGGB" - Standard Bayer pattern (Red-Green-Green-Blue)
  • Creates typical digital camera sensor artifacts

Video Segment: 90-97 seconds @ 15fps = 105 frames

What You’ll Learn

  • Bayer filter mosaicing and demosaicing
  • Digital sensor artifact patterns
  • Different Bayer pattern arrangements

Creative Combinations Tutorials

Tutorial 1: Complete VHS Tape Aesthetic

Goal: Recreate authentic VHS tape playback degradation through multi-operation pipeline.

Use Case: 80s/90s nostalgia, retro video art, analog media simulation.

Running the Tutorial 

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sevenrad pipeline docs/tutorials/degradr-effects/01-vhs-scanlines.yaml

Expected Results

Output: tutorials/degradr-effects/vhs-scanlines/final/ containing 45 images

Intermediate Steps:

  • color_shift/ - Chromatic aberration applied
  • scanlines/ - VHS scan lines added
  • vhs_blur/ - Gaussian blur applied

Visual Characteristics:

  • Color fringing from tape degradation
  • Horizontal scan line artifacts
  • Slight blur from analog playback
  • Compression artifacts
  • Authentic VHS tape feel

Visual Progression:

VHS Color Shift Step After Step 1: Chromatic Aberration (shift_x: 3)

VHS Scanlines Step After Step 2: Row Noise Scan Lines (amount: 0.08)

VHS Blur Step After Step 3: Gaussian Blur (sigma: 1.5)

VHS Final Result Final Result: After analog compression (quality: 35)

Pipeline Breakdown 

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steps:
  # Step 1: Color fringing
  - name: "color_shift"
    operation: "chromatic_aberration"
    params:
      shift_x: 3
      shift_y: 0

  # Step 2: Scan lines
  - name: "scanlines"
    operation: "noise"
    params:
      mode: "row"
      amount: 0.08
      seed: 42

  # Step 3: VHS blur
  - name: "vhs_blur"
    operation: "blur_gaussian"
    params:
      sigma: 1.5

  # Step 4: Analog compression
  - name: "vhs_compress"
    operation: "compression"
    params:
      quality: 35
      subsampling: 2

Parameter Explanation:

  • shift_x: 3 - Subtle horizontal color shift
  • amount: 0.08 - Moderate scan line intensity
  • sigma: 1.5 - Light blur for analog softness
  • quality: 35 - Heavy compression typical of VHS

Video Segment: 192-195 seconds (3m12s-3m15s) @ 15fps = 45 frames

What You’ll Learn

  • Layering multiple operations for cumulative effect
  • Creating authentic period-specific aesthetics
  • Operation ordering for VHS simulation
  • Balancing parameters across pipeline

Tutorial 2: Digital Camera Simulation

Goal: Simulate high-ISO digital camera sensor output with noise and artifacts.

Use Case: Digital camera realism, sensor noise exploration, photography simulation.

Running the Tutorial 

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sevenrad pipeline docs/tutorials/degradr-effects/02-sensor-noise.yaml

Expected Results

Output: tutorials/degradr-effects/sensor-noise/final/ containing 45 images

Intermediate Steps:

  • sensor_mosaic/ - Bayer filter applied
  • sensor_noise/ - Gaussian noise added

Visual Characteristics:

  • Bayer demosaicing artifacts
  • Sensor noise grain
  • Digital compression
  • High-ISO camera look

Visual Progression:

Sensor Mosaic Step After Step 1: Bayer Filter (pattern: RGGB)

Sensor Grain Step After Step 2: Gaussian Noise (amount: 0.04)

Sensor Final Result Final Result: After camera compression (quality: 85)

Pipeline Breakdown 

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steps:
  # Step 1: Sensor mosaic
  - name: "sensor_mosaic"
    operation: "bayer_filter"
    params:
      pattern: "RGGB"

  # Step 2: Sensor noise
  - name: "sensor_noise"
    operation: "noise"
    params:
      mode: "gaussian"
      amount: 0.04
      seed: 200

  # Step 3: Camera compression
  - name: "camera_compress"
    operation: "compression"
    params:
      quality: 85
      subsampling: 2

Parameter Explanation:

  • pattern: "RGGB" - Standard sensor pattern
  • amount: 0.04 - Subtle noise typical of ISO 1600-3200
  • quality: 85 - High quality compression (in-camera JPEG)

Video Segment: 192-195 seconds @ 15fps = 45 frames

What You’ll Learn

  • Digital sensor processing pipeline
  • Combining Bayer filter with noise
  • Realistic camera output simulation

Tutorial 3: Vintage Lens Character

Goal: Create vintage lens aesthetic with bokeh, aberration, and color enhancement.

Use Case: Dreamy photography, vintage portrait style, artistic character.

Running the Tutorial 

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sevenrad pipeline docs/tutorials/degradr-effects/03-lens-artifacts.yaml

Expected Results

Output: tutorials/degradr-effects/lens-artifacts/final/ containing 45 images

Intermediate Steps:

  • bokeh/ - Circular blur applied
  • lens_aberration/ - Chromatic aberration added

Visual Characteristics:

  • Circular bokeh blur
  • Color fringing at edges
  • Enhanced saturation
  • Vintage lens character

Visual Progression:

Bokeh Step After Step 1: Circular Bokeh Blur (radius: 10)

Chromatic Aberration Step After Step 2: Chromatic Aberration (shift_x: 4, shift_y: 2)

Vintage Lens Final Final Result: After saturation boost (value: 1.3)

Pipeline Breakdown 

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steps:
  # Step 1: Bokeh blur
  - name: "bokeh"
    operation: "blur_circular"
    params:
      radius: 10

  # Step 2: Lens aberration
  - name: "lens_aberration"
    operation: "chromatic_aberration"
    params:
      shift_x: 4
      shift_y: 2

  # Step 3: Color boost
  - name: "boost_colors"
    operation: "saturation"
    params:
      mode: "fixed"
      value: 1.3

Parameter Explanation:

  • radius: 10 - Moderate bokeh for soft backgrounds
  • shift_x: 4, shift_y: 2 - Diagonal color fringing
  • value: 1.3 - 30% saturation boost for vintage color

Video Segment: 192-195 seconds @ 15fps = 45 frames

What You’ll Learn

  • Combining blur types with color effects
  • Creating cohesive vintage aesthetic
  • Diagonal chromatic aberration
  • Multi-operation artistic pipelines

Learning Path

  1. Start with Individual Operations (Tutorials 5-10)
    • Understand each effect in isolation
    • Experiment with parameter ranges
    • See how each operation transforms images
  2. Explore Parameter Variations
    • Try values outside tutorial examples
    • Observe subtle vs extreme effects
    • Find your preferred aesthetic range
  3. Study Creative Combinations (Tutorials 1-3)
    • See how operations layer together
    • Learn effective operation ordering
    • Understand cumulative degradation
  4. Build Custom Pipelines
    • Mix operations to create unique aesthetics
    • Develop your own artistic signatures
    • Document successful combinations

Advanced Topics

Understanding Noise Modes

The noise operation offers three distinct modes:

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# Film grain - per-pixel random
- operation: "noise"
  params:
    mode: "gaussian"
    amount: 0.05

# VHS scan lines - horizontal
- operation: "noise"
  params:
    mode: "row"
    amount: 0.1

# Glitch lines - vertical
- operation: "noise"
  params:
    mode: "column"
    amount: 0.15

Blur Type Selection

Gaussian vs Circular:

  • Gaussian: Smooth, natural softness (portraits, glow)
  • Circular: Lens-like bokeh (backgrounds, depth of field)

Chromatic Aberration Directions 

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# Horizontal fringing (vertical edges)
shift_x: 5, shift_y: 0

# Vertical fringing (horizontal edges)
shift_x: 0, shift_y: 5

# Diagonal fringing
shift_x: 4, shift_y: 4

Bayer Pattern Variations 

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pattern: "RGGB"  # Standard (most cameras)
pattern: "BGGR"  # Alternative
pattern: "GRBG"  # Alternative
pattern: "GBRG"  # Alternative

Troubleshooting

Effects Too Subtle

Problem: Can barely see the effect

Solutions:

  • Increase parameter values (sigma, radius, amount, shift)
  • Check intermediate outputs to verify operation ran
  • Try extreme values first, then dial back

Effects Too Strong

Problem: Image unrecognizable or too distorted

Solutions:

  • Reduce parameter values
  • Remove operations from pipeline
  • Check parameter ranges in Operations Reference

Processing Too Slow

Problem: Takes too long to process frames

Solutions:

  • Reduce frame count by increasing interval
  • Use fewer operations in pipeline
  • Avoid large blur radii (> 30)
  • Enable parallel processing (default)

Operation Not Found Error

Problem: Operation 'blur_gaussian' not found

Solutions:

  • Check operation names use underscores: blur_gaussian, blur_circular, chromatic_aberration, bayer_filter
  • Verify operations are registered (should be automatic)

Artistic Context

These effects explore digital media materiality through algorithmic transformation:

VHS Scanlines: Magnetic tape degradation as palimpsest of loss

Sensor Noise: Computational seeing through Bayer demosaicing

Lens Artifacts: Optical imperfection as aesthetic character

In the spirit of Rimbaud’s systematic derangement and de Groen’s clinical critique of late-stage capitalism’s nostalgia aesthetics.

Next Steps

After completing these tutorials:

  1. Experiment with parameters - Adjust blur amounts, noise intensities, shift values
  2. Create custom pipelines - Combine operations in new ways
  3. Try different segments - Process various video sections
  4. Read comprehensive docs:

Questions or Issues?

Happy experimenting with degradr-inspired effects!

Each transformation reveals the computational layers that construct seeing itself.

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Algorithmic transformation exploring digital media through the artistic voices of Rimbaud and Dominique de Groen.