A New Tool in the Fight Against Backscatter: Backscatter XTerminator

BackscatterXTerminator (BSXT) is a new and groundbreaking (I’ll even go as far as saying mind-blowing) Photoshop filter developed specifically to tackle one of the most common issues in underwater photography: backscatter. Created through a collaboration between Erin Quigley, known for her educational work in underwater photo editing through GoAskErin, and RC Astro, a company with expertise in astrophotography software, BSXT brings a unique, cross-disciplinary approach to underwater image cleanup. Using technology originally designed for removing stars from night-sky images, BSXT allows underwater photographers to quickly and effectively remove the distracting particles that often mar underwater shots, elevating the quality of images with just a few clicks.

I was fortunate enough to be part of the Beta program for BackscatterXTerminator, where I had the chance to test its functionality and provide feedback. Right from the start, I was blown away by how effective the tool is. I experimented with BSXT on a wide range of images—from photos I’d previously considered “junk” and wouldn’t normally share publicly, to images I had painstakingly edited with standard backscatter removal techniques like the healing brush and dust-and-scratches filter. The results were impressive across the board, as BSXT managed to remove the backscatter with remarkable precision, saving hours of tedious editing and preserving the details of the image far better than traditional methods.

Take a look at the following images. In the first image you can see a school of bumphead parrotfish in Raja Ampat. This shot is essentially a throw away due to the ridiculous amount of backscatter, particularly on the left side of the image where I clearly had my strobe positioned incorrectly. It would take a lot of time to get rid of every piece of backscatter using traditional techniques.

In the second image, I have run the BackscatterXTerminator filter. It took me one click and less than a couple of minutes to run the filter and voilà, a clean image with no backscatter.

The same two images are shown below with a 100% crop so that you can see the details.

Background and Concept

Backscatter is a well-known frustration in underwater photography, and the idea for BSXT came about when Bruce Warner, a colleague of Erin Quigley, recognized an unexpected parallel between backscatter in underwater images and star fields in astrophotography. In both cases, tiny bright spots—whether particles in the water or stars in the sky—stand out against a darker background, and this shared visual issue sparked a unique collaboration. Erin and Bruce approached the team at RC Astro, whose experience in removing stars from night-sky images for astrophotographers offered a promising solution to underwater backscatter. The result is BackscatterXTerminator, a filter that uses the same advanced technology to isolate and remove backscatter in underwater photos. It’s a fresh approach that merges the expertise of two fields, giving underwater photographers access to a tool with unprecedented capability for producing cleaner, clearer images.

Understanding Backscatter

Backscatter, the small floating particles that light up when illuminated by a strobe or flash, can be the bane of underwater photographers. These particles are often invisible to the eye while diving but become glaringly apparent in photos, detracting from an image’s clarity and quality. It’s a common issue, especially in areas with fine particulate matter, and can be challenging to avoid even with carefully positioned lighting. While proper strobe positioning can minimize backscatter, in the heat of the action, it’s easy to overlook strobe placement or miss the issue on a small camera LCD screen, and in many cases, even slight backscatter can add lots of extra post-processing time. BSXT wasn’t created to encourage a lax approach to strobe positioning but rather to help photographers salvage images where backscatter issues went unnoticed during capture.

If you find yourself getting a lot of backscatter in your images, check out our article on strobe positioning.

Licensing and Installation

BSXT won’t be available until November 19th at which point you can purchase it directly from the Go Ask Erin website. The introductory price is $179.95 which includes a perpetual license allowing you to install and activate it on up to two computers. If you need to move a license to another computer, activations can be reset via the RC Astro account panel that you will get access to after purchase. Once an activation has been reset you can then activate it again on a new computer.

Installation itself is quick and easy. After purchase, you receive an email from RC Astro with a link to your account where you can download the installer for your computer type. Then just run the installer and follow the instructions. What gets installed is the BSXT filter plus a Photoshop Action (described later in this article).

Workflow

To get the best results with BSXT, start with minimal global edits in Lightroom's Develop Module. You can apply noise reduction here, but it’s best to avoid making more intensive edits, as the filter performs optimally before significant adjustments. Once you've made these initial edits, go to Photo > Edit In > Edit in Adobe Photoshop to bring the image into Photoshop.

In Photoshop, begin by duplicating the layer, then select BackscatterXTerminator (BSXT) from the Filter menu on the new layer. At this point, the software will start processing the duplicate layer to remove backscatter. Depending on your computer’s performance, this step may take some time; on my Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020), for example, it typically completes in under a minute. When the software finishes, you’ll see your image with the backscatter removed, and you can toggle the visibility of the duplicate layer by clicking the eye icon to see a before-and-after comparison.

From here, you can save the file, which will appear as a second image back in Lightroom. If needed, you can also add a layer mask to the duplicate layer to refine the results. By using a black brush on the mask, you can selectively reveal areas of the original image below (the version with backscatter). This is useful if BSXT has removed elements you’d like to restore, giving you full control over the final image by allowing selective adjustments.

Remember I mentioned earlier that you also get a Photoshop Action installed to enhance your workflow? With this Action, all the various steps I described as part of the Photoshop workflow can be accomplished in one go. The Action automates key processes by creating a duplicate layer, running the BackscatterXTerminator filter on that layer, and adding a layer mask. With the mask in place, you can fine-tune the final image by selectively masking areas where you want the filter applied or restored. This setup streamlines the editing process, making it even simpler and more efficient while giving you added control over the end result. Using the Action is the recommended and preferred workflow!

System Requirements

Compatibility:

• Compatible with both Mac and PC

• Works with any version of Photoshop CC

Operating System:

• Mac: macOS 12 or later (Apple silicon recommended but not required)

• Windows: Windows 10 or later

Processor (Windows only):

• CPU must support AVX instructions (most CPUs released after 2012 meet this requirement, though Celeron CPUs in lightweight laptops and mini-PCs may not support AVX and will not run BSXT)

GPU Acceleration (Windows only, optional):

• Requires an NVIDIA GPU with at least 6GB of VRAM

• To enable GPU acceleration, install the TensorFlow-GPU package after completing the BSXT installation

Conclusion

BackscatterXTerminator (BSXT) is an invaluable tool for underwater photographers, effectively addressing the notorious challenge of backscatter with one click. Its unique cross-disciplinary design, drawing on astrophotography techniques, makes it a highly specialized solution that significantly reduces editing time while maintaining image quality. From the ease of installation and workflow automation to the precision of its backscatter removal, BSXT provides a streamlined experience for users of all skill levels. Whether you're a professional photographer or a hobbyist, this filter represents a breakthrough in underwater image processing, allowing you to achieve cleaner, more refined images with minimal effort.