diff --git a/src/seam-carving.cpp b/src/seam-carving.cpp
index 4fe1348..a8605fa 100644
--- a/src/seam-carving.cpp
+++ b/src/seam-carving.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,20 @@ std::string function = "grad";
                               ? (nbChannels) * (width * (j) + ((i) + 1))       \
                               : indexPixel;                                    \
   dest = 0;                                                                    \
-  if (function == "gradnorm") {                                                \
+  if (function == "grad") {                                                    \
+    for (auto ch = 0; ch < (nbColorChannels); ch++) {                          \
+      dest += ((fabs((float)source[indexPixel_up + ch] -                       \
+                     source[indexPixel + ch])) +                               \
+                                                                               \
+               (fabs((float)source[indexPixel_down + ch] -                     \
+                     source[indexPixel + ch])) +                               \
+                                                                               \
+               (fabs((float)source[indexPixel_left + ch] -                     \
+                     source[indexPixel + ch])) +                               \
+               (fabs((float)source[indexPixel_right + ch] -                    \
+                     source[indexPixel + ch])));                               \
+    }                                                                          \
+  } else if (function == "gradnorm") {                                         \
     for (auto ch = 0; ch < (nbColorChannels); ch++) {                          \
       dest += (std::pow(fabs((float)source[indexPixel_up + ch] -               \
                              source[indexPixel + ch]),                         \
@@ -70,17 +83,20 @@ std::string function = "grad";
                              source[indexPixel + ch]),                         \
                         2));                                                   \
     }                                                                          \
-  } else if (function == "grad") {                                             \
+  } else if (function == "gradhoriz") {                                        \
+    /* take the gradient along the horizontal only*/                           \
+    for (auto ch = 0; ch < (nbColorChannels); ch++) {                          \
+      dest += ((fabs((float)source[indexPixel_left + ch] -                     \
+                     source[indexPixel + ch])) +                               \
+               (fabs((float)source[indexPixel_right + ch] -                    \
+                     source[indexPixel + ch])));                               \
+    }                                                                          \
+  } else if (function == "gradvertic") {                                       \
+    /* take the gradient along the vertical only*/                             \
     for (auto ch = 0; ch < (nbColorChannels); ch++) {                          \
       dest += ((fabs((float)source[indexPixel_up + ch] -                       \
                      source[indexPixel + ch])) +                               \
-                                                                               \
                (fabs((float)source[indexPixel_down + ch] -                     \
-                     source[indexPixel + ch])) +                               \
-                                                                               \
-               (fabs((float)source[indexPixel_left + ch] -                     \
-                     source[indexPixel + ch])) +                               \
-               (fabs((float)source[indexPixel_right + ch] -                    \
                      source[indexPixel + ch])));                               \
     }                                                                          \
   } else if (function == "gradnorminf") {                                      \
@@ -249,14 +265,19 @@ void recompute_energy_along_seam(std::vector<unsigned char> carved_img,
   int newWidth = vertical ? width - 1 : width;
   int newHeight = vertical ? height : height - 1;
 
-  for (auto j = 0; j < dim_long; j++) {
-    for (auto i = -1; i < 2; i++) {
-      int x = vertical ? (opt_seam[j] + i) : j;
-      int y = vertical ? j : (opt_seam[j] + i);
-      if ((0 < (opt_seam[j] + i)) && ((opt_seam[j] + i) < dim_large - 1)) {
-        compute_energy_for_pixel(carved_img, newWidth, newHeight, x, y,
-                                 nbChannels, nbColorChannels,
-                                 output_energy[width * y + x]);
+  for (auto j0 = 0; j0 < dim_long; j0++) {
+    auto i0 = opt_seam[j0];
+    for (auto i_offset = -max_step - 1; i_offset <= max_step + 1; i_offset++) {
+      for (auto j_offset = -max_step - 1; j_offset <= max_step + 1;
+           j_offset++) {
+        int x = vertical ? (i0 + i_offset) : j0 + j_offset;
+        int y = vertical ? j0 + j_offset : (i0 + i_offset);
+        if (((0 < (i0 + i_offset)) && ((i0 + i_offset) < dim_large - 1)) &&
+            (((0 < j0 + j_offset) && (j0 + j_offset < dim_long)))) {
+          compute_energy_for_pixel(carved_img, newWidth, newHeight, x, y,
+                                   nbChannels, nbColorChannels,
+                                   output_energy[width * y + x]);
+        }
       }
     }
   }
@@ -267,20 +288,26 @@ void recompute_energy_along_seam(
     std::vector<std::pair<int, float>> &output_energy,
     std::vector<int> opt_seam, int width, int height, int nbChannels,
     int nbColorChannels, bool vertical) {
+
   int dim_large = vertical ? width : height;
   int dim_long = vertical ? height : width;
 
   int newWidth = vertical ? width - 1 : width;
   int newHeight = vertical ? height : height - 1;
 
-  for (auto j = 0; j < dim_long; j++) {
-    for (auto i = -1; i < 2; i++) {
-      int x = vertical ? (opt_seam[j] + i) : j;
-      int y = vertical ? j : (opt_seam[j] + i);
-      if ((0 < (opt_seam[j] + i)) && ((opt_seam[j] + i) < dim_large - 1)) {
-        compute_energy_for_pixel(carved_img, newWidth, newHeight, x, y,
-                                 nbChannels, nbColorChannels,
-                                 output_energy[width * y + x].first);
+  for (auto j0 = 0; j0 < dim_long; j0++) {
+    auto i0 = opt_seam[j0];
+    for (auto i_offset = -max_step - 1; i_offset <= max_step + 1; i_offset++) {
+      for (auto j_offset = -max_step - 1; j_offset <= max_step + 1;
+           j_offset++) {
+        int x = vertical ? (i0 + i_offset) : j0 + j_offset;
+        int y = vertical ? j0 + j_offset : (i0 + i_offset);
+        if (((0 < (i0 + i_offset)) && ((i0 + i_offset) < dim_large - 1)) &&
+            (((0 < j0 + j_offset) && (j0 + j_offset < dim_long)))) {
+          compute_energy_for_pixel(carved_img, newWidth, newHeight, x, y,
+                                   nbChannels, nbColorChannels,
+                                   output_energy[width * y + x].first);
+        }
       }
     }
   }
@@ -538,7 +565,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
       mask[i] = positive ? 2 : (negative ? 0 : 1);
     }
     //* From now on, mask has the same dimensions as source and one single
-    //channel
+    // channel
     //* The values are:
     //* . (2) we want to keep the pixel
     //* . (1) nothing in particular