brightness()

brightness(amount)

brightness(0) /* Brightness is reduced to zero, so input turns black */
brightness(0%)

brightness(0.4) /* Brightness of input is reduced to 40%, so input is 60% darker */
brightness(40%)

brightness(1) /* Brightness of input is not changed */
brightness(100%)

brightness(2) /* Brightness of input is doubled */
brightness(200%)

.container {
  background: url(image.jpg) no-repeat right / contain #d4d5b2;
}
p {
  backdrop-filter: brightness(150%);
  text-shadow: 2px 2px #ffffff;
}

.container {
  padding: 5rem 3rem 1rem;
  width: 30rem;
}
p {
  padding: 0.5rem;
  color: #000000;
  font-size: 2rem;
  font-family: sans-serif;
}

<div class="container" style="background-image: url(be_fierce.jpg);">
  <p>
    Text on images can be illegible and inaccessible even with a drop shadow.
  </p>
</div>

p:first-of-type {
  filter: brightness(50%);
}
p:last-of-type {
  filter: brightness(200%);
}

p {
  text-shadow: 2px 2px blue;
  background-color: magenta;
  color: palegoldenrod;
  border: 1em solid rebeccapurple;
  box-shadow:
    inset -5px -5px red,
    5px 5px yellow;
  padding: 0.25rem;
  font-size: 1.25rem;
  font-family: sans-serif;
  width: 85vw;
}

<p>This paragraph has reduced brightness.</p>
<p>This paragraph has normal brightness.</p>
<p>This paragraph has increased brightness.</p>

.filter {
  filter: brightness(0.75);
}
svg {
  position: absolute;
}

<svg role="none">
  <filter id="darken25" color-interpolation-filters="sRGB">
    <feComponentTransfer>
      <feFuncR type="linear" slope="0.75" />
      <feFuncG type="linear" slope="0.75" />
      <feFuncB type="linear" slope="0.75" />
    </feComponentTransfer>
  </filter>
</svg>

filter: brightness(75%);
filter: url(#darken25); /* with embedded SVG */
filter: url(folder/fileName.svg#darken25); /* external svg filter definition */

<table cellpadding="5">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Live example</th>
      <th>SVG Equivalent</th>
      <th>Original image</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>
        <img
          class="filter"
          src="https://mdn.github.io/shared-assets/images/examples/progress-pride-flag.jpg"
          alt="darkened pride flag" />
      </td>
      <td>
        <img
          style="filter: url(#darken25)"
          src="https://mdn.github.io/shared-assets/images/examples/progress-pride-flag.jpg"
          alt="darkened pride flag" />
      </td>
      <td>
        <img
          src="https://mdn.github.io/shared-assets/images/examples/progress-pride-flag.jpg"
          alt="Pride flag" />
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>