One of the
basic goals in photography is getting sharp images. It’s tempting to use software
to apply sharpening on your photos. But it may have to take time mastering a
skill of correctly using the software. Without exercising, you will end-up over-sharpening
your photos. You may apply the sharpening at the wrong stage, so the results full
of ‘haloes’ and noise.
For your
information, JPEG images are directly sharpened in-camera. It can be difficult
to apply extra sharpening, since it has already been sharpened.
How to Do Image Sharpening
You must
process raw files to apply the sharpening; because they won’t have had it
applied in-camera. Decide whether it’s best to apply it later on or to your raw
conversions. Raw quality format is much better than JPEG, especially in
exposure and color range. It enables you to create well-processed results in
the final image.
For the
software, it’s good to use Adobe Camera Raw. When you use Photoshop or
Photoshop Elements to open a raw file, it also automatically opens the Camera
Raw. Check the Details tab to find the sharpening controls. But make sure to
set the preview to 100% by using the drop-down menu that placed in the bottom
left-hand corner of the scene.
Just like
using USM controls, there are Radius dictating the width and Amount setting the
level of the area along the sides that is sharpened on Camera Raw’s sharpening
controls. You will find the Detail slider that is similar to Threshold, but its
value increases as its impact decreases. You can use it to control the haloing
and decide how much pressure is given to the edges. When a Threshold value of
100, it’s effectively the same as a zero detail setting and vice versa.
Finally, use
Masking-slider to limit where you want to apply the sharpening. After making
Masking adjustments, you can merely see the affected-area by holding down the
Alt key.
Besides raw
files, JPEGs can also be sharpened in Camera Raw. Pick which images you want to
process, right-click the mouse and the menu box will be popped-out. Choose Open
in Camera Raw. You must prevent unwanted-noise from being sharpened. Mask it
out through Masking-sliders while using Detail-sliders to reveal midtone detail
and texture.
The
important key to get balanced results whether both of losing noise and
revealing detail is to preview where the sharpening is applied.
How to Prevent Over-Sharpened
Over-sharpened
images will end-up with side-effect, which the most obvious is a halo around
details in your images. This is because of a high Radius setting you mistakenly
use. You should do zoom-in to 100% where there are fine details or dark lines
against a lighter background to spot the problem.
Overall,
you still can prevent over-sharpening. Simply turn off any raw conversion or
in-camera sharpening, if you are going to be processing your images in CC or
Photoshop Elements. So it will be the last adjustments that you make to your
shots.
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