Do you sharpen all your images? - DPChallenge Forums

03/27/2011 10:02:02 AM · #1

Hello,

Do you sharpen all your images including portraiture shots?

This is what I do: I sharpen, save, re-size and sharpen again. Sometimes the sharpening for my portrait shots causes my model's face to lose the "soft" look. Please help.

Thank you.

Ang

FocusPoint

XIAOMI Redmi Note 8 Pro

03/27/2011 10:05:52 AM · #2

Originally posted by angkokweng:

For portraits, yes. I think it's the last process I do. However, most of them too little amount, hardly noticeable. A good portrait photographer usually doesn't need to sharpen an image. A perfect focus and steady shot will do the trick. Sharpening twice is pretty much over doing it, if you ask me. That means, you probably don't get the shots you want to start with.

and that's what i do ;)

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 E-mount

03/27/2011 10:19:56 AM · #3

Originally posted by FocusPoint:

Thanks for the reply, FocusPoint. I don't know what's wrong with me. It must be the way I hold my camera or the camera setting is wrong. I get blur images even when I'm shooting at 50mm, F/1.8. I didn't use tripod. I rest my left elbow against my chest so that the camera is steady and yet I get blur images. The worse thing is that I also had flash on. Maybe I press the shutter too hard? Only a few of my portrait shots turned up sharp.

FocusPoint

XIAOMI Redmi Note 8 Pro

03/27/2011 10:27:18 AM · #4

Originally posted by angkokweng:

Originally posted by FocusPoint:

For portraits, yes. I think it's the last process I do. However, most of them too little amount, hardly noticeable. A good portrait photographer usually doesn't need to sharpen an image. A perfect focus and steady shot will do the trick. Sharpening twice is pretty much over doing it, if you ask me. That means, you probably don't get the shots you want to start with.

and that's what i do ;)

Thanks for the reply, FocusPoint. I don't know what's wrong with me. It must be the way I hold my camera or the camera setting is wrong. I get blur images even when I'm shooting at 50mm, F/1.8. I didn't use tripod. I rest my left elbow against my chest so that the camera is steady and yet I get blur images. The worse thing is that I also had flash on. Maybe I press the shutter too hard? Only a few of my portrait shots turned up sharp.

With flash you probably shooting around 1/200 second. Which should do the trick. F.1.8 is a very tricky stop. For portrait (unless if you are going something artsy, tight DOF) 2.8 (without flash, and probably around 9 with flash) is the best. It also depends how far you're standing from your subject.

When you shoot, even if you're shooting a pistol, let your trigger finger do the pulling, not your wrist.

Good luck ;)

Message edited by author 2011-03-27 10:29:50.

jmsetzler

Sony Alpha a6000

03/27/2011 10:31:14 AM · #5

You have to be careful with sharpening. The problem that presents itself for digital photographers is viewing on screen as opposed to viewing a print. In my overall experience (limited experience with portraiture) I have learned that getting it adequately sharp on a computer screen tends to make it oversharp for a print.

Experiment with it and see what your results look like...

Paul

Leica SL

Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f/1.7 Aspherical MF Wide Angle - Black

03/27/2011 10:32:25 AM · #6

Originally posted by angkokweng:

I always sharpen my images. Often many times at different stages in the processing workflow. One of the most effective sharpening techniques for final output sharpening is the Adamus sharpeningntechnique that involves sharpening twice and then resizing.

Of course, there are different types of unsharpness: out of focus and movement unsharpness. Different 'problems' with different 'cures', though the movement unsharpness is much harder to deal with.

Given the lens you are citing opens up to f/1.8, the DOF will be very shallow and you don't need much to 'miss focus'.

Having said all of that, if you are trying to maintain a 'soft' look then you'll need to deploy selective sharpening techniques, normally just on the eyes, mouth (and in my work) the tip of the nose.

Having said all of that, it is difficult to give a general response, every image tends to need to be treated differently.

Paul

03/27/2011 11:00:09 AM · #7

Originally posted by paulbtlw:

Given the lens you are citing opens up to f/1.8, the DOF will be very shallow and you don't need much to 'miss focus'.

Having said all of that, if you are trying to maintain a 'soft' look then you'll need to deploy selective sharpening techniques, normally just on the eyes, mouth (and in my work) the tip of the nose.

Paul

I'm very thankful for all the responses. I always thought that shooting at F/1.8 is the best because more light gets into the lens and this prevents blurry images. Now I understood that F/1.8 is a very tricky F-stop (as mentioned by FocusPoint as well).

I will use selective sharpening techniques and glaussian blur too. Thank you all so much. I hope my next portrait test is a success. Hehe.