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04/12/2003 04:25:47 AM · #1 |
I recently learned about a technique for improving apparent sharpness in a photo. I may have read about it here somewhere but I don't think so. It involves using the High Pass filter (setting: 5-10) on a duplicate layer of your image and then setting the blending mode for that layer to Soft Light. It is my new favorite tool because it is very useful for increasing contrast among detailed areas without introducing jaggies and increased noise that Unsharp Mask may do. It is very easy to control by adjusting the setting for the High Pass filter and the opacity of the duplicate layer. It has many great uses but I particularily like using it on images that contain lots of detail such as vegetation where many of the individual elements may not be very pronounced. You really should give it a try to understand the magic of this little known filter. I may provide a more detailed tutorial later on but I wanted to know what you guys think about it for use in these challenges. It currently appears to be an illegal use of layers even though the effect is applied to the whole image and is used, in this manner, to increase apparent sharpness and vividness of the image.
T
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04/12/2003 05:54:27 AM · #2 |
High Pass filter sharpening is a fairly known technique. It's listed in the book "Photoshop Killer Tips and Tricks" and in Tom Ang's "Photoshop for Photography: The Art of Pixel Processing". It was also covered in some British digi magazines this winter.
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04/12/2003 08:02:03 AM · #3 |
There's not much info in Luminous Landscapes' high pass sharpening tutorial, but it does walk you through the steps. However, it suggests using Hard Light, not Soft Light. I'd be interested to see the difference between the two and if I have time, I'll try it out myself (and post findings).
Whereas I think USM can give you generally good results with the same settings no matter the composition, I've found that HPS often needs adjustment on a shot-by-shot basis (though I have an action to start me off at 45% opacity). Thankfully, there's just the one setting to adjust. HPS is a much less mysterious sharpening technique than USM and I find the results more pleasing and easier to tweak.
It's probably time for a new sharpness tutorial, showing the differences between standard USM, lab mode lightness channel USM, soft light HPS, and hard light HPS.
HPS is not a (standard) legal DPC technique, so it might not be particularly useful for challenges. What are the chances it would ever be an allowable technique? |
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04/12/2003 12:40:11 PM · #4 |
Yeah, It was in the Luminous Landscape site. And yes, It suggested using Hard Light but I thought that that was too harsh. I just felt that the Soft Light method was a little more subtle and more appropriate for when I need it. I haven't really studied any other third party Photoshop books so, while I had heard of the filter, I was unaware of its practical applications.
I guess as I discover more methods to improve my photos the more I wish I were allowed to use them in the challenges.
T
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