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04/20/2008 04:22:35 PM · #1 |
Can I ask peeps to post their NR and sharpening workflows here?
I have a sort of standard workflow that I use, and it seems to work OK, but I feel that without a huge amount of time and experiementation I may never know if my images are actually being made worse! I realise that sharpening is different for each image but my standard workflow is:
Open in Adobe Camera Raw, set sharpening to "0" and usually both Noise Reduction sliders to around 25, depending on the pic.
Only other adjustment is possibly the white balance, then open in Photoshop.
Then once other processing is done:
Enlarge (if needed for printing) and flatten layers.
Reduce Noise Filter, again different for different images but Strength 7, Preserve Details/Reduce Noise both around 30%.
Then Smart Sharpen filter, usually around 100%-200% at 0.5-1 pixels.
If resized smaller again, I will then resharpen.
So, is the order correct? What do you do?
I have heard of people sharpening straight away, possibly in ACR, but surely this creates more noise? |
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04/20/2008 04:30:13 PM · #2 |
| Generally speaking, you want to do any noise reduction before sharpening. Most of the NR packages have sophisticated algorithms to find digital camera noise and remove it (or reduce). Sharpening will change the "signature" of the noise and make it harder for your NR program to work. |
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04/20/2008 04:44:49 PM · #3 |
After I have made all of my edits to the photo the last steps I do are to run Nik DFINE 2.0 for noise removal which does an excellent job of removing noise without losing as much detail as other programs. I can also use their Upoint technology to only remove noise out of certain colors, like a background or a sky. Or I can paint in the noise removal with the software, it is really versatile like that. Then If I want to globally sharpen I sharpen the layer that DFINE porduces, or if I want to locally sharpen I will create a copy of the DFINE layer and shapren the entire image at about 100% and almost 2 pixels. Then mask that layer and paint in where I want to sharpen. When I resize the image I choose Bicubic Sharper (Best for Reduction) and that prevents me from having to sharpen again as it is doen in the resize process for me. That has sped my workflow considereably because I don't have to constantly change the settings on Smart Sharpen since I am only sharpening on the larger image. I have even created actions to resize all sorts of dimensions, I have them for resizing a 4x6 photo both horizontal and vertical and 8x10s 5x7s and this weekend even created soem for panoramic dimensions. The action resizes the photos then adds a border to them automatically.
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04/20/2008 05:32:42 PM · #4 |
Workflow as it relates to sharpening and noise reduction using Photoshop CS2:
Post Processed Master File Workflow:
1-Open RAW file in ACR, make color/contrast adjustments...
No sharpness or noise reduction applied in ACR.
2-Open in CS2.
3-Duplicate BG layer, apply noise reduction to duplicate layer(if needed).
4-Perform ALL OTHER post processing steps.
5-Save post processed master file with all layers.
Note at this point a first level of noise reduction(if needed) has been applied on a duplicate of the BG layer in the post processed master file but no sharpening whatsoever. Sharpening is totally OUPUT dependent and therefore is not applied until creating an output file. A web graphic needs different levels of sharpening than a print. And print sharpening varies based on the size of the print.
Output Workflow:
1-Open post processed master file.
2-Flatten layers.
3-Apply noise reduction on flattened image again(if necessary).
4-Crop and do other prep for output such as add vignettes, etc.
Web Workflow:
5-Apply first Smart Sharpen... maximum values - Amount: 300%, Radius: .3
6-Resize image for web... usually use "Bicubic sharper" algorythm selection.
5-Apply second Smart Sharpen... maximum values - Amount: 300%, Radius: .3
8-Apply third Smart Sharpen for contrast(if needed)... maximum values - Amount: 25%, Radius: 40
9-Do "Save as" or "Save for web" depending on size limitations.
Print Workflow:
5-Apply first Smart Sharpen... maximum values - Amount: 300%, Radius: .3
6-Resize for print size... use "Bicubic smoother" algorythm selection.
7-Apply second Smart Sharpen... varies based on size of print, the larger the print the larger amount... Maximum values - Amount: 300%, Radius: .8 for 8X10 or 1.5 for 13X18 or larger values for larger prints.
8-Apply further cleanup for both noise and sharpness(including possible cloning) as necessary.
9-Do "Save as" for print output file.
At any one of theses stages noise reduction and sharpening are only applied if they are needed. And when they are applied then they may be performed on duplicate data layers or with "Edit Fade..." to meet individualized image needs.
I have Smart Sharpen set up with customized 'shadow' and 'highlight' settings based on what I think looks "best", but may change them for a specific image.
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04/21/2008 07:04:33 PM · #5 |
Thanks for that advice, much appreciated!
: ) |
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