How to make a sharp image in Photoshop. Increase the sharpness of photos
An increase in sharpness and disposal from noise are very important components in the processing of photography and apply almost to any image. And if there are feathers, fur or other microscopic parts in the photo, then the increase in sharpness is simply necessary. In this article we will tell about the basic ways to increase the sharpness through the Photoshop program.
Our original image
We will get acquainted with several methods for increasing the sharpness, but you should not apply all below the outlined techniques at once to one image - experiment and find the most suitable for ourselves.
To get a high-quality, sharp image You should consider both sides of the same medal. A strong increase in sharpness through programs leads to noise appearance, while noise suppression makes photos more blurred. To achieve the optimal result, it is necessary to find some balance that the photos be sharp enough, but at the same time there was no excessive noise, which, of course, spoils the whole picture.
Our final image
Many images, such as our photo of birds, contain initially sharp and blurred areas. We all do not need to increase sharpness in places where blur is provided, softness. Take, for example, a green lawn on our photo, it serves as an excellent background, and it is not necessary to increase its sharpness at all. We will tell you how to use an increase in sharpness only to those areas where it is really required.
1. Open your image in Camera Raw
In Bridge, double-click the source image to start Camera RAW. To begin with, we treat a photo, add contrast, increase the shadow, sharpness and saturation. For this photo, we picked up the following settings of the above settings: Contrast +15, Shadows +16, Clarity +10 and Saturation +18.
2. Maximize sharpness
In the toolbar, choose the zoom tool (magnifying glass) and approach the image by 100%. Holding the gap, drag the cursor image to see both the bird's head and the background. Drag the Amount (number) and Radius (RADIUS) slider (radius) to the right.
3. Now soften the effect
Now drag the Amount and Radius sliders back until the image looks natural. The Amount value is responsible for sharpness of the entire image, and using the RADIUS value, we determine how sharpness affects its borders. Pick the optimal values \u200b\u200band do not forget to turn on and disconnect the previews to compare the resulting image with the source. For our photo, values \u200b\u200b67 for Amount and 1.4 for RADIUS are the most optimal.
4. Apply mask
Masking slider allows us to apply an increase in sharpness only to those areas where there are any details. Hold down the alt key, move the slider. The image will be displayed in a black and white picture. Through the right, you drag the slider, the more areas become black, it means that there will be no increasing sharpness to these regions. For this image, we chose a value 40 to leave untouched blurred originally background.
5. We convert the image into a smart object
We open our photo in Photoshop, for this, click on the Open Image button. Go to the panel with layers, click right-click on the background layer (Background Layer) and select Convert to Smart Object. This will give us the opportunity to leave the untouched layer, which is edited, and all the filters superimposed will be added to it as items. If you need to configure these filters, it will be possible to change further.
6. Use smart sharpness
In CC's version of Photoshop, in the smart sharpness section (in the English version of Smart Sharpen) there is a slider responsible for reducing noise (Reduce Noise). Together with the Amount and Radius settings, the smart sharpness is a great tool for adjusting sharpness and noise. Start by changing the values \u200b\u200bfor Amount and Radius (Amount - 102%, Radius - 1.4px).
7. Reduce noise
Drag the slider responsible for reducing noise to the right to 30 to remove the noise formed in the area of \u200b\u200bour photo. If noise is still noticeable, change the position of the Shadows slider, set the value of approximately 65%.
8. We use the mask layer
Increase the image to see the result of the smart sharpness. In the area of \u200b\u200bthe eye, the effect is too strong, noise is noticeable. To get rid of it, armed with a brush tool (Brush Tool), highlight the Smart Filters mask in the layers panel, change the color of the brush to black (to change the color of the brush, you can use the D and X keys). And now on a layer with a filter, draw a black brush that area where we want to get rid of noise, in our case it is a bird's eye.
9. Use filters in Camera Raw
The back plan still looks too noisy. Let's try to reduce it yet. CTRL / CMD + J key combination with a copy of the layer and go to Filter, select the Camera Raw Filter. In the Camera RAW window that opens, we increase the photo and in the Noise Reduction subsection (noise supply) by sending the Luminance slider (glow) to about 46 until the graininess disappears from the bright areas of the image.
On the bottom line of the layer panel, click on the Add Layer Mask icon (add a layer of the mask). In the toolbar, choose a brush and install a black color as the main one. Click on mask and crush areas where you need to leave high sharpness.
10. Sharpen Tool Tool
In the layer panel, click on the Create New Layer icon and rename a new layer in Sharpen Tool. Then in the toolbar, select the Sharpen Tool (sharpness) tool. In the top string of the tool parameters, we put the ticks opposite the Sample All Layers and Protect Detail. Expose the value of StrenGht (intensity) about 10%. Now we increase the image and with the help of this tool draw all the details, the sharpness of which must be enlarged.
11. Correct colors
Now we will slightly improve the color saturation using Color Lab. But first, all the resulting layers are compatible, for this, use the CTRL / CMD + SHIFT + ALT + E key combination. We rename the layer in the Color Boost, transfer it to the smart object. And now we click on the layer twice to open it in a new document.
12. Enhance saturation
Open the Image tab - Mode and select Color Lab. Create a new adjusting LEVELS layer (levels). In the adjustment layer settings in the drop-down menu, select A. To increase the saturation, we need white and black sliders to lead to approximately equal values. Let's start with the fact that I will set the value 25 in the lower left window that is responsible for the shadow.
13. Test values \u200b\u200bfor Levels
Now, when we moved the left slider to 25, we need to set the equivalent value for the right slider (255 - 25 \u003d 230). At the right lower window, we enter the value 230. Pay attention to the red and orange fragments of the photo, they became much richer.
14. Channel B.
Open the drop-down channel menu and change A on B. In this channel, we also need to bring the slider to about the same values. But do not forget that the channel B is responsible for the green tones, and we need to do the background too saturated. For this reason, we enter the following values \u200b\u200bin the window: 15 and 240.
15. We estimate colors Photos
To evaluate the changes made by turning the visibility of the layer by clicking on the eye icon next to the layer layer. If the photo turned out to be oversaturated, reduce the transparency of the layer (OPACITY) to 80%.
Now the colors look much better, but some yellow fragments have acquired a red shade as a result of our manipulations. To get rid of it create a layer of a mask (Layer Mask) and a black brush, paint the plots where we need to reduce the effect.
17. Add Vignetku
Finally, to soften the background, add vignette. Using the CTRL / CMD + SHIFT + ALT + E key combination, we combine the layers, we translate the layer into the smart object and in the liner filters choose Camera RAW. Here we will use the radial filter (Radial Filter). We choose it and put a circle of the filter over a bird, exhibit exhibit -0.40, now press OK and save the image.
How to increase the sharpness in photoshop applying various techniques to talk in this article. To begin with, with what images will work and what end goals we want to achieve this event. This will allow you to choose the work technique and the desired approach.
How it is not a trite all photos can be divided into two main categories - those where people are and where they are not. Consequently, the approach to increasing sharpness will also be two - work with a portrait and other pictures.
Before you directly appeal to work, we will define that means an increase in sharpness in photoshopthis will give us an understanding of the processing process. So, Photoshop is not a magic pill for horseradish photos, it does not add to objects on the processed picture that there is no initially. The program cannot be blurred UG turn to the masterpiece of photo art.
Increasing sharpness in photoshop, you just raise the microcontrast, nothing more happens. The new parts in the photo does not appear, just the most clearly, already existing with both those that would like to emphasize that the manifestation of which is undesirable.
Increase the sharpness of the portrait
Working with portraits does not need to increase the sharpness throughout the frame, remember to increase the microcontrast, it is enough to gently emphasize the eye area of \u200b\u200bthis will be enough for the photo to look "cheerful", less often handle the lips and decorations.
Such processing can be carried out as part of the common one. I do as follows. Tool "Lasso", read about working with it, highlight the eye area
Then combination the Shift + Ctrl + keys with a copy of the combined data, if the picture consists of one layer, a Ctrl + C combination is used. Then immediately use Ctrl + V content of the selected area will be inserted into a new layer.
To this layer, using the High Pass filter (color contrast) from the Filter menu - Others (Filter - Other). The influence radius is selected in such a way that the details began to manifest themselves, in my case it is cilia and drawing on the eye iris.
Further, the layer-processed layer-processed layer change to the "bright light" vivid light. I throw on this layer a black mask with the appropriate button at the bottom of the layers palette and the ALT key hiding it
With help white color I process the mask showing the effect of increasing the sharpness on the cilia and the iris eye. If the strength of the impact turns out to be an insufficient layer, it can be duplicated (Ctrl + J), redundant - reduce opacity (OPACITY).
Application of field increase filters
Another way to increase the sharpness of both portrait and any other is to use filters Photoshop Truth To use them, you need all the layers of which is a picture of one (Alt + Shift + Ctrl + E).
Earlier, I wrote about increasing the sharpness in ACR for RAW files, it is possible to read, but no one prevents using this module as a filter (SHIFT + CTRL + A) on the settings can be found according to the links above.
About working with the "Contour sharpness" filter, I wrote in this if you wish to get to know. A more advanced option is filter "Smart Sharpness" He is in the English version of the program - Smart Sharpen, I will try its action on the experimental picture.
In order to be visible, all changes occurring with the picture before using the filter will establish its scale 100% key combination (Ctrl + 1). I go along the path filter - sharpness - smart sharpness.
Using the "Smart Sharpness" filter Smart Sharpen
The size of the filter window can be configured, clutching for Karaya moving from both inside reducing it and outwards - increasing. This is a useful possible way to configure the window so that it is convenient to monitor changes in the picture or in the document window, or in the viewer area of \u200b\u200bthe filter itself.
Now, how the filter works - first you need to establish the effect of exposure, the Amount parameter (effect). The greater the value of this parameter, the stronger the contrast between pixels and above sharpness. I install 300%
Moving slider Radius (RADIUS) increase the number of pixels affected by the effect, the higher its value, the more obvious the increase in sharpness. However, it is unnecessary to be extremely disconnected, because it is involved in the appearance of halo.
After the value for the "radius" is set, you can return to the Amount parameter (effect) and try to raise it to the values \u200b\u200bon which the halos around the contrasting borders will not start manifest. The limit for increasing sharpness is achieved cheerless Increasing the "radius" and "effect" values.
The "Reduce Noise" slider Reduce Noise allows you to effectively deal with manifested noise due to increasing sharpness.
ParameterRemove "Delete" Determines the algorithm for increasing the sharpness applied to the picture. The default value is blur at a low depth of the sharpness of Lens Blur, the most effective in which contours and parts are recognized, and then their sharpness increases. In halo, sharpness is adjusted with less intensity.
The "blur in motion" point Motion Blur is used to reduce the blur caused by the movement during shooting, a camera or an object, when using this item, an angle setting becomes available, actually determining the direction of movement.
Also in the filter there is the ability to adjust the impact on dark and bright areas using the "Shadows / Highlights" drop-down tabs
The settings of these tabs are used to suppress dark and light halieov, which appeared as a result of the filter. We have saddled settings hiding behind the sliders
Fade Amount ( Weakening effect) Allows you to change the intensity of the installed effect.
Tonal Width ( Tone bandwidthIt allows you to adjust the range of variable shadows and lights. Adjustment is achieved by moving the slider left - the lessmeaning I. stronger Correction of shadows limited by the most dark zones. Movement to the right - large values \u200b\u200bare stronger than the correction of lights in the brightest areas
Radius (RADIUS) Determines the size of the region around each pixel, on which its belonging to light or shadow is determined
For your picture, I picked up the values \u200b\u200bof these parameters shown below.
In addition to these most obvious ways to increase their sharpness, there are still a huge amount to describe them all in one sweat there is no possibility. However, in conclusion, one more hope you come in handy.
Increase sharpness with the help of the edge mask
This method of increasing sharpness is simple, effective, easy to automate, which means it can be used when processing a large number of photos from minimal cost time.
We take a picture, create a copy of the background layer, go to the "Channels" tab of Channels, you need to choose the most contrasting channel, usually it is red or angry, in my case it is green. I make a copy of this channel dragging the ego on the leaflet icon at the bottom of the palette.
With an active green copy, I go to the Filter menu - Stylization - edging edges (Filter - Stylize - Find Edges). The result is in front of you
Inverting the image of key combinations (Ctrl + I)
To expand the resulting contements to go: the filter is the other - maximum (Filter - Other - Maximum). The default radius value can be left unchanged.
With the help of the correction "" get rid of random pixels, a combination (Ctrl + L) causing the corresponding dialogue and slightly shifting the black point
We need a little mitigate the edges of the future mask for this using a blur filter in Gauss with a small radius value.
The workpiece for the mask is ready, it remains to apply it. I turn on the visibility of the picture by making an active composite channel (). Changing the copy of the green channel by the CTRL icon by the CTRL key to create a dedicated area based on it back in the layers palette, inverting the selection (SHIFT + CTRL + I).
Now guided by the principles described in using the filter contour sharpness.
After applying the filter, it will take off the selection (Ctrl + D). Thanks to the release made with sharp steel, only areas on the goat face The whole the rest was not affected.
On this today, all the next articles on the blog.
In this lesson, you will learn several ways to increase the sharpness of the image that allow you to "bypass" the shortcomings of the built-in filters of sharpness in Photoshop. What are the shortcomings? Let's start in order:
1. Color hacides may occur around contrast objects.
2. The color and monochromatic noise increases. If the second is not so terrible, it does not even always need to get rid of it, then the first literally cuts the eyes.
3. At the scanned photos, the above mentioned disadvantages are still stronger than the graininess increases, originally inherent in it.
As a rule, in the process of working on improving photography, the sharpness has to raise several times, which can further aggravate the position.
How to avoid such problems? Beginners (and not only) users often puts in a dead end. But there are several ways, plus their variations and combinations that allow you to increase sharpness without increasing noise and artifacts. So, we start work.
1 way:
1. Open our image. Immediately translate it to Lab mode Image-Lab mode (Image-Mode-Lab).
2. Choose a palette Channels (Channels), press Ctrl + 1 to select the channel Brightness (Lightness), then ~ to see the image in color.
3. Apply to this channel Filter-sharp-contour sharpness (Filter-Sharpen-Unsharp Mask).
Settings depend on the specific image. Many do not know how to properly use this filter. Now we will correct this gap in knowledge.
So, the first thing to do is to set the value Effect(Amount) within 80 - 150, depending on the resolution of the image. Then gradually increase the values Radius (RADIUS) before the appearance of visible flaws and artifacts. Next, increase the value Threshold(Threshold) before the disappearance of the roughness data, but to save the effect of contour sharpness.
4. Press Ctrl + ~ to select a composite channel. Then, as in paragraph 1, we translate the image back to RGB mode.
2 way:
1. Open the image. Copy the new Ctrl + J layer.
2. To this layer apply Filter-other-color contracet (Filter-Other-High Pass), with a radius of about 1 (depends on the image resolution, but I do not recommend big, then I will explain why).
3. Press Ctrl + SHIFT + Uto discolor the image. This is a very important point! Since we removed from this layer information about color (and it is definitely there, although the layer looks gray), it will avoid an increase in color noise.
4. Change the layer overlay mode Overlapping(Overlay). You can do this in the palette of layers, or by pressing SHIFT + ALT + O.
5. If the result does not suit you, for example, sharpness increased too much, it is necessary to reduce the opacity of the layer. If you need to increase the effect, copy the layer the desired number of times (Ctrl + J).
If you try to immediately increase the sharpness immediately, setting a large value of the radius in paragraph 2, it will lead to a deterioration in the image quality.
3 way: The same second, but adapted for scanned photos. I think many will appreciate its effectiveness. Pictures do not bring not to repeat.
1. Open the image, copy to a new layer.
2. Repeat item 2 from the previous method, but the radius value is set to significantly more from about 4 and higher, depending on the resolution.
3. Next you need to blur the layer using Filter - noise - dust and scratches (Filter-Noise-Dust & Scratches), so as to remove the grain, but leave the contours of the image.
4. Then repeat the actions of 3-5 from the previous recipe.
In order for the future to spend time on the execution of these actions, you can create actions, that is, operations for each selected method.
In one of the following lessons, you will learn another way to increase sharpness. It is quite complicated, so I did not climb this lesson with its description.
I wish you creative success!
About the increase in the sharpness of photos has already been written quite a few. But there is always the opportunity to take a fresh look at the well-known topic and learn something interesting. In this article we will look at some features of increasing sharpness and discuss various approaches to this issue. For completeness of the description, first briefly will be described about what sharpness and what opportunities offer graphic editors to increase it. If you are doing well in this thread, you can immediately go to the third part, where you find out that it will help you take photos better. Maybe you will find in this article something that contradicts your professional look at this question, but it is from the diversity of opinions and approaches to the topic and appear optimal solutions.
1. From what the image sharpness depends
The sharpness of the image depends on the two factors - the resolution of the optics and contour sharpness. In addition, the so-called antimoire filter is installed on matrices of most cameras, which various degrees Blinds the image. Thereby prevents the appearance of Moir, but, in turn, the image sharpness is reduced. The resolution of the optics and camera in the graphics editor to change, alas, it is impossible, so in this article we will consider only the question of changing the contour sharpness.
Sharpness in the image we perceive as a degree of contrast on the contours. Classic example Need to increase sharpness - two surfaces of various brightness. With a decrease in the image, most interpolation algorithms blur the boundaries between the surfaces. To return sharpness or, more precisely, the illusion is such, it is necessary to darken the contour on the dark area and brighten it on the light. With this increase in contrast on the contours and enhance the sharpness enhancement algorithms.
In the example below, the contours between surfaces with different brightness is quite sharp. With a decrease in the image, several pixels have to be placed in one, and with the usual calculation of the average, the contours would become blurred, as can be seen on the second example. High-quality Photoshop algorithms, such as bicubic, with a decrease slightly increase the contour sharpness. With additional increase in sharpness by filters, the contrast on the contours is even more rising.
2. Ways to increase sharpness
What does work look like with contour sharpness in practice, we will look at the example of Photoshop as the most famous graphic editor. Other programs, such as GIMP, use the same or similar methods.
2.1. Filter Unsharp Mask.
The most famous way to increase the sharpness is the Unsharp Mask filter. It allows you to control the increase in sharpness using three parameters:
Amount.: The degree of filter influence.
Radius.: Determines which area around the contours will be affected by a change in contrast. If this parameter is too high, it will not be an increase in sharpness, but an increase in contrast. For most images intended for the network, the value of this parameter is 0.2 or 0.3 gives optimal results.
Threshold.: This parameter is set, how much the neighboring areas should differ so that the border between them is considered a contour. It is better to leave this parameter on zero. If there is a lot of noise in the photo, you can try to install Threshold for a small value, but it will be better to simply take advantage of the noise.
2.2. Highpass filter
The second way to increase the sharpness is the HighPass filter. First you need to make a copy of the layer, change the overlap mode to Overlay and remove the saturation layer in the copies of the HUE / SATURATION layer.
Now to this copy of the layer you need to apply the Other-Highpass filter. In the dialog box that appears, there is only one parameter. It corresponds to the parameter of the RADIUS filter Unsharp Mask.
If sharpness is increased too much, then the transparency of this layer can be reduced. If the sharpness is not enough, you can make a copy of the layer. The advantage of this method is that it allows you to make several layers with different radius parameters. The lower layers are not hidden by the top, as for overlays overlapping mode grey colour is neutral.
Although in most cases the overlap mode overlay gives good results, you can experiment with other modes for which the gray is neutral: Soft / Hard / ViVid / linear / Pin Light.
2.3. Filter Smart Sharpen.
In the "Photoshop" version of CS2, a new SMART Sharpen filter appeared, which gives more opportunities to control increasing sharpness and, with skillful use, allowing to achieve better results. This filter is well suited for images with a large number of small parts, while for more rough structures it is better to use UNSHARP Mask or Highpass.
To begin with, I advise you to note the option More Accurate. At the same time, the process takes longer, but the quality of the result is incomparably better.
In Basic mode, the results of this filter resemble UNSHARP MASK, only without the Threshold parameter. The main difference of this filter is in the algorithm by which the program reduces the blur of the image, that is, what kind of blur type the filter is trying to reduce. This algorithm is set to the Remove parameter. With the value of the Gaussian Blur, the effect of this filter approximately corresponds to the Unsharp Mask filter, only the effect of it is weaker.
The Lense Blur value is better suitable for images with a large number of small parts, since the method of the halo around the contours is much weaker.
When the Motion Blur parameter is valid, this filter tries to reduce the effect of the cross arising from too much excerpts. This method works only in cases where the image blur occurred in one direction and you can accurately set this direction to the angle parameter. In theory and on test drawings, a decrease in the cross works quite well, but in real photos of the ego, the effect leaves much to be desired and will not replace a good tripod or a light lens.
In Advanced mode, this filter allows you to loosen the increase in sharpness in the dark and light Tones. I advise you to use this filter as follows:
1. In the Sharpen menu, the Amount parameter is set to the maximum, the radius is 0.2, if the photo is intended for the network. You can try to specify this option more. Select Lense Blur and do not forget to mark more accurate.
2. In Shadow and Highlight, install Fade Amount 0%, Tonal Width is 100%, RADIUS is 1.
3. Now, increasing the Fade Amount parameter in the Highlight map, you can reduce the effect of the filter in the light parts of the image, eliminating white haloes. More easily it is necessary to increase the Fade Amount parameter in Shadow. In extreme cases, you can reduce the Amount in the main menu.
It should be noted that if the Unsharp Mask or Smart Sharpen filter with the Gaussian Blur parameter can be applied to one image several times, then Smart Sharpen with the Lense Blur parameter forms noticeable artifacts, so the required degree of sharpness must be selected from one filter application. .
2.4. Plugins Photoshop.
In addition to filters that are included in Photoshop, there are plugins that allow you to increase sharpness on various algorithms and offering various parameters that can be controlled by sharpness changes. Which of them are better to use, everyone can solve himself for themselves, a little experimenting with them. Among the most famous plugins are worth mentioning Nik Sharpener Pro, FocalBlade and Photokit Sharpener.
3. Methods manipulation sharpness
Each, starting to work in Photoshop, is looking for such a filter that can do everything immediately. I pressed the button - and from the mediocre picture turned out to be a masterpiece. But over time, most photographers notice that optimal results are achieved without using one filter to the entire image, but by variations of various filters with different parameters and for different sections of the image depending on the features of the motive. Strengthening sharpness is no exception. In this part, we will consider some ways to control the sharpness that give the best results than the simple application of one of the three filters mentioned to the entire image.
3.1. Increased brightness
In the RGB color space, the brightness of pixels and their color values \u200b\u200bare interrelated, so unwanted color changes may occur with the image manipulations. With increasing sharpness, these changes are expressed in incorrect colors on the contours of objects. To avoid this effect, sharpness is better to increase on a separate layer and change the overlap mode of this layer on Luminosity. In the color space LAB in this case, it is enough to work with sharpness only in the L-channel.
It should be noted that in some rare cases, changing the overlap mode on Luminosity can negatively affect colors. This example shows how the saturation of a blue-yellow ribbon under the tiger's head decreased when changing the overlap mode, which is bad. But at the same time, the blue halo disappeared around the figures at the bottom of the coat of arms, which is good. Simply put, a difficult thing is this thing - to and sharply, and beautiful.
3.2. Use masks
When increasing sharpness across the entire image, the present noise on solid surfaces can become more apparent. Some areas in focus, but representing little interest for the viewer, such as objects in the background or the structure of the skin on portraits, also become sharp. In addition, the filters are trying to increase the sharpness and in those areas of photographs that are outside the focus, and this process is nothing but increasing the file size, does not give.
A completely natural solution to these problems is to create a copy of the layer and an increase in sharpness on this copy. After that, the mask is added to this layer, and all areas are painted on it, where the increasing sharpness for our photo is undesirable or not of interest. In order for the effect of these manipulations to be high quality, I advise you to use a brush with soft edges and transparency 15-30%, while carrying out several times in one area.
On this example, the left sharpness was increased over the entire image. A mask was added to the layer with an enlarged sharpness and only the middle part of the flower was discovered. As you can see by comparing two photos, halienesses disappeared on the petals, where the sharpness has little value for the viewer, and at the same time the size of the photo has decreased.
3.3. Work with overlapping modes
After increasing the sharpness in some photos, white haters appear on the contours of items. Dark haloes, also arising from increasing sharpness, are usually not so stronger. In this case, the separation of increasing sharpness into light and dark parts can help. To do this, we create a copy of the layer, apply the sharpness enhancement filter to it and change the overlap mode of this layer to DARKEN. Then make a copy of this layer and change the overlap mode on Lighten. Now, as we need, we can change the transparency of one of the layers or, adding to them the masks, hide the sections, where the corresponding dark or light hacops are too noticeable.
In the next photo, dark trees are visible against the dark sky, and light contours that occur with increasing sharpness, only interfere. Therefore, two copies are made from a layer with increased increasing sharp photographs and a copy in Lighten mode transparency is reduced to 20%.
3.4. Use the properties of the layer
Another convenient way to combat halo with increasing sharpness - through the properties of the layer. To do this, we will increase the sharpness on the copies of the layer and the double click on this copy in the list of layers will open its properties. Now, holding the alt key, we split the carriage of light tones and move it a bit to the right. A similar procedure can be carried out with dark tones, if dark halisters become too noticeable.
In this photo, light hacops were removed in this way, which is especially noticeable on the beak and water circles to the left of the stone.
3.5. Increase in field sharpness
In some cases, it makes sense to increase the sharpness in only one or two RGB channels, possibly with different parameters. This method can be useful, for example, in the presence of too strong noise in the blue channel or with an increase in the sharpness of the porters, where the main contours - hair and eyes are located in red and green canals, and blue contains more information about irregularities. In this case, you should make a copy of the image and change the overlap mode to LUMINOSITY, since the colors will change around the edges of objects. Now you can, by going to the channel list, select the RGB channels in turn, leaving the image itself, and experiment with a change in sharpness.
3.6. Sharpness and structures in the image
As mentioned above, an increase in sharpness throughout the image is similar to the treatment of all diseases with one tablet and also rarely leads to optimal results. When working with many motives it makes sense to create several layers, in each of which the sharpness is increased by various methods with various parameters, after which it is added to the layers to add masks and open them only on the respective regions.
In the following photo, the sharpness of the dry tree and small structures on it could be safely increased stronger. To do this, the Smart Sharpen filter was used. On the sand of the details less, and it is better to increase the sharpness via Unsharp Mask or Smart Sharpen with the Gaussian Blur parameter. For clouds containing a lot various shapesYou need to create multiple copies of the image in Overlay mode and apply Highpass filter to them with different parameters and reduce their transparency in varying degrees.
3.7. About sharpness and contours
Eight-nine years ago, among the photographers began to spread new way Enhance sharpness. In this case, you first needed to determine the contours of items and apply the increasing sharpness to them. Although few people remember this, but the main goal of this method was not an improvement in the quality of photographs, but a decrease in the file size. In the appropriate NewsGroup (such a prehistoric ancestor of forums), one Adobe programmer asked in interest, why it is necessary if the Threshold parameter in Unsharp Mask is about this and is responsible, but it was ignored and successfully forgotten, inspired by a new interesting method.
Personally, I recommend not using contour sharpness. Although this method is very tempting in theory, in practice it is very difficult to find the parameters suitable for the motive. Photos in which sharpness has been increased by this method is most often easily determined by the "soaps" of the image. Solid surfaces in such photos are practically deprived of details, because they did not strengthen the sharpness, while the contours of the objects are too striking. With small structures, like grass, things are even worse: with a partial inclusion of them in an increase in sharpness, they resemble porridge from needles, with the exclusion of them from the processing they remain unreasonable. In early models of digital compact cameras, it was just such a method of data processing from the matrix - gain sharpness at the edges needed to reduce the size of the files. I do not exclude the possibility that there are fans of photographs of such quality, but for now, no one confessed about it.
With an increase in the sharpness around the image at the boundaries of objects, light hacels may appear, which especially spoil the picture if the objects themselves have dark tint. Yes, I remember that this problem was already mentioned several times in this article, but I consider it the most serious aspect of working with sharpness, so sometimes I remind you about it. So here is the sharpness of the contours. In my opinion, the viewer and so well sees the obvious boundaries between the objects, so it makes no sense to additionally indicate it on them. Rather, the image quality can improve, if you emphasize only the sharpness of the structures and, on the contrary, reduce the effect of sharpness on the contours, covering it with a mask.
An increase in sharpness only in contours can be justified only in one case - if there is noise on solid surfaces, such as the sky. But the fact is that visually sharpness is also created at the expense of some noise on the surfaces, which at the same time the method is just reduced. Therefore, in cases where the noise interferes too much, it is better to use the noise-noise surface before increasing the sharpness or not to use an increase in sharpness to such surfaces, scarce their mask, and even better - both.
Which of these two ways to use is to enhance sharpness at contours or a decrease in contour sharpness, each can choose, experimenting and with the other methods. Since they are both based on the creation of a contour mask, consider the process common to these methods.
1. To begin with, we turn to the channel list and select the channel, which contains the largest number of contours. Now let's make a copy of this channel by right-clicking on it and choosing Duplicate Channel or dragging it to the new channel icon. If we cannot identify such a channel or we just laziness to search for it, you will choose the entire image (Ctrl + A), create a new alpha channel in the channel list and copy the image to it (Ctrl + V). If you know how to work with the Calculation dialogue, then you yourself know how to do these manipulations.
2. Now choose our new alpha channel and call the Stylize-Find Edge filter
3. Slightly byte the found contours using the Blur-Gassian Blur filter. The contours should be soft enough, but still noticeable.
4. If you work according to the second method, contour sharpness, then the mask must be inverted (Ctrl + i).
5. Now call the level dialog (Ctrl + L) and, moving the carriages, we define, in which areas the effect of increasing sharpness will be seen. If you prefer the first option, hiding sharp contours, then move the right and medium carriage to the left so that the sharpness is visible to sufficiently large areas of the image. If you choose a second option, increasing the contour sharpness, then move the left and middle carriage to the right.
6. Now select this alpha channel by clicking on it while the Ctrl key is pressed or through the left Load Selection icon under the channel list.
7. Let's go to the list of layers, create a copy of the image and add a mask to it. Selection will automatically turn into a layer mask.
8. Now you can call your favorite method of increasing sharpness on a masked copy of the image. If the influence of the mask is insufficient, it can be rejected again a little, then change using levels or curves.
Another process of creating a mask, which I used earlier, is a bit more complicated, but it is convenient because the effect of the mask is visible immediately during the process itself. At the same time, a copy of the image is made, a mask is immediately added to it, and any of the channels or the entire image is copied to it. Now the sharpness of the image copy is increasing, and all the above operations for finding the contours are carried out on a mask.
Under the example below, I tried to achieve an optimal result that each method allows. In the image with an increase in the sharpness of the contours, "soaps" is obvious, clearly visible on the trees. At the same time, unnecessary halisters of increasing sharpness are visible along the contours of the mountains. But it is not excluded that it is for your motive that this way will give optimal results.
This photo with the removal of contour sharpness looks much better. But this is my taste.
Personally, I have long been not using any of these methods, preferring more long method Increases sharpness over the entire image, followed by painting on the mask of problem areas or work with increasing areas with various structures.
3.8. Phased decrease
Another of the frequent tips for reducing photos - to do this in stages and scold the image after each decrease. Thus, as stated, the details are stored, which would be lost in one-time reduction. I will not say that such a way is not good anywhere, it is quite possible that he helps someone. But it should be noted that with a decrease in the image small parts They will disappear anyway, only with a step-by-step decrease, they will die slowly and painfully, at each stage it is enriched with dark and bright border over contours, which will be further reduced to create the next contours. If, besides, you have small structures in the photo and you are an amateur of multi-colored stripes, then a phased decrease - the best way To achieve moire. In my opinion, which I, of course, I do not impose anyone, the phased decrease with Sharping is suitable only to kill understanding. If someone can give an example of photographs, reduced in this way so that I can not achieve the same disposable decrease and shaping, I promise to take my words back and bring my apologies.
4. Some general rules for increasing sharpness
1. Conduct an increase in sharpness last time before saving the image. An exception can only be done if you want to create a notorious "glamorous" photo in the photo by making a copy of the layer in the Soft Light overlapping mode and swallowing it. Then the sharpness is better to increase to this procedure.
2. When increasing sharpness, consider the image in one hundred percent size. As a last resort, Photoshop makes it possible to evaluate sharpness in a decrease in 50% or 25%, but not in an intermediate scale.
3. If necessary, go through the noise for solid surfaces in the photo.
4. Try what method is suitable for your image: Unsharp Mask or Smart Sharpen, their results may be different for different cases.
5. Do not increase the threshold parameter. For most photos it is better to leave it on zero.
6. Increasing the sharpness, either on the brightness channel in the Lab or on a separate layer with the Luminosity overlap mode.
7. Do not forget that on liquid crystal monitors the image looks sharper than on CRT. In addition, some users buying LCD monitors with a large resolution, find that it is quite difficult to read the letters of this size, and install the monitor to the "non-" resolution. It never affects the sharpness, and how noticeably the deterioration of the image quality depends on the quality of the monitor.
5. Conclusion
As a final word, I would like to remind ... no, not once again about white haloes. I wanted to recall that the description various methods Working with images, including increasing the sharpness, should approach your photos, your motives and your preferences. Therefore, the best thing you can do is to try all the ways and do the way you consider it necessary. And still do not forget that the main thing in the photo is an idea and moment, and processing in Photoshop plays a minor role.
Bad, an insecious snapshot is elementary to repeat than to change. However, at certain points you have the opportunity to try a little polling the image. Our editor Photoshop. Equipped with the richest possibilities for this.
Guide
1. Open an image, which needs to be improved, in the editor. Perform an action using buttons Ctrl + O. or option Open. (« Open») From the option File (« File»).
2. Transfer photos to the color profile Lab. Needed in function Image. (« Picture») Select a function Mode. (« Mode"). In this feature, select Lab.
3. Go to the list of channels. This list is located under the list. Layers. (« Layers"). To go to it, you must press the main key of the manipulator on the page Channels. (« Channels"). There is only a channel prominent Lightness (« Brightness"). You must press the main key of the manipulator in this channel. The photo will be black and white.
4. We use to the function " Brightness»Element Unsharp Mask. (« Contour sharp"). It is listed Sharpen. (« Strengthening sharpness») In options Filter. (« Filter"). In the menu, put on eighty-five percent function Amount. (« Value"), And function Radius. (« Radius") One to three points. On 4 levels you need to set the option Threshold. (« Threshold»).
5. We look at the color photo by clicking the left key through the channel Lab in the list of channels. In the case when you need, use the item again.
6. Translate the photo again to position RGB.. This operation occurs through familiar to us functions. (see clause 2). The photo must be translated into this profile, then it will be saved in the amount of Jpg..
7. The modified image is saved using the function. Save. (« Save") Either Save As. (« Save as…») Functions File (« File»).
If you increase the image by 100%, we get detailed information Above all changes occurring with a photo.
This action is obtained in case of tightening the slider under the palette " Navigator"- Extreme right position. Strengthening the clearness of the image of a large scale opened in Photoshop window by 15% of the present size, you can skip the result of using the filter, as a result of which excessive sharpness worsen the image.
While everything, good luck!
