# Tips and Tricks, Alternative to USM Sharpening Technique



## Saltwater Servitude (Mar 18, 2006)

I picked up this technique to sharpen off of DPR just a few minutes ago. Model in this was my good friend Selina which I'll be shooting Monday and Wednesday again.

You use this technique once you've got your foto loaded on Photoshop and you've done ALL your other manipulations.

Create a new layer (Cntrl J). On that new layer go to Filters~Others~High Pass.

Select somewhere between 1 and 5 pixels, about where you just start to see the edges of the objects in the preview. 

Go to Layer~Layer Style ~ Blending Options

Choose either Soft Light or Overlay depending on which you prefer for that particular image. Adjust the Opacity depending on what you like for that image. 

I used a 2 pixel High Pass, Overlay, 100% Opacity for the example below.

The second image is the original. No other manipulations where done to either image.

I'm going to play around with this technique some more. So far it seems to vastly improve the sharpness without leaving tell-tale artifacts. If I didn't know it myself, I'd say the two pictures were shot with two different lenses of vastly different quality.

Nikkor 50mm f1.8 btw.


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## Saltwater Servitude (Mar 18, 2006)

This one's for Slipknot since I shot it with the Sigma 28-300.

I originally didn't like but two of this particular night's shoot. Well, I still don't for a variety of reasons. 

However, this technique does have a pretty good ability to pull a very soft image into a realm of acceptability. 

These two shots are for examples of the technique only. The first image is the original crop, the second adjusted with a 5 pixel width, Overlay, 100% opacity. I used this setting over the soft light because it gave a greater sharpness out of the two.

Look at her left eye to really see the difference.


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## grayfish (Jul 31, 2005)

Very interesting effect. That will come in handy. Took me a minute to translate that to Corel Photo-Paint but it worked perfectly. Does PS have a hard light blending option? Just curious. Selina is a lovely model.


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## Saltwater Servitude (Mar 18, 2006)

Yes, PS has a variety of blending options, about 15 or so I think.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

Thanks -- always nice to have a new technique to try.


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

Thanks, good information here to play with.


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## richg99 (Aug 21, 2004)

Thanks SS.... I've been pretty unhappy with my options for sharpening with Picasa, but reluctant to put everything into Elements. If Elements has options similar to your suggestions, though..it may be worth it. Rich


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## RustyBrown (May 29, 2004)

*Great post*

One variation that can be done with this is selectivly sharpening the subject by "painting" part of a layer up through another. Thought process here would be "Do I really need to sharpen the background?"


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

Saltwater Servitude said:


> ...So far it seems to vastly improve the sharpness without leaving tell-tale artifacts. ...


SS, i like the differences and comparisions that you've shown us with this technique.

can you expand on what some of the 'tell-tale artifacts' are that you mention?

i am thinking along the lines of the kind of fine lines that i see around/inside frames. but what other signs are there?


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## Saltwater Servitude (Mar 18, 2006)

Artifacts can be just about anything. When you use USM, you'll get more noticeable noise and possible moire patterns. If you have any jpeg artifacts from multiple saves, it also can be seen. If you aren't concerned about printing or viewing at large size either technique will work.

USM can be used just as easily as High Pass, but High Pass seems to give you a bit more finishing options.

Rusty is right though, its better to selectively sharpen where you need it.


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## Slip (Jul 25, 2006)

Thanks SS, I went to Corpus this weekend for anniversery and tried out the lens. Will look at results and see if I keep it or not. Really a dreary weekend, but did manage to take a few shots. Will keep you posted.


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## my3peas (Jan 9, 2007)

Thanks for the info SS, I've been using this on my most recent shoot and it's turning out well! 

So, for selective sharpening, how would I begin? Masks? I'm just beginning to get the hang of using masks. This interests me quite a bit.

Thanks!


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## grayfish (Jul 31, 2005)

Copy image to a new layer. Sharpen it however you wish. Use it as a layer mask. Use white or black brush to paint through the mask to show or remove the sharpened image. Since I don't use PS I don't know all the ins and out but that should at least get you started till the gurus come along.

In Corel, we use Clip Mask Hide all.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

You can use a layer mask or just erase the portion you do not want to sharpen from the "sharpened" layer. Another approach is to apply USM to a duplicated layer, play with the opacity, and erase portions you do not want sharpened in the same manner.


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## my3peas (Jan 9, 2007)

thanks guys. It should be easy enough


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

Saltwater Servitude said:


> Artifacts can be just about anything. When you use USM, you'll get more noticeable noise and possible moire patterns. If you have any jpeg artifacts from multiple saves, it also can be seen. If you aren't concerned about printing or viewing at large size either technique will work.


 One more reason to shoot RAW. Sharpen once when you do your RAW conversion to JPEG, and you won't have any artifacts. If you need a different size image, go back to the original RAW, and then resize it into a new image, sharpen, and save as new JPEG. I always try to avoid opening a JPEG that was already processed in order to get a new image unless there is no other way, just because of the compression artifacts.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

Pocketfisherman said:


> One more reason to shoot RAW. Sharpen once when you do your RAW conversion to JPEG, and you won't have any artifacts. If you need a different size image, go back to the original RAW, and then resize it into a new image, sharpen, and save as new JPEG. I always try to avoid opening a JPEG that was already processed in order to get a new image unless there is no other way, just because of the compression artifacts.


I am not sure how much it helps, but I go from RAW to .PSD and pull different sizes (where needed) from the .PSD file, rather than from a .JPEG.


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