Selective sharpening

Maldon

I've just tried something that's so simple it's probably wrong -- make a copy, blur it just a little (or a lot), then use the eraser to get rid of the bits I don't want, allowing the sharp original to show through.
It seems too easy when all around me are using masks and so on, so maybe I'm missing something.
Any comments, please?

thegridrunner

do you have a sample?

rustic

Hi Maldon, and welcome!

Others may have better reasons, but I like masks because you can easily "un-erase" areas later. When you use the eraser, you have to go back and undo things if you want something back, whereas with a mask you just change from black to white or vice-versa and re-brush it.

It took me a while to get used to masks, until one day it just clicked. There are some tutorials on here (click on the "Tutorials" link above), but feel free to post questions if you can't find what you're looking for.

Maldon wrote:

I've just tried something that's so simple it's probably wrong -- make a copy, blur it just a little (or a lot), then use the eraser to get rid of the bits I don't want, allowing the sharp original to show through.
It seems too easy when all around me are using masks and so on, so maybe I'm missing something.
Any comments, please?

pathfinder

Make a copy of your background layer, CTRL-J to make a duplicate copy.

Sharpen the duplicate copy as desired. Press the little button at the bottom of the Layers palette that looks like a rectangle with a circle inside it. That will add a mask to your upper layer. Double click on the little box to the right of your thumbnail in the upper layer, set your foreground color to black, and paint with away the sharpening with a soft brush set in Normal Mode. You can then use the Opacity slider to fine tune your result. Bingo - easy peasy - you have painted out the sharpening everywhere except where you desire it. If you paint too much with black, CTRL-X changes your ink to white and will restore the sharpening.

Now type CTRL-E and you will flatten the layers back to one layer.

pyrtek

rustic wrote:

Others may have better reasons, but I like masks because you can easily "un-erase" areas later.

That's one good reason to use masks, but another really powerful
thing you can do with masks (and another reason to use them) is that you
can use any filters/transformations/etc. on them. The ability to blur the mask
in itself is more than enough reason to never use any alternative method of
selective image adjustments.

thegridrunner

I just realized, this thread isn't about selective sharpening but rather about selective blurring. I didn't understand what you were talking about.

pathfinder

You could say that I guess:D

It is easier to use a good tool globally and then mask its expression, than use a cruder tool selectively only.

Maldon

wow
Thanks everyone. I am truly appreciative that you took the time to respond. Now I'll spend a cupple late night hours walking through your suggestions.

Scott_Quier

Adding to PF's short tute, if you press the "\" key, portions of the mask will show in an alternate color (by default, a pale red) on top of you image to show where your mask is applied and where it is not. This can really aide in determining where you have yet to work.