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*always* sharpen?

catspawcatspaw Registered Users Posts: 1,292 Major grins
edited June 1, 2009 in Technique
Among many other things covered in the introduction to an online class I'm taking was the idea that you sharpen every single photo you take

:scratch

Did I miss this somewhere or perhaps is this something unique to this teacher? I understand sharpening before printing, but this was not about printing at all. Does anyone here do this or find themselves doing a LOT of sharpening?

thanks :)
//Leah

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    cmasoncmason Registered Users Posts: 2,506 Major grins
    edited June 1, 2009
    catspaw wrote:
    Among many other things covered in the introduction to an online class I'm taking was the idea that you sharpen every single photo you take

    headscratch.gif

    Did I miss this somewhere or perhaps is this something unique to this teacher? I understand sharpening before printing, but this was not about printing at all. Does anyone here do this or find themselves doing a LOT of sharpening?

    thanks :)

    Sharpen RAW yes, but JPEG have already been sharpened in camera. Many can benefit for additional sharpening, in particular Unsharp mask if PS can be helpful
    Photos
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    Tim KamppinenTim Kamppinen Registered Users Posts: 816 Major grins
    edited June 1, 2009
    catspaw wrote:
    Among many other things covered in the introduction to an online class I'm taking was the idea that you sharpen every single photo you take

    headscratch.gif

    Did I miss this somewhere or perhaps is this something unique to this teacher? I understand sharpening before printing, but this was not about printing at all. Does anyone here do this or find themselves doing a LOT of sharpening?

    thanks :)

    I always sharpen in Camera RAW (because raw files are soft SOOC) but in PS I don't do it for every photo... If I want it to look sharper than it does, I sharpen... if I think it looks good, I don't...
    http://www.timkphotography.com
    http://blog.timkphotography.com
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    pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,698 moderator
    edited June 1, 2009
    Leah,

    I do capture sharpening in Adobe RAW converter ( or its equivalent in LR2 ) on every image I intend to process through to a saved image. If I intend to upload an image to smugmug, it will be sharpened in its pass through my Raw converter on the way. It may receive further creative sharpening before output as a final jpg in addition.


    The conversion of an image to a data file in a camera sensor, results in some blurring due to the the way the data is captured by the sensor array. Capture sharpening restores the sharpness the image originally possessed before digitization.

    If you are shooting jpgs, this is sharpening is being done for you by your camera according to the choices you have made for it.
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
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    ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 23,871 moderator
    edited June 1, 2009
    I prefer to do a minimal sharpening in the RAW conversion and then I have 3 different PS actions for sharpening in different ways:

    1) A midtone sharpening action. http://visual-vacations.com/Photography/SharpeningActions.htm
    2) A global and then localized USM sharpening (in 2 strengths, homegrown).
    3) "Luko" sharpening action from this thread: http://www.treklens.com/workshops/72602/photo10976.htm

    Generally the midtone sharpening works well without halos and on most images. I do alter it sometimes by eliminating some of the final steps of shadow-highlight recovery. I rarely use more than one action but if I do it is midtone first and then Luko.

    I also tend to keep in-camera JPG sharpening down and use software sharpening later. I found that the in-camera sharpening tend to show the JPG aliasing artifacts more readily than computer/software sharpening.
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
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    WingsOfLovePhotoWingsOfLovePhoto Registered Users Posts: 797 Major grins
    edited June 1, 2009
    I ALWAYs sharpen RAW people pictures in PS using unsharp mask at 75%, 2, 3 to get the eyes sharp. Other "things" not necessarily. Usually trying to sharpen a jpeg with this method is too much. As said before, they are usually sharpened in camera. Scott Kelby's book has great instructions for sharpening all kinds of things...
    Snady :thumb
    my money well spent :D
    Nikon D4, D3s, D3, D700, Nikkor 24-70, 70-200 2.8 vrII, 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.4, 105mm macro, sigma fisheye, SB 800's and lots of other goodies!
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    Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited June 1, 2009
    I always sharpen.....using unsharp mask......that is my very last operation prior to final saving......I do all my post processing then go to Genuine Fractals for my uprezing and then USM and save those puppies...........
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

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    catspawcatspaw Registered Users Posts: 1,292 Major grins
    edited June 1, 2009
    I let LR2 do the sharpening for me, although on occasion I'll play with it myself if there's some reason to. I think I'll go back to the OP to find out what her intentions in the statement were.

    However, the replies here - VERY enlightening! thank you one and all :)
    //Leah
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    NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited June 1, 2009
    Remember to remind me about that on Sunday - we'll be covering a lot of very effective postprocessing techinques that day... mwink.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
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