 - Susan Jane Allen  Contact Susan Jane Allen Susan Jane Allen's Gallery |
Sharpening Techniques, which is best? Hi, I just got Nik Sharpener Pro and was dismayed to see that before using it you have to make a choice in how you're going to print your photo. Actually, I rarely print any pics at this stage, though I am slowly building up a collection of pics I might try to sell as stock photos, editing them differently to get out every trace of noise, etc. So, if I choose any of the printers they mention, I should probably choose one that would be best for submitting stock photos. Also, I was wondering about the pros and cons of using Nik and other methods of sharpening. I used to use unsharp mask exclusively, then I started using Noise Ninja which also sharpens at the same time, and so used unsharp mask less. Then, I learned this technique of using smart sharpen while in Lab Colour mode. But when I do that, I don't really know what to do when I go into Noise Ninja, because that means double sharpening. So, then I try putting the sharpening to zero in Noise Ninja with mixed results, depending upon the image. Last night I used different things on different parts of the image. I haven't tried the Nik yet. Would love to hear what others think about the different techniques and their pros and cons, and also what printer option I should use with Nik. Oh, by the way, I always shoot in RAW except when I'm shooting birds in flight. I'm not confident enough to choose my settings, so shoot in sports mode! And I saw there is a raw presharpening choice in Nik.
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Marius Liebenberg |
What lenses are you using? If you have quality professional equipment with the correct exposure techniques you will have sharp photos from the camera. It seems that you are trying to fix a soft/blurred photos; sharpness is fine detail in focus and no amount of software can create that missing detail.
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John P. Sandstedt |
Some sharpening is required for almost every image transferred to your computer. That "given" have been re-stated, sharpening should be the last step in you editing process [workflow.] And, before you take that step you should save a "Masterfile" if the image. You should resize the image to the size you plan to print and, then, sharpen it. The aamount of sharpening actually varies with the size of the print you'll make. You can verify this recommendation in books by Jon Canfield and articles in [I think] Shutterbug by Rob Shepherd.
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Pete H |
Hello Susan, Your question requires qualification to answer properly. (All) digital photos do NOT requre sharpening; however, (most) do. Let me explain a little further. Portraits; especially headshots generally require (sharpening) of the eyes only. High depth of field landscape photos do not, there are of course exceptions. For instance, lets say you just shot a landscape with a wide angle lens..The background might be some beautiful fall colors, and in the foreground (close) are some cool shaped rocks. You would probably want to sharpen the rocks but not the trees. The point here is that too many people sharpen the entire image. NOT a good idea with most shots. There are so many (sharpening) options, one just can not say this technique is better than that technique. Auto sharpen, Unsharp mask, High pass etc..etc...All have their place. Use what works for you and to your taste; just don't (over sharpen.) All the best, Pete
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- Susan Jane Allen Contact Susan Jane Allen Susan Jane Allen's Gallery |
Thanks so much, Marius,John and Pete. I find that I'm doing selective sharpening of different parts of the image more and more, so, Pete, what you say rings true to me. But does anyone have an answer to the question I asked about what option I should select in NIK, in terms of printers, given what I explained about what I do with photos?
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