How to Sharpen Your Photos In Photoshop
- Adobe Photoshop CC Classroom in a Book
- The Adobe Photoshop CC Book for Digital Photographers
- Adobe Photoshop CC Classroom in a Book
Sharpening is a very important step in post processing and therefore it should be done correctly. There are a few guidelines to remember when sharpening an image in Photoshop and we’re going to look into them. But before that, there’s one thing that I feel is worth mentioning. Beginners and amateurs especially are obsessed with sharpness and that’s why a lot of them go overboard with post processing.
Everybody wants a sharp image. It’s on the checklist of creating a technically flawless photo. Not all sharp photos are good however and some “blurry” photos are internationally renowned pieces of art. With that said, there are a number of things that influence the overall sharpness of an image. Shutter speed is one and you shouldn’t shoot handheld at low speeds if you don’t have confidence you can hold the camera absolutely still. But by far the most important element is the lens. When deciding what your next investment should be, get a better lens instead of a new camera because the results will be better. A sharp lens will produce sharp images that require little intervention and ultimately that’s what you want in order to keep the file looking natural and undamaged.
But even the sharpest out-of-the –camera images require a bit of tweaking and that’s why you’re reading this. Photoshop’s sharpening tools are pretty good, though not the best. I recommend using the Unsharp Mask filter because it gives you a little more to work with than simply clicking Sharpen. But if I had to choose between sharpening methods, I’d definitely go with an external plug-in for Photoshop. One of my favorites is Detail 3 from Topaz Labs, but there are others that get the job done as well.
If you’re not a fan of using external plug-ins, here’s a useful video tutorial from Photoshop Pro Help.
Learn more about using Photoshop from these recommended books: