Let's face it...
Sometimes, despite your best efforts in-camera, you end up with images that aren't quite as sharp as they need to be.
When I was a beginner photographer, that meant one thing - the image was a fail.
But today, we have some pretty awesome tools at our disposal for enhancing and improving the images we take.
In the video above, Michael Woloszynowicz gives an overview of how to sharpen all sorts of photos using a unique version of high pass sharpening.
For a detailed look at each step, read on below!
Refresher - Traditional High Pass Sharpening
YouTube Screenshot/Michael Woloszynowicz
Normal high pass sharpening can be a great tool, but there can also be some problems when you use it.
In particular, fringing can become an issue when using traditional high pass techniques.
Remember, when you apply a high pass filter, you first have to duplicate the layer, minimize the contrast of the layer, and then apply the high pass filter by going to Filter > Other > High Pass.
Then, as shown in the screenshot above, you adjust the radius, which determines how much the image is sharpened.
YouTube Screenshot/Michael Woloszynowicz
The more you increase the radius, the more haloing you get around the perimeter of the subject, as seen along the woman's shoulder in the screenshot above. That's obviously not a good thing!
Even if you choose a lower radius and blend the layer using the Overlay settings, some fringing can still occur.
That's where a new way to apply high pass sharpening comes in handy...
Learn More:
- Learn to Remove Blemishes From Skin in This Quick Photoshop Tutorial
- 5 Photoshop Tricks You Don't Know
Intelligent High Pass Sharpening
YouTube Screenshot/Michael Woloszynowicz
Step 1: Blur the Base Layer
First, start by creating two copies of the layer you want to sharpen, naming one "Low" and the other "High."
Disable the High layer so you can work on the Low layer.
With the Low layer selected, go to Filter > Blur > Surface Blur. From there choose the appropriate radius and threshold.
YouTube Screenshot/Michael Woloszynowicz
The threshold setting will determine how much blur appears in transition areas, like between the model's shoulder and the background in the screenshot above. The higher the threshold setting, the more blur.
Obviously, the threshold setting in the screenshot above is far too high. The point here is to set the threshold at the point at which the blur is not as noticeable in those areas.
After setting the threshold, you can choose the radius, which as was stated earlier, determines how much sharpening occurs.
The aim with the radius is to find a value that helps blur out the texture in the skin when combined with the threshold value that you've chosen.
Step 2: Applying the Sharpening Effect
YouTube Screenshot/Michael Woloszynowicz
Select the High layer to turn it on, and go to Image > Apply Image.
In the dialog box that pops up (shown above), select the Low layer, select Subtract as the blending mode, a Scale of 2, and an offset of 128. Click OK.
Then, in the Layers panel, select the Low layer and delete it, as you no longer need to have it. At that point, the High layer becomes your sharpening layer.
YouTube Screenshot/Michael Woloszynowicz
If you zoom in on the High layer, you'll notice a couple of things. First, it's worked its magic on the details of the subject and sharpened the fine details. And second, there's no fringing.
By selecting the Vivid Light blending mode from the drop-down menu in the Layers panel, you can see how much more texture the image now has (shown above).
Granted, you don't want that much sharpening, so reducing the opacity of the layer to around 20 or 30 percent is advisable.
This technique isn't just for portraits, either. You can use it to sharpen landscapes, architecture photos, and everything in between.
Michael has even created an action to take care of all of these steps for you. Visit his YouTube channel to download the action.
Learn More:
Additional Sharpening Techniques
Don't think that intelligent high pass sharpening is the only option for your photos...
In the video above, Michael Woloszynowicz offers up several more techniques for sharpening your photos regardless of the subject.
That includes the Unsharp Mask, Smart Sharpening, Camera Shake Removal, Multiple High Pass Filtering, and Frequency Separation.
Both beginner and advanced techniques are covered, and there's a great discussion of what sharpening is and how it works in Photoshop as well.
Kelvin Designs has a nice tutorial on sharpening, too.
In the video above, you'll learn how to use Camera RAW features to increase the definition of edges in your photos.
You'll also learn how to use the Sharpen tool, the Unsharp Mask, and more.
For more details on these techniques, check out the video above or the Learn More links below. You can also find photo and digital imaging advice at CRHfoto.
With that, you have a ton of resources to learn how to use Photoshop to improve the sharpness of your images!