Photo Editing Tips

[bridget.withers]

How about sharing our photo editing tips. What things do you do to your photos to improve them once you load into your graphics program.

What about sharing all those tips with everyone.

My first thing I do is to do is to defog.

In Photoshop (or many other graphics programs) choose Filter, Sharpen then Unsharp Mask.

Set the values Amount 20 Radius 60 Threshold 0 click ok

[ibecks]

It completely depends on the photo, whether it's intended as a snapshot or a possible commercial print. For snapshots I use Photoshop, manually adjust the levels, then unsharp mask. Personally I use a much lower radius setting - usually from 1.0 to 4.0. The reason for this is that if the radius is set too high, the sharpening effect is too visible. I start with the radius setting and use a lower setting for subjects with fine detail, higher setting for bolder subjects. I then choose the amount based on the radius: small radius needs a higher amount. Finally I set threshold by moving the slider up until I see noise appearing and then lower the slider until the negative effects have disappeared.

If it's a possible commercial shot, I use Aperture's RAW adjustments to do the whole thing - set white, mid-tone and black points, exposure control, sharpen, control colour balance etc. etc.

Depending on the effect I want, I might give a shot a cross-processed look, or a colour tint. All depends :)

[bridget.withers]

This may explain the defog a little more, and is done before any other adjustments. I have found it makes a great difference to digital photos. Its well worth having a try to see what the settings do.

Taken from Scott Kelly's "The Photoshop CS Book for Digital
Photographers" Under FILTER>SHARPEN>UNSHARP MASK...

Defogging is a term used to kind of POP the image.... it enhances the contrast in way to make your image look like it's coming out of a foggy haze and into bright light. The settings for this are WAY WHACKY but try them, it's nothing short of AMAZING..... this is done before the USM of just sharpening.... so you do both, USM and USM DEFOG to each photo. The DeFOG numbers are:

Amount: 20
Radius: 60
Threshold: 0

I then after maybe using curves or other adjustment layers finish off the photo with one of the following again from Scott Kelleys book

This is one for soft subjects eg: flowers, puppies, people, rainbows,
etc.: Amount 150%, Radius 1, threshold 10

Portraits: (close-ups, head and shoulders type of thing) Amount 75%,
radius 2, Threshold 3

Moderate sharpening: This is good for product shots, photos of home
interiors and exteriors, and land scapes. Amount 225%, Radius 0.5,
Threshold 0

All purpose sharpening: This is a nice all around setting: Amount 85%,
Radius 1, Threshold 4

Web sharpening: Use this setting for web graphics that look blurry (
when you drop the resolution from a high-res 300dpi down to 72 for the
web, the photo often gets a bit blurry and soft.) Amount 400%, Radius
0.3, Threshold 0. If that's too intense, try dropping the amount to
200%.

General rules:
Amount: Typical ranges go anywhere from 50% to 150%. Going below 50%
won't have enough effect, and going above 150% might be too much.
Radius: Most of the time, you'll use just 1 pixel but you can go as high
as 2.
Threshold: A pretty safe range is anywhere from 3 to around 20 (3 being
the most intense and 20 being much more subtle)



It completely depends on the photo, whether it's intended as a snapshot or a possible commercial print. For snapshots I use Photoshop, manually adjust the levels, then unsharp mask. Personally I use a much lower radius setting - usually from 1.0 to 4.0. The reason for this is that if the radius is set too high, the sharpening effect is too visible. I start with the radius setting and use a lower setting for subjects with fine detail, higher setting for bolder subjects. I then choose the amount based on the radius: small radius needs a higher amount. Finally I set threshold by moving the slider up until I see noise appearing and then lower the slider until the negative effects have disappeared.

If it's a possible commercial shot, I use Aperture's RAW adjustments to do the whole thing - set white, mid-tone and black points, exposure control, sharpen, control colour balance etc. etc.

Depending on the effect I want, I might give a shot a cross-processed look, or a colour tint. All depends :)

[ibecks]

Ah, right. Sorry, I read it as that being your standard sharpening settings, rather than an effect. :)

Interesting and something I'll have to try out. Thanks for the info.

[bridget.withers]

I'd love to know what you think Becks. I was amaized when I first tried these settings.

Ah, right. Sorry, I read it as that being your standard sharpening settings, rather than an effect. :)

Interesting and something I'll have to try out. Thanks for the info.

[ibecks]

After a really quick play, it is interesting - looks to me like it might well be a part of Tara Whitney's process as it does pop the colours and catchlights look particularly good. Not something you could use for stock libraries as they don't allow sharpening of any kind... but definitely interesting. Will have more of a play later.

[Lolly]

Oh wow...that's excellent, thank you Bridget!
I used it on some flowers to have a play...have a look at the difference. First pic is before, second after.
It's subtle enough to look realistic, but really makes the contrast noticable. Fab!

[bridget.withers]

It really has given this photo that POP factor. Well done, BTW fab photo to start.

Oh wow...that's excellent, thank you Bridget!
I used it on some flowers to have a play...have a look at the difference. First pic is before, second after.
It's subtle enough to look realistic, but really makes the contrast noticable. Fab!

[Lolly]

BTW fab photo to start.
:wub: Thank you!

[mmmbisto]

Thanks Bridget! I can't wait to have a play.