Sharpening

cjevans

cjevans

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Name
CJ
Edit My Images
Yes
Basically, I don't sharpen except for the default settings in LR5 for print/screen. Am I missing out on sharper images by neglecting? Any hints/tips of how to do it, mostly I do family shots and some sports. Thanks nice people who stop by. (I didn't find anything on search but if there is another thread please do point me in the right direction.)
 
Hi

Do you shoot in RAW or Jpeg? This will help in answering the question.
 
Big Andy said:
This thread has all you need for high pass sharpening. ...
Click to expand...
Which doesn't help anyone using LR! ;)

However, I think that's how LR detail module works. Google some tutorials on it - I think Julianne Kost has some good videos on sharpening from memory.
 
I sharpen in 2 stages - when a pic is loaded to my editing program (Photo Plus X2) I simply click on "sharpen" for an initial sharpening, then when all the editing, cropping etc has been done I give a second sharpening to finish.

I check to make sure the sharpening isn't too much otherwise the second sharpening may be just a small touch of unsharp mask.

.
 
Always shoot in raw, usually use LR as m main processor but do have CS3 available too so will check out the high pass thread also. Thanks.
 
cjevans said:
Always shoot in raw, usually use LR as m main processor but do have CS3 available too so will check out the high pass thread also. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Hi CJ,

Thanks, I am not an expert but my usual workflow is to apply sharpening when I import the photos. I have preset set to apply sharpening to 44. I am using LR4.

You could decide the amount of sharpening you wish to apply by photo before export.
 
CJ

Sharpening is normally a two stage event

You have input sharpening, which is applied when you bring the images into Lightroom. This is usually a matter of trial and error, depending typically on the camera you are using. Sensor size anti aliasing filters have an effect. Also an image with a lot of detail may need more sharpening than another that doesn't

Next you have output sharpening. This is dependant on what the image is used for, and again is a personal preference. Output sharpening to a monitor is different to that needed for a print. The latter you also have to take into account any additional sharpening that the printer software applies. Gets a bit complicated.

Over sharpening is a killer so I tend to leave input sharpening to the minimum if I can. It does depend on the image in a lot of cases. For print work via my 2880 I tend to use the medium setting in the Lightroom print module.

Web work Lightroom default

The beauty of Lightroom is that it is non destructive to the original, so I can always go back and adjust the sharpening level if I need to.
 
arad85 said:
Which doesn't help anyone using LR! ;)

However, I think that's how LR detail module works. Google some tutorials on it - I think Julianne Kost has some good videos on sharpening from memory.
Click to expand...

I thought LR detail (not output) sharpening used the USM method of sharpening? In fact if you hold down the alt key while adjusting the mask LR lets you see how the USM is applied. I would do a screen dump to show you, but unfortunately holding the alt/option key also stops the shift/command/3 screen dump options from working.

To the OP.

Basically, pretty much every digital image will benefit from being properly sharpened. Sharpening introduces local contrast between defined edges. Methods of applying differ, however sharpening should be that last thing you do following all other processing

As is often thought its not a way of making an image more focused then it was.

Infact most sharpening methods make little or no change to out of focus areas.
 
Lightroom offers the overall sharpen (that could sort of be classed as input sharpening) a very limited creative sharpen using the ajustment brushes (sadly this isn't really a seperate sharpen rather altering the input sharpen in a local fashion) and then theres the output shapen at the export stage.
One of the reasons many people switch back and fro from LR to PS is to get the better creative sharpening, LR's input and output are fine in themselves.
 
boyfalldown said:
I thought LR detail (not output) sharpening used the USM method of sharpening? In fact if you hold down the alt key while adjusting the mask LR lets you see how the USM is applied.
Click to expand...
Yes, I use it all the time. I wasn't sure what method LR uses - I think it uses a variety of techniques based on a combination of the radius, detail and masking sliders. Not looked into it in detail (!) but it is good enough for me that I don't bother with high pass sharpening.
 
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