PhotoKit Sharpener question

[Jimlevitt]

I've just downloaded and installed PhotoKit Sharpener. How do I run it?

It's properly installed in the plug-ins folder for Photoshop CS3 on a Windows XP computer. But it doesn't appear in the Filter menu in Photoshop. There is a listing for it in the Help/About PlugIn drop down in Photoshop, which would imply that PKS is seen by Photoshop. All that listing does is list the version of PKS.

What to do?

Thanks,

Jim

[JMA]

It is located at File > Automate menu. Hope this helps.

[Lowner]

And if it still refuses to run, check your file is 8 bit not 16 bit. I'm always doing it - seems I'll never learn.

Richard

[J Rabin]

It should be nested in the Automate Folder: PSCS3 >> Plug-ins >> Automate in order to be run properly. It is also finicky about the license code.

It processes 16-bit images fine.
Best piece of $99 workflow software I purchased back in 2004. Completely took Sharpening off the table, out of my brain, as something I needed to learn and think about and waste time and money on. Have used it on 000's of images directed to different outputs. It saved me money and made money by not wasting time.
The late Bruce Fraser is owed a debt of gratitude by all digital photogs who needed to print, or send files to print, on a wide variety of devices. It is indispensable on slide scans.
Jack

I used to absolutely depend on PK Sharpener for Capture Sharpening on every image. But, now that Adobe incorporated Bruce Fraser's Capture Sharpening concepts in Adobe Camera Raw 4.x and Lightroom 1.3.1, doing it in RAW SPACE before a pixel image is created, I no longer need PK for Capture, only output. If you shoot RAW, the Capture Sharpening in ACR 4.x and Lightroom 1.3.1, using a combination of Clarity, Detail, and Masking Sliders - in RAW space - gives superior capture sharpening output than PK. Still use PK on output though.

[Lowner]

Any idea why mine will not process 16 bit files while yours will? I use PS7 which may be the reason, but it can do some things in 16 bit so why not PhotoKit sharpen?

Richard

[Jimlevitt]

Thanks for the quick response, folks. I found it, in the automate menu, right where it's supposed to be. A late night read through the manual didn't implant that information in my brain.

J Rabin: you answered my next question, regarding capture sharpening. What kind of numerical values do you use for the sharpening action in the raw converter? I've been following Tim Grey's advice to set the raw sharpening to preview only. Do you still do some sharpening in the raw converter before utilizing any noise reduction software on a converted tiff? A lot of my photography is low light, iso 1600 stuff. Will sharpening in the raw converter result in more noise later in the process?

[J Rabin]

...been following Tim Grey's advice to set the raw sharpening to preview only...

That was PRE ACR 4.3 advice. It's a brave new Capture Sharpening World. Changes come fast in computer imaginhg. When I was in 1970s grad school, there were no desktop computers, just time share terminals, IBM punch-cards, and Fortran.

My understanding is Adobe PS team got together with Bruce Fraser before he died, and other members of PhotoKit company like Jeff Schewe, and incorporated Bruce's Capture Sharpening philosophy into PS and PS Lightroom RAW converters.
In fact, it does better, because it is being performed in RAW space before a pixel image is created!

A LOW ISO portrait shot might be 40, 1.2, 20, 55 in the Detail Tab. For a close portrait, I've seen Masking values as high as 70.
For landscape and Macro, a higher amount and lower Radius is warranted. I've done images with 60, 0.8, 35, 10.

I've taken the same image, and performed Capture Sharpening in PK and in ACR 4.2/Lightroom 1.3.1, and the Capture Sharpening done in RAW converter has been better. Every time. I mean every time.

I also use some Clarity. Sure, this is mid-tone contrast, and most people recommend only judicious use, but almost every image gets 10. I have done many images with 20-22.

The think about Adobe RAW converters in that tasks are performed in order they appear in RAW converter menu. So, Contrast is performed, then Clarity on that, then Capture Sharpening Detail tab tasks on top of that, etc.
Since Clarity can make skin tones to coarse and revealing, like James Bond Casino Royale movie, I go back and lower the Clarity and take Masking up to 70.
Seems to be the newest fad in Hollywood. I skin pore on every performers skin has to reveal its blackhead to the viewer. Oh, for the old days when they put Vaseline on the lenses to soften skin....

Landscape and macro is different. Unless there are lots of unfocused surfaces, these values can be higher.

I am rambling. The old advice of turning sharpening only applied when PSCS ACR/Lightroom had crude Capture Sharpenng tools. Now that they've hit the big time, use them liberally...
There are lots of web sites with articles and tips for using the new Clarity and Detail tab tools.

http://photoshopnews.com/2007/05/31/about-camera-raw-41/
http://www.ononesoftware.com/photopresets-wow.php
http://inside-lightroom.com/index.php

Jack

[Jimlevitt]

Thanks for the long answer, Jack. Forget the "rambling" nonsense: it was all useful.

Where does noise reduction fit into the capture sharpening workflow? Wouldn't one want to implement noise reduction before any sharpening? Most of what I've read says the noise reduction in ACR isn't anywhere near as good as that provided by Noiseware, Noise Ninja, etc. If that's the case, sharpening in ACR is going to sharpen the existing noise - especially in high ISO images. We can't use the Photoshop noise reduction plug-ins in ACR. Do you still recommend capture sharpening noisy images in the raw stage before taking them over to PS for noise reduction?

Jim

[PixelMagic]

Personally I've found the Noise Reduction in ACR 4.x/Lightroom to be more than adequate for my needs since I avoid shooting at high ISOs.

A workaround if you want to use third-party Noise Reduction would be to open the image in ACR, the press the Shift key which gives the option to open the image as a Photoshop Smart Object. You will have to fiddle with the Workflow Options if your Noise Reduction software can't run on 16-bit images; but this method allows you to toggle between ACR and Photoshop simply by double-clicking the thumbnail.

[J Rabin]

...implement noise reduction before any sharpening?...
Ideally, yes. Last thing we want is to sharpen noise. But, I've been putzing with images over holiday, and up to about ISO 640/800 on 30D/1D-MkII images, ACR 4.3/LR 1.3.1 Noise Reduction settings seem to perform well with the built in Capture Sharpening (Amount/Radius/Detail/Masking) - especially tweaking Detail and Masking sliders - providing a nice balance of Capture Sharpening and Noise Reduction with no further manipulation outside the RAW conversion necessary. This is excellent workflow news (to me, for me) I'm saving some settings as Presets. You'll have to make up your own mind.
There arrives a decision gray area about ISO 1000 depending on image content and exposure. Then by ISO 1250, to my untrained eye, it appears this is ISO to shut off ALL Noise Reduction in ACR/LR, but leave ACR/LR Capture Sharpening ON, and round-trip image through Noise Ninja/NoiseWare, etc. Yes, I am still leaving Capture Sharpening on. Read on.
I imagine because ACR/LR Capture Sharpening is performed in RAW SPACE, before generating a pixel image, sharpening here does not have the same negative impact on noise, particularly in shadow areas (and Detail tab Masking helps control sharpening these areas) that resulting output run through noise reduction is excellent. Again this is just to my eye.
I putz'd a 30D ISO 1250 RAW evening sports shot and made some comparison 100% crops. This was 6:30 PM in October, cyclist riding toward me, 300mm @ f/4.5 & 1/160. It's wonder any of it is focused. Plenty of dark shadow noise in distant background foliage and eye, with well-illuminated skin. Images went from RAW converter 16-bit ProPhoto RGB to 8-bit sRGB, making 100% crops (so remember what you're looking at and be forgiving) JPGs Compression 8.

This 1st image has ACR/LR NR turned OFF, but new Capture Sharpening feature left ON, at typical "Portrait" capture sharpening settings of 40, 1.2, 22, 55 in the RAW converter. The noise is evident http://postit.rutgers.edu/uploads/ISO1250%5FCapSharp%5FNoNR.jpg

2nd image has ACR/LR Capture Sharpening ON, NR OFF, as above, with the image round-tripped to Noise Ninja. I used the 30D ISO1250 Profile, but reduced the defaults from 20/20 way down to 8/4. I find the noise reduction profiles were made for 8-bit JPGs, not RAW, and defaults are way too strong. http://postit.rutgers.edu/uploads/ISO1250%5FCapShrp%5FNR%5FNNinja.jpg
I think this is darn good, that would print fine with more sharpening. The noise has been reduced in eye and background. There are very few sharpening artifacts.

3rd and last image here had ALL ACR/LR Detail tab settings turned off. The image was run through Noise Ninja with same settings as image above, and then Capture Sharpened using PhotoKit Sharpener using the Capture Sharp, Hi-Res with Smoothing, Wide Edges: http://postit.rutgers.edu/uploads/ISO1250%5FPKSmooth%5FNNinja.jpg
I see more sharpening artifacts in places like fine eyebrows, but no more sharpness in this image than the 2nd above. To my pixel peeping eyes (remember we are pixel peeping at absurd 100% which would never show on a 4x6" or 5x7" print), this image is not quite as good as the 2nd one above, where I left the Capture Sharpen ON in ACR/LR.

So, I hope this long-winded dissertation answers your post. It does for my own use, to wit: new ACR/LR Capture Sharpening performed in RAW space is EXCELLENT, can be performed on all images, even those destined for later external noise reduction, and throws a lot of workflow recommendations on their head. It means new ACR/LR Capture Sharpening on RAW images replaces workflow step using PhotoKit Sharpener. Good news for workflow. At least for me. You'll have to make up your own mind. Jack