Very new, ? about ps

[doublehmom]

When you photos are soft, how do you shapen them up in ps? Do you go to auto sharpen? I know it might be stupid but I can't figure out how to do it.
I just have elements.

[cynthia123]

Not sure what you're asking, but I think you may be talking about blur....unfortunately to my knowledge there's no way to turn your images from blurry to sharp. This is part of what makes the whole shutter speed/camera shake dilemma such a prevalent one. I could be wrong though I'm not an expert at PS. In fact I'm hoping someone out there says there's a way!

c

[timmyeatchips]

Depends on what you mean by 'soft'. PS will help add a bit of sharpness to images that are 'nearly there' (have a google for unsharp mask/USM for some techniques) but if they're out of focus or motion blurred then nothing will help.

[BobOh]

In Photoshop Elements, at least version 5, the first opportunity for sharpening RAW photos is with the ACR plugin on the details tab of the ACR screen.

Then once you have the image open in the Editor you can go Enhance>Auto Sharpen, or Enhance>Unsharp Mask, or Enhance>Adjust Sharpness. You will just have to play with the settings for those last 2 to find out what works for your image. Different settings work for different images. There are all kinds of threads on this forum, some of them Stickies, about sharpening. Do a search on "sharpening". Keep in mind some photos are so soft or unfocussed as to be unuseable.

[cynthia123]

Bob, does this mean that out of focus images can become sharp? Or just improved?

[BobOh]

Depends on how out of focus. An otherwise sharp photo that just needs some sharpening due to the effects of the anti-aliasing filter in front of the sensor can be sharpened appropriately in post-processing. But some photos have too much motion blur or camera shake visible, and can't be salvaged.

[timmyeatchips]

Yeah, the sharpness you can effectively add in PS is basically enough to give an image that already looks fine a bit of extra sparkle.

If a photo really looks soft before you zoom in to examine the details, PS probably won't help at all.

[doublehmom]

Thanks everyone. I have some pics that are very soft like the one in first baby shoot with new lights. The first pic of that baby is a little soft but then someone really sharpened it up an I was just trying to figure out how to do that. I will try what BobOh said to do.

[cynthia123]

Ah, gotcha. Worth looking into though, there's nothing worse than an image that's almost there. Is there a tool that can soften the background? Say you wanted to make it look like you used a low f-stop. Is this possible?

[BobOh]

Now you're getting into an area I don't have too much experience with. I know you can select just the background and blur it to your taste. But how to tastefully do it is a matter of more finesse than I have acquired so far.

[timmyeatchips]

Would take a fair bit of PS skill to actually make it look like a DOF effect from a lens

[René Damkot]

Would take a fair bit of PS skill to actually make it look like a DOF effect from a lens

Two threads: One (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=630985), two (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=628581)

[BobOh]

Update on sharpening. I was in a bookstore today and saw a book on software programs for PP, all different kinds and specialties. Under the sharpening category it mentioned one that was about $45 and would salvage "unsalvageable" pictures. I can't remember the name of it but according to the write-up it is supposed to work. Anybody know of it? IIRC it was Focus something.

[spkerer]

I have not tried this personally, but just recently read about it a Martin Evening book. In PS CS3 there is a "Smart Sharpen." It allows you to say that you want to sharpen to correct for "Motion Blur" and you provide the angle of the blur. Evening has good things to say about it with the "More Accurate" option checked, except for it's speed.

Like I said, I haven't personally tried this but I intend to the next time I'm dealing with motion blur.

[doublehmom]

Thanks everyone. I bought two books about adobe photoshop, maybe I will have a clue after I read them.

[freebird]

Somethings about sharpening to keep in mind, each image has its own needs for sharpening. I seldom sharpen the whole image. Like if you have a Sky or Pavement street, they dont take sharpening well. Trees and brush are two things easy and commonly oversharpened.

Just takes some practice, practice, practice

Less is better in most cases IMO

[PhotosGuy]

Somethings about sharpening to keep in mind, each image has its own needs for sharpening. I seldom sharpen the whole image. Me, either.
Selection for sharpening illustration. (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=6232485&postcount=57)

[number six]

Yeah, selective sharpening is often much better than overall sharpening. Here's an example - ISO 800 in fairly low light, modest sharpening of the foreground and modest noise reduction of the background:

340817

[WaltA]

Update on sharpening. I was in a bookstore today and saw a book on software programs for PP, all different kinds and specialties. Under the sharpening category it mentioned one that was about $45 and would salvage "unsalvageable" pictures. I can't remember the name of it but according to the write-up it is supposed to work. Anybody know of it? IIRC it was Focus something.


Could that Focus Magic?

http://www.focusmagic.com/

I tried it. I have a favorite photo that I had taken by a waiter and he got some camera movement. Foccus Magic claims to fix either Camera Blur or Out-ofFocus shots. Didn't work for me.

[BobOh]

Focus Magic could be it. I just don't know for sure. Sorry it didn't work for you.

[BobOh]

I looked at the book again in the store. It was Focus Magic.