Please help to sharpen this picture

[shoot_a_star]

I shot this picture and have problem with sharpness
This is the picture with sharpness problem:
http://www.hellonam.com/foto/ProblemSharp.jpg
1. I set my 10D to +2 sharpness when I shot this

I saw a lot of sharp pictures produced from 10D and PS retouching. Is there any master out there nice enough to give me some hints or technique on how to make a sharper (razor) picture without loosing the original quality and adding more noise. I always have problem with sharpen, I usually end up with a picture with a lot of noise in the background, and less than the original quality picture.

Basicly, how do you make a sharp picture like this using 10D setting and Photoshop technique:
http://mk31.image.pbase.com/u16/kingbird/upload/42063469.CRW_6625.jpg

Please Give me some comments.

see my exif info:
File Name
CRW_3630.CRW
Camera Model Name
Canon EOS 10D

Shooting Mode
Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed )
1/180
Av( Aperture Value )
2.8
Metering Mode
Evaluative
Exposure Compensation
+1
ISO Speed
400
Lens
135.0 mm
Focal Length
135.0 mm
Image Size
3072x2048
Image Quality
RAW
Flash
Off
White Balance
Shade
AF Mode
One-Shot AF
Parameters
Contrast Normal
Sharpness +2
Color saturation Normal
Color tone Normal
Color Space
sRGB
File Size
5734KB
File Number
136-3630
Custom Function
C.Fn:01-0
C.Fn:02-0
C.Fn:03-0
C.Fn:04-0
C.Fn:05-0
C.Fn:06-0
C.Fn:07-0
C.Fn:08-0
C.Fn:09-0
C.Fn:10-0
C.Fn:11-0
C.Fn:12-0
C.Fn:13-0
C.Fn:14-0
C.Fn:15-0
C.Fn:16-0
C.Fn:17-0
Drive Mode
Single-frame shooting

[Bob_A]

Try using USM (unsharp mask) at 300%, 0.3 pixels and 0 threshold. I tried it with your web sample and it looked great after applying it.

Bob

[shoot_a_star]

Please send me the image after you fix it. Would you?
minhne@yahoo.com

Thanks

[nitsch]

How's this?

http://www.nitsch.co.uk/photos/ProblemSharp_2.jpg

This has the same settings applied as Bob_A suggested, however the USM was applied to a duplicate layer with a layer mask so that the unsharpened background could be allowed to show through to avoid the noise you were experiencing.

Cheers,

Nick

[clicky]

Cant help thinking your image is slightly out of focus (backfocus?)

There's nothing wrong with your camera-settings. I've tried to sharpen your image and the web-based image looks pretty good after applying sharpen twice. This sharpens the whole image and adds a little noise in the background. Try this:

- Copy your image (background-layer) and sharpen it twice (or any other USM setting...)
- Use Eraser-Tool with a large soft brush and gently wipe out the noisy background so that the original background "shines" through the sharpened layer. Use a smaller brush if necessery closer to the model.

Quick-guide to copy a whole layer/image in PS: (Ctrl+A) - (Ctrl+C) - (Ctrl-V) - (Ctrl-D)

My approach:
http://vestmedia.no/ProblemSharp.jpg

[nitsch]

- Copy your image (background-layer) and sharpen it twice (or any other USM setting...)
- Use Eraser-Tool with a large soft brush and gently wipe out the noisy background so that the original background "shines" through the sharpened layer. Use a smaller brush if necessery closer to the model.

Is that not just a crude version of my layer mask suggestion above? :confused:

[shoot_a_star]

Thank you nitsch and bob sirs.

Except the sharpness flaw of the original picture. Were the the color, pose, white balance ...etc right? What would you do to make a better picture?

I love this forum.

SAS

[nitsch]

No worries SAS! :)

I like the shot, she's a nice looking girl, would be nice if she was smiling a bit more though :D And I'd get rid of all the cobwebs from the yellow thing she is leaning on.

[clicky]

Is that not just a crude version of my layer mask suggestion above? :confused:

Could be, I didn't see your post prior to posting mine... My humble apologies...

[shoot_a_star]

Yes, I would love to turn hat Yellow thing around she leaned on, but the park ranger should arrest me for that :) Thanks again for your help and other people help. I would appreciate very much.

-SAS

[nitsch]

Could be, I didn't see your post prior to posting mine... My humble apologies...

Ok my bad! :o :)

[blue_max]

I use nic sharpenerpro on a mac. I had to compress it a lot to get it back up there, so hope it comes out ok. It may look oversharpened on screen.

Just by way of comparison.

Graham

[schmoelzel]

Hello:

Nice shot even though I think you didn't quite get the focus on the eyes. Yes, it would be nice if she was smiling but not everyone wants to smile!! The pose is fine but I prefer a crop (those cobwebs are distracting!). I've cropped the shot into a 6 inch by 6inch format and did very light USM on it..........the exposure and colour are right on and look good! Was this the Canon 135F2? http://theteahaus.netfirms.com/DRebelPix/nfpicturepro/albums/userpics/10001/ProblemSharp.jpg

[CyberPet]

I'd run a few rounds with USM (I usually start around 100% at 0.3 pixels). I tried twice, but you could probably run it three times and then blend the UMS to taste.

I had another take on the crop... sorry about that :)

http://www.bazazz.com/pics/ProblemSharp_fix.jpg

[Goofup]

Couldn't help having a go. All I did was a bit of noise reduction to smooth out the skin, whitened the whites of her eyes, and let Focus Magic do it's thing.


http://www.pbase.com/goofup/image/43793308.jpg

[Jemmind]

of all the people's redo's IMO the first one that nitsch did is the best. Subject is nice and sharp, background still soft, and the subject looks very natural and the whole thing doesnt scream "I've been photoshopped!" If I was the model I'd like it best.
Julie

[RAitch]

You can always try duplicating the layer (CTRL-J) and applying a high pass filter. Adjust it somewhere under 1 so that the contrasting lines are fine around the areas you want to sharpen.

Next, choose a mid gray colour (50% brightness) and paint in the areas where you don't want to sharpen (skin, background) but leave the rest (hair, clothes, eyes, mouth).

Change the layer blend mode to soft light and you'll see anything that was 50% grey will be unchanged (to leave skin soft and background blurry) while the things outligned in the high pass. With softlight (or that family of blend modes) anything 50% is unchanged while anything darker (black) will add some dark contrast and anything light (white) will add some light contrast. The finer your high pass, the tighter your sharpen will be. Make it too big and the sharpening will look sloppy.

Duplicate the layer if required and change the blend mode. You'll get some interesting results.

You can also apply your USM filter to a copied layer and use a mask to only sharpen areas that are required. Fill the layer with white and paint black over the areas that shouldn't be sharpened (face skin, arms, background). Shades of gray will work also for a nice feathered transition so use a soft brush.

Sharpening skin produces undesireable results usually.

[RAitch]

Here's a quick sample using the high pass filter.
Just another way to do stuff in PS... sure, the USM is easy, but give this a try and let your creative juices loose!!

No other edits were done... no noise reduction... which would probably turn out nice.

[witchy]

How's this?

http://www.nitsch.co.uk/photos/ProblemSharp_2.jpg

This has the same settings applied as Bob_A suggested, however the USM was applied to a duplicate layer with a layer mask so that the unsharpened background could be allowed to show through to avoid the noise you were experiencing.

Cheers,

Nick

Nitsch, I think this one looks the best. Could you please explain what you did step by step. I have the problem of noise when I sharpen my pics :)

[Duradrum]

Wanted to have a go too!

http://server3.uploadit.org/files/rhancill-ProblemSharp.jpg
http://server2.uploadit.org/files/rhancill-ProblemSharp.jpg

[Keiffer]

LOL You guys are crazy LOL It's nice to see helpful people though.

[nitsch]

of all the people's redo's IMO the first one that nitsch did is the best. Subject is nice and sharp, background still soft, and the subject looks very natural and the whole thing doesnt scream "I've been photoshopped!" If I was the model I'd like it best.
Julie

Thank you! :D

[nitsch]

Nitsch, I think this one looks the best. Could you please explain what you did step by step. I have the problem of noise when I sharpen my pics :)

Thanks Witchy!

The problem with sharpening is that it will always enhance any noise too. I usually follow a similar process to the one described below whenever I am sharpening a subject which is against an out of focus background. Sometimes I go crazy with multiple layers etc but the basic concept is the same.

1. Open the image in Photoshop.
2. Create a duplicate layer.
3. Select the uppermost layer in the layers palette and apply your sharpening to it. I usually start off with something like 300%, 0.3, 0 but it depends on the image and its best to experiment to find what works best.
4. Apply a layer mask to the sharpened layer. Using the Paintbrush tool, select black colour and paint in where you want to hide the sharpened layer (ie. the out of focus background which you want to keep looking smooth).
5. As a finishing touch I may also go back to the bottom layer and apply a VERY slight gaussian blur or maybe even just a Despeckle to smooth it a little further.

Hope this helps! :)

[PhotosGuy]

LOL You guys are crazy LOL It's nice to see helpful people though. It wouldn't hurt too much if you read these next time? ;-)
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=34606

[RAitch]

I find what works well for USM is to dial in about 180-200% and adjust the size until you get some haloing. Then drop the amount to around 100%.

If you don't use those settings... it'll at least give you a great starting point.

[KevC]

Here's my go at it :)

/snip

Yes, I really killed the background, but I kinda like what I did :)

//edit: Added some levels and bumped saturation some :) Then softened her skin minus eyes, and healing brush'ed some stuff off her shirt :)

http://img285.echo.cx/img285/5577/mygo0be.jpg