Sharpen how would you do this?

[BNSF650]

Really need help on sharpen and how it works.

 

[kenw]

Depending on the editing program you are using, it will give varying results. Which editor are you using? Someone can probably chime in with specific help. I use PaintShop Pro and Picasa. Some have a feature called Unsharp Mask which can give you more control. Some have varying settings that can give you more flexibility. Some are pretty simple but can be a bit inflexible. technically it works by adjusting the contrast between adjacent pixels.

A few editor-generic tips:

1. Always sharpen after you resize, IF you resize, and not before. A resize almost always calls for a slight sharpen.
2. A series of small step sharpens will almost always give you better results than a single or few major sharpens. And you can undo easier to get back to the last good sharpen. Sometimes you need to sneak up on the best effect.
3. View your image at 100% while you sharpen to watch for pixelization or over sharpening. If you do it on a <100% view, you won’t notice that you’ve over sharpened it. Places on trains to watch are fine angular lines like handrails.
4. Under sharpening is always better than over sharpening. Always.
5. Sharpening a selected area can be a big help or a nightmare. (you have to blend, and that can be a lot of pain).
6. A blurry pic cannot be sharpened into submission. Sharpen is not the same as focus. Some things you just gotta do in the camera….

 

[BNSF650]

Depending on the editing program you are using, it will give varying results. Which editor are you using? Someone can probably chime in with specific help. I use PaintShop Pro and Picasa. Some have a feature called Unsharp Mask which can give you more control. Some have varying settings that can give you more flexibility. Some are pretty simple but can be a bit inflexible. technically it works by adjusting the contrast between adjacent pixles.

A few editor-generic tips:

1. Always sharpen after you resize, IF you resize, and not before. A resize almost always calls for a slight sharpen.
2. A series of small step sharpens will almost always give you better results than a single or few major sharpens. And you can undo easier to get back to the last good sharpen. Sometimes you need to sneak up on the best effect.
3. View your image at 100% while you sharpen to watch for pixelization or over sharpening. If you do it on a <100% view, you won’t notice that you’ve over sharpened it. Places on trains to watch are fine angular lines like handrails.
4. Under sharpening is always better than over sharpening. Always.
5. Sharpening a selected area can be a big help or a nightmare. (you have to blend, and that can be a lot of pain).
6. A blurry pic cannot be sharpened into submission. Sharpen is not the same as focus. Some things you just gotta do in the camera….

I use adobe photoshop 6 but there is so many different ones you can use on here.

 

[westbnsf]

Kenw gave you some good information on post processing. However there are lots of different aspects that go into the sharpness of the original photo. So a few more questions. Do most of your pictures turn out about the same sharpness as the image above or only a select few? Was the train above stopped or moving when the picture was taken? Also what were you settings for the picture? And finally what camera system (camera/lens etc) are you using?

 

[Pat]

I start with zero sharpening in the camera and a raw file. A high pass filter with a 1 to 2 pixel radius before resizing. The high pass filter has a subtle effect. Then an unsharp mask after resizing. The unsharp mask is more pronounced. I view at 100% and bring the intensity (amount) up short of the contrast at the edges getting a harsh look.

There is a ton of stuff out there in books stores and on-line about Photoshop. Adobe TV has some nice videos. http://tv.adobe.com/videos/sharpen/?p=0&t=0&r=15

 

[brad_in_omaha]

I use Photoshop CS6 and for web stuff that I don't print, I usually just use the "Sharpen Edges" command after I re-size the image. Its basically the last step I do before I save.

If I need more precision, I use the "Unsharp Mask" option.