In this chapter we'll explore some of the general concepts related to sharpening so you'll have a better sense of what sharpening does, why it is so important, and how you can ensure the best results.
Sharpening Concepts
In this lesson we'll talk about the very basic concept of what sharpening actually is. The concepts behind sharpening are relatively straightforward, but they make a big difference when it comes to achieving a great sharpening effect for every photo.
Timing is important for many tasks, and sharpening is no different. In this lesson we'll address the issue of exactly when you should sharpen your images.
As much as you might want to ensure the highest degree of sharpness in your images, sometimes you're better off not sharpening an image at all. This lesson will provide an explanation.
In this lesson we'll explore the subject of zooming. An optimal amount of zoom enables you to properly evaluate the sharpening effect while still maintaining flexibility in viewing the overall image.
In this chapter you'll learn some of the concepts and methods related to sharpening your original RAW captures. We'll also look at the sharpening options available in Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw.
Sharpening RAW Captures
In this lesson we'll explore the relatively basic options available for output sharpening in Lightroom.
Lightroom provides the ability to sharpen your RAW captures to compensate for softness in the original capture, and in this lesson you'll see how it is done.
You might be surprised to learn that sharpening settings in the camera may very well not apply to your photographs. You'll see why in this informative lesson.
Adobe Camera Raw enables you to apply sharpening to compensate for softness in your original RAW captures, and in this lesson you'll learn how to achieve the best results for this capture sharpening.
In this lesson you'll learn about the various methods you can use in Photoshop to apply corrective and creative sharpening to your digital photos. These include the Unsharp Mask, Smart Sharpen, and High Pass filters.
Sharpening in Photoshop
Sharpening is part of your overall image-optimization workflow, and in this lesson we'll take a look at a recommended approach for preparing your images for sharpening and output.
The Unsharp Mask filter has long been a staple of sharpening, and in this lesson you'll learn about the merits of the Unsharp Mask filter and learn how to use it effectively.
This lesson looks at the Smart Sharpen filter, a powerful and relatively new filter that provides excellent results when sharpening your digital photos.
In addition to the basic options available for the Smart Sharpen filter, there are also advanced options that enable you to mitigate the effect in the shadow or highlight areas of the image, as you'll learn in this lesson.
The High Pass filter is one that many photographers may not be familiar with. And yet, as you'll see in this lesson, it can serve as a valuable tool in improving the overall sharpness of your images.
In this chapter we'll look at some of the more advanced tools and techniques in Photoshop for sharpening your photos, including Smart Filters, edge sharpening, and multiple-pass sharpening.
Advanced Photoshop Sharpening
In this lesson you'll learn about the concepts involved in applying sharpening to optimize an image for its final output.
While sharpening tends to be used as a tool for optimizing the technical quality of a photograph, it can also be used for creative effects, as you'll see in this lesson.
Focusing the sharpening effect so that it only applies to the highest-contrast edges in an image can be very helpful in preserving the overall quality of the image, and in this lesson you'll see how it's done.
If you want to ensure that sharpening does not cause a loss of detail in the extreme shadow or highlight areas of an image, you can use the Advanced Blending Options as a solution. In this lesson you'll learn this valuable technique.
The sharpening effect that enhances contrast along edges can also cause slight color shifts, but in this lesson you'll learn how to prevent those color shifts.
In many cases you can achieve the best results for your photos by applying sharpening in multiple passes. In this lesson you'll gain an understanding of the concepts behind multiple-pass sharpening.
In this chapter you'll be introduced to some third-party tools that provide additional sharpening capabilities in Photoshop: Nik Sharpener Pro, PhotoKit Sharpener, and FocalBlade.
Third-Party Tools
In this lesson we'll look at the powerful and user-friendly options available in Nik Sharpener Pro.
This chapter contains several projects designed to help reinforce your knowledge of sharpening. You'll learn how to apply sharpening and softening to different areas of an image, apply creative sharpening to specific areas, and sharpen a black-and-white image.
Sharpening Projects
Sometimes you want to apply sharpening and softening to different areas of an image, and this lesson will provide an example of that type of situation.
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