The December edition has an intriguing version of LAB sharpening but I’m curious about the essential step. In LAB mode you create a selection in the lightness channel using (PC: Ctrl-Alt-1) this makes a complex selection throughout the photo. the article doesn’t explain the criteria behind this selection. Can you adjust this?
"…this makes a complex selection throughout the photo…"
It only looks complex. The marching ants appear wherever L = 50, and that looks incomprehensible. Switch to quick mask mode for immediate understanding.
"…Can you adjust this?…"
What is it you want to adjust? The mask is what it is—a mapping of the Lightness value into a mask.
I thought I had a basic understanding of LAB channels. Guess not.
Quick mask appears to put an even mask over the whole image. Show just 1 color channel though and you see the mask with various transparencies. This must have something to do with L=50 What is L=50?
any opinions on this type of sharpening? The mag says Scott Kelby writes about it in a channels book. It’s not mentioned in any of his Photographer books
So many ways to sharpen it hurts my head. there was a book I perused at a book store (won’t mention the author) solely on sharpening. Half of it was on theory and it read like a engineering text book. Scott
I shoot a LOT of 1600iso and I’m on the lookout for the silver bullet that will do a modest sharpen without the noise screaming at me. Just upping the threshold helps but negates most of the process.
I suppose find-edges techniques are the best but too cumbersome for my quantity of images. I’ll try to make an action out of one.
I shoot a LOT of 1600iso and I’m on the lookout for the silver bullet that will do a modest sharpen without the noise screaming at me.
Have a look at Bruce Fraser’s Capture Sharpening part of his sharpening work flow. Most completely covered in his book Real World Image Sharpening with Adobe Photoshop CS2. Also in his creativepro.com articles <www.creativepro.com/story/feature/20357-2.htm> and <www.creativepro.com/story/feature/12189.html>. I have to shoot at 1600 in some theatre and dance photos, and use this approach to good effect.
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