Mini Competition #63

[Colin Southern]

Thanks Colin,

I shot in RAW. I use Capture NX2 (nikon's). It allows a minimum radius of 1. I tried to play around with it and started applying 100% at a radius of 1, (threshold 0%) then reapplying another round at the same. Unfortunately it basically means I end up with 200% at a radius of 2 (which is probably too much radius though this was designed to give me sharp prints on glossy photo paper).

I then resized to 1000X700px and did it again at 100% and radius of one. As you said, too much...

Hi Hans,

Thanks for the RAW file - here's my interpretation of the image ...

I've ...

- Applied capture sharpening of 300% / 0.3 / 0 per my standard workflow

- Down-sampled the image to 1200 x 800 pixels (+ border)

- Applied a USM of 40% @ 1 pixel

- Used the history brush to REMOVE the sharpening just applied from EVERYWHERE apart from the child's face

- Applied a USM of 10% @ 4 pixels globally.

Basically, you've got an image with super-smooth skin tones, but "pesky" textures in the wood. Capture sharpening a full resolution corrects the softening of the digitisation / demosaicing / anti-aliasing, but (after that) with images like this it's easier to down-sample before applying any content/creative sharpening (a bit like the futility of washing the car - driving in the rain right afterwards, and then having to wash it again).

It's very easy to get frosting on high-frequency components (hence the reason I rolled back the sharpening on everything but the face), and then finally applied a gentle sharpen to everything to improve the overall sharpness.

Basically, it was one of those images that doesn't require a lot of sharpening (less is more!).

Ta da ...

[Hans]

OUCH, I think you're never going to do it easily with something that sharpens at that coarse a radius.

You don't have anything else?
I'd recommend Elements for, I would guess, around a hundred AU$, but I think GIMP would do for free.

You can say that again I do have the GIMP but found the NX easier to drive (apart from the minimum radius of 1, I love it). I might play around more with the GIMP in communication with Donald as he uses it too (can't justify more cost just yet). He seems to have worked out a rough equivalent to Colin's 300%, 0.3 and 0 PS settings. I can do everthing else in NX and then resize and sharpen in the GIMP. That may me a good option.

Colin,

Thanks again for taking the time out to do that. Your results are superb as usual. I didn't notice how distracting the wood detail was in that first photo until you mentioned it. I've also worked out that I can locally sharpen on the NX program, but the minimum radius is still 1...pooo!

I can see now the importance of applying settings with a critical eye on the individual picture. I usually just use the same settings for every photo

I listen very carefully to what you guys are saying to me and re-read your posts over and over again. So thanks again for your support and direction

Kind regards,

[PopsPhotos]

For what it's worth, I gave my granddaughter my PSE6, so I had to replace it. I picked up one on ebay for $10US delivered.

PSE7 is going for about $25 to $50 right now.

Pops

[Dave Humphries]

For what it's worth, I gave my granddaughter my PSE6, so I had to replace it. I picked up one on ebay for $10US delivered.

PSE7 is going for about $25 to $50 right now.

I think this sounds OK, but I am no expert, as I have never sold on, nor bought in, s/h software. (and I don't read/understand the EULA or know how the authentication works )

Anyone following this route, especially on eBay or similar sites, please be sure to stay 'legal', e.g. don't buy cloned disks, or wrongly (for you) licensed software, etc.

Pops, I hope you don't mind me raising this here, obviously I am not suggesting for a minute you have done anything wrong. The fact you bought another copy shows that.

It's just that once on eBay it can be difficult to separate the good from the bad.

Cheers,