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Sharpening Images in Adobe Photoshop CS4

Feb 27, 2009

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#95 Sharpening Selectively

In my opinion, learning how to selectively sharpen an image is one of the most essential skills for any Photoshop user regardless of his or her experience. Why? Because this technique is based on a core photographic truth: Viewers are attracted to sharpness in an image. Therefore, it is not always best to sharpen everything; sharpening just the key aspects of an image will have more impact. And that’s exactly what you’ll learn how to do in this how-to. Selective sharpening is a technique that is easy to apply and master.

To apply selective sharpening:

Duplicate the Background layer by selecting it and then choosing Layer > Duplicate.
Name the duplicate layer Sharpening (Figure 95a).

Figure 95a To apply selective sharpening, you first need to duplicate the Background layer. In this case, I have named the duplicate layer Sharpening.
Apply sharpening using one of the techniques presented in this chapter.
Alt-click (Windows) Option-click (Mac) the Add a Layer Mask icon to add a layer mask filled with black to the Sharpening layer. The layer mask thus created will hide all the sharpening (Figure 95b). (For more on masking, see Chapter 10, “Masking.”)

Figure 95b Create a layer mask that is filled with black to conceal the sharpening.
Choose the Brush tool and select a soft brush.
Choose white as the foreground color.
Paint on the parts of the image you want to sharpen. White will be added to the layer mask, revealing the Sharpening layer below (Figure 95c).

Figure 95c Because this portrait has a shallow depth of field, I have selectively sharpened the parts of the image that are in focus. Thus, I have painted with white on the face and the surrounding areas that are in focus.
If needed, change the layer opacity setting to decrease the sharpening amount.
Click the Eye icon on the Sharpening layer to show or hide the sharpening to determine the quality of the sharpening.

More on Photography and Selective Sharpening

Photographers know the truth that viewers are attracted to sharpness. Thus, they create images that direct the viewer’s eye to what is important.

For example, a common portrait technique is to create an image so that the person’s eyes and face are in focus, but the background is out of focus. As a result, the viewer knows where to look, and the image is flattering. In contrast, if everything was in focus, the viewer wouldn’t know what to look at, and the background would become distracting.

Therefore, it is helpful to learn how to sharpen key elements of an image so that you direct the viewer’s eye away from distraction and toward what is most important in an image.

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