Photoshop CC for Photographers: Sharpening

Sharpen your images like a pro in Adobe Camera Raw, Lightroom, and Photoshop.

Since the beginning of the photographic art form, photographers have been searching for clearer and sharper images. Now, you don't have to settle for what was captured in camera; you can perfect your photos in post-production. In this course, Chris Orwig tackles sharpening in three programs: Adobe Camera Raw, Lightroom, and Photoshop. They all have their strengths, so he shows you how to get the best results from specific sharpening challenges with each one. Chris shows you how to reduce noise and sharpen with sliders and make selective adjustments to certain areas of raw images. In Photoshop, he uses powerful filters like Unsharp Mask and Smart Sharpen to sharpen larger areas of pictures, and masking to paint in sharpening. Last, he shares two advanced techniques, one using high pass sharpening and another that limits sharpening to the edges of your images.

Introduction

• Welcome
• Raw sharpening in Lightroom or Camera Raw?
• Using the exercise files

1. Lightroom Input Sharpening

• Lighroom sharpening workflow first steps
• Understanding how the Lightroom Detail controls work
• Reducing luminance and color noise
• Improving details in a portrait
• Improving details in an outdoor photograph
• Sharpening in order to emphasize small textures
• Improving sky details and edge sharpening

2. Advanced Lightroom Sharpening Techniques

• Selective sharpening with the Adjustment Brush
• Learning Adjustment Brush shortcuts
• Reviewing Adjustment Brush techniques and shortcuts
• Sharpening eyes in a portrait
• Sharpening large areas with the Radial filter
• Improving details with the Graduated filter
• Creating custom presets
• Sharing and installing presets

3. Camera Raw Input Sharpening

• Camera Raw sharpening workflow: First steps
• Understanding how the Camera Raw Detail controls work
• Reducing luminance and color noise
• Improving details in a portrait
• Improving details in an outdoor photograph
• Sharpening in order to emphasize small textures
• Improving sky details and edge sharpening

4. Advanced Camera Raw Sharpening Techniques

• Selective sharpening with the Adjustment Brush
• Working with the Auto Mask option in the Adjustment Brush
• Learning Adjustment Brush shortcuts
• Reviewing Adjustment Brush techniques and shortcuts
• Sharpening eyes in a portrait
• Sharpening large areas with the Radial filter
• Improving details with the Graduated filter
• Further refinements with the Graduated filter
• Creating custom presets

5. Photoshop Sharpening with Filters

• Resizing before you sharpen
• Using Unsharp Mask
• Using Smart Sharpen
• Demonstrating how Smart Sharpen works
• Fine-tuning Smart Sharpen with advanced controls
• Applying blending modes to avoid color problems
• Putting it all together: Workflow part one
• Putting it all together: Workflow part two
• A conversation about sharpening controls

6. Advanced Photoshop Sharpening

• Applying Camera Raw sharpening as a filter
• Using smart filtering for increased flexibility
• Smart filtering and masking
• Selective sharpening with a hand-painted mask
• Selective sharpening: Advanced shortcut tips
• Using Quick Select and masking to sharpen selectively
• How to sharpen a layered document
• Fixing a blurry photograph with Shake Reduction
• Shake Reduction: Advanced controls

7. Specialized Sharpening Techniques

• High-pass sharpening essentials
• Smart filter high-pass sharpening
• Smart filter high-pass sharpening continued
• Edge sharpening: Building an alpha channel
• Edge sharpening: Creating the mask
• Using Smart Sharpen in an unlikely way for midtone contrast

8. Batch Sharpening with Bridge and Photoshop

• Recording a sharpening action
• Playing the action for a single file
• Batch sharpening multiple files

9. Final Output Sharpening

• Sharpening and saving from Camera Raw
• Sharpening and exporting from Camera Raw
• Output sharpening from Lightroom
• Final output sharpening from Photoshop for print
• Photoshop sharpening for web, mobile, and displays

Conclusion

• Next steps