TORCHED

[FUJI]

I had just switched off the lights off ready to retire last night when the fruit bowl on the sideboard was dimly lit from the stairs light, it looked great and I was ....Inspired!

I left the main light off, then found my extra powerful LCD torch.........I needed to adjust my GX7 for aperture and ISO, then I experimented by painting the pears with light from the torch.

It was all a bit ....Hit and Miss.....The camera was held in one hand and the torch in the other......this is probably the best of half a dozen shots.

It required a bit of an exposure boost plus noise reduction, then my usual processing finishing with targeted High Pass sharpening......I must have a go at more of this as the darker nights approach:

Best viewed LARGE.........Click on Pic:

FUJI

[KateW]

Very effective!

[ChrisLumix]

How do you do 'targeted' High Pass? As far as I can make out, it operates on the whole layer. It's not like the Sharpening brush... 

[FUJI]

How do you do 'targeted' High Pass? As far as I can make out, it operates on the whole layer. It's not like the Sharpening brush...

I do as I usually do when targeting sharpening......make a new layer, choose LAYERS.....OTHER.....press High Pass.......select the brush size and strength via the sliders......then click the icon that reverses the layer, then paint on the High Pass sharpening where required......after that I flatten the layer, then do repeat the process at different strengths for best effect.

FUJI

[ChrisLumix]

I do as I usually do when targeting sharpening......make a new layer, choose LAYERS.....OTHER.....press High Pass.......select the brush size and strength via the sliders......then click the icon that reverses the layer, then paint on the High Pass sharpening where required......after that I flatten the layer, then do repeat the process at different strengths for best effect.

FUJI

 

Hm. Now I'm completely baffled. My version of Elements has a Layers menu, but it doesn't contain Other. As for High Pass, it's in the Filters > Others menu in PSE. 

 

Here's how I do it (according to many online tutorials) : I duplicate the layer, select High Pass from the filters menu, adjusting the pixel size (i.e. strength) until the grey detail just shows the edges only. I then choose Overlay from the Blending Options, and have a look at how effective it is. If too strong, I adjust the layer's opacity accordingly. But as I said before, this works on the whole layer, not just bits of it. No online tutorial I've seen on the subject has talked about how it can be targeted at certain areas of the layer. 

[FUJI]

Hm. Now I'm completely baffled. My version of Elements has a Layers menu, but it doesn't contain Other. As for High Pass, it's in the Filters > Others menu in PSE.

Here's how I do it (according to many online tutorials) : I duplicate the layer, select High Pass from the filters menu, adjusting the pixel size (i.e. strength) until the grey detail just shows the edges only. I then choose Overlay from the Blending Options, and have a look at how effective it is. If too strong, I adjust the layer's opacity accordingly. But as I said before, this works on the whole layer, not just bits of it. No online tutorial I've seen on the subject has talked about how it can be targeted at certain areas of the layer.

Here you go Chris......

This guy goes about things in a very convaluted way to achiev the targeted sharpening that I do........you need to run the video playback slider to 14-36 then watch what he does to make a mask on which to paint the targeted High-Pass Sharpen.

By the way, I use CS6 so things may be slighty different to your Elements?

See below!

FUJI

[FUJI]

Here you go Chris....

View it all, but concentrate from 14-36 onwards for making mask, on which to brush the sharpen effect on to a selected area.

FUJI

[ChrisLumix]

Thanks Fuji - I'm a little wiser ... but not much! I do know why though. His - and your - methodology is all centred around the use of masks, which is the one area of Photoshop I've never come to terms with, or "got". 

 

See, what I would have done there is :

 

1. Duplicated the main layer (or created an adjustment layer), and done my dodging and burning the same way as he did. 

2. For the sharpening, I'd have pre-selected the eyes (using the lasso in this case) and created a new layer for the selection.

3. I'd have applied High Pass to this eyes layer (or 3x the layer - I'll have to practice the 3 settings of HP instead of just one) until I was happy.

4. Then I'd have merged or flattened the layers.

 

That all seems to me - because that's the way I've always used Photoshop - a lot more straightforward, and quicker, than what he was doing. Maybe what he did was somehow better? but I don't think I can use masks, even after watching no end of tutorials on YouTube. There's just something counter-intuitive about them, at least to me. 

[FUJI]

Hi, Chris,

I just love your reply above ( a big chunk to quote) ............ most folk on here know that I have a very real number and sequencing problem, that can leave me floundering .....and, the guy in the video did just that, but right at the end he used the technique I was shown, which demonstrates the method and use of .....Targeted High Pass sharpening.

I just cant cope with all those open and named layers, my illogical mind just wont let me..........As you know, I flatten my unnamed layers as I go once I'm happy with what Ive done.

I already had the layers, then masking for targeted brushes worked out after one to one tuition via an expert's DVD.......using the same technique to target High Pass sharpening was a natural progression.

Simply........you already posses the ability to use HIGH PASS over the whole pic on a layer......no problem......

To target that sharpen to just selected areas, you press ALT and the little icon two in from the LHS of the row ( bottom of Layers area) this puts a BLACK rectangle next to your sharpened layer....

You choose a brush (I use a soft airbrush) adjust its opacity and power via sliders, then paint on the effect exactly where I want it......I flatten all working layers as I go.

My main advise would be to alter/improve/develop your pic a little at a time.

There are things in Photoshop, that I will never fathom, but I do know my way around targeted tonal and colour values plus sharpening and blurring.

FUJI

[ChrisLumix]

Simply........you already posses the ability to use HIGH PASS over the whole pic on a layer......no problem......

To target that sharpen to just selected areas, you press ALT and the little icon two in from the LHS of the row ( bottom of Layers area) this puts a BLACK rectangle next to your sharpened layer....

.....

There are things in Photoshop, that I will never fathom, but I do know my way around targeted tonal and colour values plus sharpening and blurring.

 

 

o I will have to have a go at that technique, i.e. of ALT in layers then brushing (but why did he invert???)

o You see, you can do the targeted toning, colour, sharpening, blurring, etc, by simply picking the appropriate tool in the tools palette and then a suitable brush and opacity. Or at least, that's how *I* do it. Masking just seems to complicate things.