Suggestions for selectively sharpening delicate detail

[Littlecoo]

This is a first image post for me and my skills are rather modest at this stage...
so here goes.
This touchup is labour of love for me so I want to do it as much justice as I can. This pic of rather hungry newborn was taken under appaling light conditions with a macro lens at it's widest aperture and to top it off the neg was slightly damaged. I want to carefully sharpen up some of the out of focus detail without sacrificing the delicateness of it and acheive a pleasing sense of balance. Any suggestions would be wonderful, also I would definately welcome any critique, imput or advice for this project in general.

Cheers,

Littlecoo

[creeduk]

When you apply the sharpen to the image you select values that preview a little too sharp and then bring the threshold up a few steps to back off the effect. Another tip is once applied if it looks too much use the Edit>Fade Effect option to bring down the amount of sharpen.

The main thing in this image would be to make sure you do the sharpen on a duplicate layer, then I would also have a blurred layer for the background. Now using masks allow the bird (duckling or chick?) to be in focus and sharp while the background is de-focused/blurred. Now the viewers attention is drawn straight to the subject matter.

[Verywierd]

How's this? I used two copy layers, with high pass filter and a tiny bit of unsharp mask (on the high pass layers) then applied one using soft light and the other linear light blending modes. Then create a white mask for both layers and paint on the masks with varying shades of grey to soften bits that look too harsh. Naturally my image is just a sample and you can determine the balance between sharpness and softness that feels right to you.

[Flora]

Hi Littlecoo,

welcome to RP!

I removed the yellow-green cast of the chick's feathers, I sharpened it slightly and centred it on a slightly blurred, darkened and desaturated background.

In the other version I added a very soft white oval vignette.

[Kraellin]

littlecoo,

welcome to RP.

i started out on this image and got a ways along and noticed something that changed my mind completely on what to do. the fabric. it looked all the world to me like burlap. i was originally going on the assumption that it might be denim or something along those lines, but there is no real data to make that assumption other than your original posts. so, when i looked at the weave of that fabric, i saw burlap and changed my entire work.

the other missing data here is, what color is a baby dove? doves are generally white as far as i know, but i do know chicks are often a different color from the mature versions.

so, my question is, what data can you provide us about colors? what color was the farbric and what color was the chick? i could see the chick as anything from very yellow to very white, but it's very hard to tell just by looking at the images posted. since you seem to know the camera settings and lighting conditions at the time, it would seem you were there. so, hopefully you can provide us mroe data to go on.

i'm attaching my one attempt thinking the fabric was burlap or something similar, but that could be WAY off, so take it as a complete guess. (this is why you ALWAYS grill a customer about the images BEFORE working on them )

craig

[byRo]

Selective sharpening seems like it invites "adaptive (local) equalization".

I use the plug-in from Reindeer Graphics but the link seems to be down now.
Another nice one is from Mehdi here.

Process:
- Duplicate the layer;
- Run adaptive equalization, desaturate, blending mode "Soft Light";
- Add a hide-all mask and paint details back in to taste.

(+ slight median filter on the cloth, + slight darkening vignette)

Rô

[Littlecoo]

As you all know there is multitude of ways to acheive a single result and each one has their time and place.
I am self-taught and still only scratching the surface, this is where the knowledge and experience of y'all is just pure gold! Thankyou
I plan on playing around with all your suggestions as good experience for me (and for the sheer fun of it too).

I did some colour correction in the second image (hatchling_dove) so at least the dove is close to correct colour-wise (pinkish, with sparse covering of very pale flaxen down). The colour cast in the original is quite a strong yellow-green (combo of Australian summer afternoon sun and a fluro light).

Craig, yes the material does look like burlap, it is actually Indian cotton (closeup macro...the baby dove is REALLY tiny it can fit in the bowl of a teaspoon) and curiously the material is meant to be pastel blue-violet (c-50%, m-50%) in colour.

Flora, I like your treatment of colour/texture for the material and vignette use- subtle, soft, just gorgeous.

Thankyou everyone very much. I'll let you know how I fare when I'm done.
Cheers,

Littlecoo

[Kraellin]

ok, not burlap. flaxen, blue-violet... ok. so, you wanted it sharpened. i think i remember using a high pass sharpen on this and then later a bit of digi camera noise removal, which has a built in sharpening also. i believe i also did a very light contrast/lightness adjustment layer. i forget everything since i'm using the same file as before.

craig

[manta1900]

Without touching a feather (with my sharpening filter).

[manta1900]

I thinks that your white ballance was not quite accurate also (am I right)?