Sharpening Workflow with RAWs

[Matthieu]

Hi guys !

I'm interested to know what is your workflow while working with RAWs and especially how you use sharpening.

For my own case, I don't sharpen my raw, I just convert it to PSD, open it with Photoshop, work on it and sharpen at the final step.

Don't know if it's the good way, so tell me what you think

Thanks in advance and have a nice day.

M.

[Tony W]

Re: Sharpening Workflow with RAWs

If your workflow is PS then I think that a three stage sharpening process is likely to give the best result i.e. Capture sharpening and Creative sharpening in raw then final output sharpening in PS for output device. You should be able to carry out all these stages in Lightroom as well.

You could do a lot worse than read up on techniques proposed by the late Bruce Fraser who's work has carried on by Jeff Schewe and others.

http://www.pixelgenius.com/tips/schewe-sharpening.pdf

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/image-sharpening.htm

[andrewrodney]

Re: Sharpening Workflow with RAWs

Lightroom uses the Fraser sharpening workflow (Capture and output, no real Creative Sharpening) and of course does this on raw data in a totally non destructive fashion.

Http://www.creativepro.com/article/out-gamut-almost-everything-you-wanted-know-about-sharpening-photoshop-were-afraid-ask

[Matthieu]

Re: Sharpening Workflow with RAWs

Thanks guys !

I'll check your links and reply ASAP !!!

[Tony W]

Re: Sharpening Workflow with RAWs

Andrew, I was thinking Creative sharpening in Lightroom and ACR being done using adjustment brush or graduated filter. Perhaps not as flexible or even as accurate as doing the same in PS so your comment surprised me. What have I missed?

[andrewrodney]

Re: Sharpening Workflow with RAWs

Andrew, I was thinking Creative sharpening in Lightroom and ACR being done using adjustment brush or graduated filter.

Kind of but not to the degree of options as found in PK Sharpener (Creative Sharpening options).

[Tony W]

Re: Sharpening Workflow with RAWs

Kind of but not to the degree of options as found in PK Sharpener (Creative Sharpening options).

Thanks.

I have never looked at PK sharpener as I believed that it was pretty much incorporated into raw and perhaps the need for a seperate or plugin app for up to date versions of PS and LR may not offer any benefit.

I think I need to rethink this and at least have a look what it brings to the table

[andrewrodney]

Re: Sharpening Workflow with RAWs

PKS II is an automate plug-in for Photoshop based on Bruce's work (he was the original product manager). It doesn't do anything in a raw workflow. It deals with rendered images within Photoshop. Adobe licensed some of the technology back in LR2 days if memory serves. It doesn't really have creative sharpening, at least by the PKS II standards and output sharpening is limited to screen and ink jet. PKS II has other output devices optimized (Press, Contone etc).

[Matthieu]

Re: Sharpening Workflow with RAWs

@Tony W : nice articles, both of them
@andrewrodney, the link doesn't work :'(

I still have a question about pre sharpening (i.e. capture sharpening). Doesn't it make details pop too much ? If so, doesn't it create an overload of work in a portrait retouching context, especially on skin details that needs to be fixed ?

By the way, I'll experiment that as soon as possible.

Thanks for your answers !

[Tony W]

Re: Sharpening Workflow with RAWs

Capture sharpening is needed to address blurring caused by the cameras anti aliasing filter and the demosaicing process etc. The aim is to bring back sharpness that is naturally lost here so that the image will respond well to subsequent sharpening i.e. creative and output.

Andrews link is working for me

[Matthieu]

Re: Sharpening Workflow with RAWs

Ok about capture sharpening, I'll try it for my next retouches, thanks for the explanations!

Another question

I read here and there about Nik Software Sharpener Pro, have you ever tryed it and could give any opinion about this tool ?

About Andrew's link, it must be a proxy problem at work, I'll check it at home asap.

[Tony W]

Re: Sharpening Workflow with RAWs

I have no experience of the Nik product but I have tried a few in the past and from my brief flings with them I wonder if they truly bring much to the table over sharpening options offered in LR and PS.

One thing that is perhaps useful is that the tools usually have specific settings and sliders that may make the job easier. Review here that might offer some insight http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/r...ning_nik3.html

Perhaps for now it may be worth investing in a good book about sharpening? One such book is Real World Image Sharpening by Bruce Fraser and Jeff Schewe http://www.amazon.com/Sharpening-Pho.../dp/0321637550