ImageJ Texture Removal & Sharpening

[alreese83]

So, this thread on texture removal using FFT / ImageJ was most helpful for a batch of images I've been working on. Though a little time consuming, making a mask of the power spectrum in Photoshop and then applying that back to the power spectrum in ImageJ, proves super awesome and better than just drawing over points in ImageJ.

Any advice or resources on using ImageJ for sharpening? I've done some reading on it, like using deconvolution processing for sharpening and am wowed by the results of examples. However, (a) it's so uber scientific for a layman like me I can't figure out how to actually apply the techniques and (b) seems only applicable to grayscale images. Best just to stay using Photoshop for sharpening? I tried the unsharp mask filter in ImageJ, I didn't care for it too much.

Original Image

Updated Image
FFT applied to remove texture
Followed by noise reduction filter Remove Outliers - Dark Pixels at radius of 4 threshold of 5 & then Bright Pixels at radius of 2 threshold of 5; with Color Balance adjusted, I think color work is best left for PS

Updated Image (yuck, a total mess)
Mean Filter & Unsharp Mask

[alreese83]

Re: ImageJ Texture Removal & Sharpening

Well, the final result with just a pinch of Photoshop assistance (mostly for tone / color), but in time I will figure out the "restoration" tools in ImageJ and how to incorporate them into a PS workflow. There are a number of intro to image processing tutorials out there, I just have to find one that speaks more to the artist than the software engineer.

cheers,
-ar

[philbach]

Re: ImageJ Texture Removal & Sharpening

Well I corrected the color in Photoshop and than applied Neat Image to remove the texture. Touched it up with the Healing Brush Tool

[Cupcake]

Re: ImageJ Texture Removal & Sharpening

Here is another one.

[alreese83]

Re: ImageJ Texture Removal & Sharpening

Hi....Well, please, guys take no offense - this is only constructive criticism, & most likely it is due to the compression limits of attaching files, but both of the response postings still contain texture and don't really appear to be improvements on that aspect of the image. The original contains multiple types of texture; some are products of the scan, the original paper texture, texture because of age / neglect, etc blah. I am still learning here, not trying to "toot my own horn", in comparison I think my final result & process is better (of sorts), but once again that is only in comparison to the files uploaded as attachments / their compression limits. Of course it would be nice to compare better quality uploads, but whateves, I really do appreciate the responses and tips ...yeah...umm, that's it in my most humble of opinion, discussion welcomed I've been done with this image for a long time, and I learned a lot from working on it (from this forum & elsewhere) of course it could be fine tuned / sharpened!! All & all it's a school portrait from bygone days, a little softness adds to the emotional impact.

-ar

[Tony W]

Re: ImageJ Texture Removal & Sharpening

Perhaps difficult to tell here but it seems to me that the texture of this image is not really suited to FFT technique. The texture appears to be random and FFT does not seem to handle this at all.

There are colour artefacts and possibly grain ailising on the original scan and wether this is due to scaling for the forum, poor scanning or other I really do not know.

What I would say is that the original scan to the finished image has lost quite a lot in terms of tonal/luminosity values the result being a flat 2D looking image rather than one appearing to have depth as the original has

To try an show what I am getting at took the original scan and looked at the channels the red being the most noise free used this and made a simple curves adjustment to get a 'nice looking' image. Sharpening applied by only DnB around eyes and mouth - no filter used. Still plenty of clean up work to do but I hope you see where I am coming from

Colour could be added back either using sepia action or even the original hand colours on a seperate colour layer.

Used your image minus colour on left and my version. I know which I prefer but YMMV

[alreese83]

Re: ImageJ Texture Removal & Sharpening

Totally understand & agree with your comments, esp. on depth, / and thus one of the reasons for my original posting and the title of the thread. I see the flaws in my final result, meh; I know. FFT helped a little, but as mentioned before I did use some other aspects of ImageJ. I'd like to get to know the program better just to add to my toolbox. Considering what it was designed for, I recognize its limits, and usefulness in.

"Sharpening applied by only DnB" ... I haven't thought about "sharpening" in this way before, I can't put my finger on it but I like it, thanks for the tips / ideas.

What does YMMV mean?

-ar

[mdb234]

Re: ImageJ Texture Removal & Sharpening

YMMV = Your mileage may vary