How to sharpen DSLR flat image?

[John Frey]

Unsharp mask is one of the effects in Premiere. It is the tool most used in still image detail enhancement and works effectively in Premiere as well. Just be very careful not to overdo it.

John D. Frey
25 Year owner/operator of two California-based production studios.

Digital West Video Productions of San Luis Obispo and Inland Images of Lake Elsinore

[Pete Burger]

[Trip Nixon] “Does the premiere built in tool “sharpen” do the same thing.”

With sharpness you raise kind of the “local contrast”. Results in a fringing or ringing effect if overdone. Same thing with “unsharp mask”, but you have more control over what exactly is being sharpened and how much.

[Trip Nixon]

Thanks for all the answers. Yea…i was refering to sharpness just by the term in a settings, detail is a better word for sure.

So, if I am adding CONTRAST in magic bullet looks, would you think that using the unmask filter would be overkill then. Are they kind of one in the same…when adding contast, you get sharpness? Not SAME so to say, but contrast AFFECTS the sharpness?

My main worry is…yes…over doing it. I am a pretty HIGH CONTRASTY style guy, I like that look…

Thanks a million for all your help guys.

[Pete Burger]

Again: There is only one person in the universe, that can anser this question. And that is you! You decide what you like and if it looks good to you, then it’s right. (It’s a different story, if you work for a client. Then he or she decides what’s right 😉 )

The sharpness filter works by darkening dark edges and brightening bright edges. If you look closely at a “sharpened” picture you’ll see some kind of fringing around areas with high contrast.

Raising contrast by using a contrast filter darkens or brightens areas, so it doesn’t do the same thing.

Play around with some footage and (for testing purposes) overdo each and every filter that you want to use, so you can see clearly what exactly does this filter do and what exactly is affected by the filter.

You have to see it for yourself and you have to get a feel for, what will happen, if I apply this or that filter or which combinations work, or don’t work. This is something that can’t be told. You have to see it for yourself.

[Paul Coleman]

Hilarious, by being a smartarse..”I prefer to shoot in focus”…you have actually displayed your lack of knowledge. It is a valid question for a process common in post..it begs the question, if you can’t contribute to the answer..what are you doing?