Have you tried Jeff Schewe's Creative Progressive Sharpening workflow?

[Ellis Vener]

Schewe lays it out in Chapter 5 of "The Digital Negative". I'd classify this as part of the Creative step in a Capture/Creaative/Output sharpening workflow, and isn't part of the PixelGenius Photokit Sharpener plug-in. Once you get the hang of it it's pretty easy to implement and yes it makes a very obvious difference in the look

Thanks Jeff!

[bjanes]

Schewe lays it out in Chapter 5 of "The Digital Negative". I'd classify this as part of the Creative step in a Capture/Creaative/Output sharpening workflow, and isn't part of the PixelGenius Photokit Sharpener plug-in. Once you get the hang of it it's pretty easy to implement and yes it makes a very obvious difference in the look

Thanks Jeff!

I presume you are referring to the steps outlined in pages 228-230 of the second edition of Jeff's book. He is using multiple passes of unsharp masking at various radii and faded to low opacity. An alternative approach would be to use a more advanced algorithm such as employed in Topaz Detail, which is highly recommended by Bart vanderWolf.

With this plugin, one can address multiple image frequencies as well as adjusting tone and color and accomplishing deblurring. The effects can be controlled via masking.

Bill

[xpatUSA]

In answer to the original question, I have not because I have neither the book nor any Adobe Products.

However, Cambridge-in-Colour has posted what seems to be a similar process:

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

Some of my shots need no sharpening at all if I've shot high res 15MP in a Sigma DSLR and downsized Lanczos 2.

Others shot in low res 3.6MP with less than perfect focusing can benefit from two-stage sharpening in such as FastStone Viewer. 2.1px radius at amount 7 followed immediately by 0.3px and amount 23 often works well.

Sigma's raw converter actually applies "capture" sharpening but too much for most people's taste. I mean, starting out with halos on high-contrast edges in the TIFF is hardly a good thing, eh?

[Schewe]

I'd classify this as part of the Creative step in a Capture/Creaative/Output sharpening workflow, and isn't part of the PixelGenius Photokit Sharpener plug-in.

Actually it is in the PK Creative Sharpener...it's called Super Sharpener 1-4 in the Sharpening Effects. They are not exactly the same as the Progressive Sharpening approach which is a bit simple. Both return layers which can be further adjusted by layer masks and blending options.

[Ellis Vener]

Actually it is in the PK Creative Sharpener...it's called Super Sharpener 1-4 in the Sharpening Effects. They are not exactly the same as the Progressive Sharpening approach which is a bit simple. Both return layers which can be further adjusted by layer masks and blending options.

Thanks Jeff! That makes life simpler.  It was worth it to followyour guidelines and build a  Progressive Sharpening action as  I now have a much better sense of how the  Super Sharpener 1-4 effects work,  and how and when to use them.

[graeme]

I've used it.

For 'creative' work I find that it's best used very sparingly, but is useful for emphasising textures in stonework etc.

I use it a lot more in a 'forensic' context: We often get really bad source artwork to work from when doing stained glass restoration i.e. Crappy, blurred little jpegs that a member of the church congregation has taken. Progressive sharpening can be useful when blowing up these images. It doesn't look pretty but can help you pick out some extra clues as to the what a missing window part actually looked like.

So thanks Jeff.