Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Landscape & Nature Photography => Topic started by: John R on January 08, 2009, 08:18:06 pm

Title: unsharp mask on BW landscape
Post by: John R on January 08, 2009, 08:18:06 pm
[attachment=10876:Oct_8_08...xbw_copy.jpg]A list member from another site gave me some tips on how to use 'unsharp mask', a feature that until then, I knew nothing about. I tried it and really like how it worked out on these two images. Of course, like any technique, it should be used judicously and to suit the subject matter. What do you think?

John R.
Title: unsharp mask on BW landscape
Post by: erictoddjohnson on January 12, 2009, 10:02:49 am
I think you forgot to attach the images.  
Title: unsharp mask on BW landscape
Post by: rcannonp on January 12, 2009, 10:15:12 am
Why do people still use USM instead of Smart Sharpen?
Title: unsharp mask on BW landscape
Post by: JeffKohn on January 12, 2009, 11:48:11 am
strange, the images were there the other day when I saw this thread. I thought the effect was interesting, and while I agree that it could become a gimmick if overused I thought it fit the images well. I haven't seen that described as unsharp mask before though, so I'm curious exactly how it was accomplished.
Title: unsharp mask on BW landscape
Post by: DarkPenguin on January 12, 2009, 12:27:52 pm
Was it a local contrast enhancement using wide radius USM?

Like ...  http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorial...hancement.shtml (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/contrast-enhancement.shtml)
Title: unsharp mask on BW landscape
Post by: John R on January 12, 2009, 05:40:13 pm
Quote from: erictoddjohnson
I think you forgot to attach the images.  
Sorry, took them down after a few thinking there was no feedback or comments.

John R
Title: unsharp mask on BW landscape
Post by: John R on January 12, 2009, 05:52:36 pm
Quote from: DarkPenguin
Was it a local contrast enhancement using wide radius USM?

Like ...  http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorial...hancement.shtml (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/contrast-enhancement.shtml)
Just read the link you posted and, yes, that it is pretty much what I did. I can't recall the settings as I did it to taste. Not sure what is meant by local contrast, as I applied the technique to the entire image. I used quite a lot of radius and high percentage (abt 60 or more) to accentuate the effect. One thing you do not know is that both images are double exposures sandwiched and then converted to black and white. I read about USM and tried it on the BW conversion and decided I liked the effect on these two images. Thes shots are, of course, interpretive and impressionistic and not meant to represent the real look of the forest except in spirit. It has an almost infrared quality to them.

Thank you for the feedback. Sorry about images being removed. I guess I will be a little more patient next time.

John R
Title: unsharp mask on BW landscape
Post by: DarkPenguin on January 12, 2009, 08:33:42 pm
They're quite lovely.
Title: unsharp mask on BW landscape
Post by: JeffKohn on January 13, 2009, 02:55:51 pm
Quote from: John R
Just read the link you posted and, yes, that it is pretty much what I did. I can't recall the settings as I did it to taste. Not sure what is meant by local contrast, as I applied the technique to the entire image. I used quite a lot of radius and high percentage (abt 60 or more) to accentuate the effect. One thing you do not know is that both images are double exposures sandwiched and then converted to black and white. I read about USM and tried it on the BW conversion and decided I liked the effect on these two images. Thes shots are, of course, interpretive and impressionistic and not meant to represent the real look of the forest except in spirit. It has an almost infrared quality to them.
Ahh, OK. I'm familiar with large-radius USM but have never seen it produce results such as these. But if these are double-exposures (I presume one exposure was at least somewhat out of focus) that would explain it.

Quote
Thank you for the feedback. Sorry about images being removed. I guess I will be a little more patient next time.
John R
Yeah, not as much thread traffic here as on some other boards. This section sometimes goes days without a new post.
Title: unsharp mask on BW landscape
Post by: John R on January 13, 2009, 04:22:50 pm
Quote from: JeffKohn
Ahh, OK. I'm familiar with large-radius USM but have never seen it produce results such as these. But if these are double-exposures (I presume one exposure was at least somewhat out of focus) that would explain it.]

[Yeah, not as much thread traffic here as on some other boards. This section sometimes goes days without a new post.

Yes, that's right. I have posted quite a few on my website, but I am sure you are familar with the technique. I guess I should have posted it in User Critiques but I thought since it was a landscape and about a technique, well...

John R
http://lusalight.smugmug.com/ (http://lusalight.smugmug.com/)