Post Processing Video Tutorial: Sharpening

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Aug

August 28, 2012 by Jason Hines

Today’s post processing video is all about sharpening. In this video, I’ll show you how to use three of my favorite sharpening tools in Photoshop to sharpen regions of the image to direct the viewer’s eye. In this video, I also introduce Topaz Detail which I find can be quite helpful. In fact, I use several different Topaz plug-ins which you’ll see more of in future videos. You can check out their different software here.

Thanks again for checking out my videos and as always be sure to leave any questions you have in the comments below. If you’ve missed any of my previous video tutorials you can catch up on them here.

Here is the finished shot from Tioga Lake in Yosemite! Enjoy!

5 Replies Categories: California, Escalante, Landscapes, Nikon D700, Product Reviews, Tips & Tutorials, Utah, Yosemite National ParkTags: Escalante, High Pass Sharpening, Photoshop CS6, Sharpening, Smart Sharpen, Sunset Arch, Topaz Detail, Topaz Labs, Tutorials, Yosemite National Park

Topaz Adjust 5 Review

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Nov

November 17, 2011 by Jason Hines

Topaz Adjust 5

I just downloaded and installed the latest version of Topaz Adjust the other day and I thought I’d take a moment to share my thoughts with you. I use Topaz Adjust in my workflow about 40% – 50% of the time for everything from adding detail & texture in an image to creating unique effects.

The biggest inconvenience I had before update of Adjust 5 was that the overall effects of the filters were usually a bit too strong to be used by themselves. I therefore would copy the before image into Photoshop and use a layer mask to mask in the desired effect. I am so used to using layer masks in Photoshop that this doesn’t bother me, but it could create some issues if you do not use Photoshop in your workflow.

The folks over at Topaz Labs did a great job adding in plenty of new features to Adjust 5 which make adding subtle or local adjustments to your images a piece of cake!

Topaz Adjust works as a plug-in for Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture & iPhoto. Simply select the desired image in your preferred program and launch the program. You’ll notice a categorized list of presets on the left – simply play around with the different ones until you find one that looks good for your image.

Once you’ve selected one of the presets from the left, you can go to the “Finishing Touches” bar on the right and adjust the overall transparency of the effect. You can also use the “Global Adjustment” tab to fine tune the effect to your liking.

One of the best additions to Adjust 5 is the ability to brush out the effect in places that you don’t want it. Use the “Local Adjustments” tab to do this as well as Dodge, Burn and Smooth the image locally.

Additional Topaz Adjust 5 Highlights include:

107 new preset filters to keep things fresh (be sure to check out Dynamic Sunset).

Local Adjustments brush with Edge Aware Technology (mentioned above).

New “Apply” button allows you to use multiple filters on a single image.

Transparency slider which controls the overall strength of the selected effect.

Finishing Touches tab which can be used to create borders, vignettes, tone adjustments, add grain and more!

For a limited time, you can get the full version of Topaz Adjust 5 for 30% off by using the coupon code “ADJUSTME”. If you have previously purchased a copy of Topaz Adjust, you can upgrade to the new version for free! While you’re there, you should consider getting the Topaz Bundle which includes Adjust, DeNoise, Detail, B&W Effects and much more!

Before & After Examples

Before

After

Before

After

Additional Images Processed With Topaz Adjust

9 Replies Categories: Articles, Nikon D700, Nikon D90, Product ReviewsTags: HDR, Topaz Adjust, Topaz Adjust 5 Review

Topaz B&W Effects Review

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Sep

September 13, 2011 by Jason Hines

Topaz B&W Effects

We all love black & white photos – the simplicity, artistry, detail and raw drama all combine to make photos of exceptional beauty and elegance. Black and white photography does a great job of enhancing contrast, shapes and lines in your photos but sometimes the editing process can just be frustrating and confusing.

I have been a Topaz user for some time and have been favorably impressed by the power and ease of use of their products. In fact, I routinely use Adjust, Detail and DeNoise in my post processing technique. Not long ago, I received an email update from Topaz informing me of their new product – I have been a B&W Effects and I immediately decided to give it a shot. I have been playing around with the software for a week now and I couldn’t be happier with it.

The Review

Topaz B&W Effects is a plug-in that is compatible with Lightroom, Aperture, Photoshop CS5, Photoshop Elements, iPhoto, Paint Shop Pro and more. Like all Topaz products, the interface is extremely simple and easy to use. Once you load the plug-in from the filter menu you can select from Traditional, Toned, Stylized, Cyanotype, Albumen, Van Dyke Brown & Opalotype effects and find the the preset you like!

Once you’ve found an interesting preset, use the sliders on the right to fine tune your image. The basic and adaptive exposure menus let you adjust all the basics like contrast, brightness, blacks, whites, details and shadows. Select the color sensitivity and color filter menus to adjust color tones, balance and hue of the overall image allowing you to a create a truly unique looking image.

One of the best things about BW Effects is the local adjustment panel. Choose one of the 5 tools – Dodge, Burn, Color, Detail, or Smooth – and set your brush size and opacity so you can selectively apply these effects anywhere in the image! To make things even better, Topaz has included advanced Edge Aware Technology that really makes it easy to brush only the things you want.

Topaz B&W Effects is one of the most versatile tools I have used for black & white conversion and enhancement. I find the user interface organized and simple to use whether you’re a casual photographer who’s interested in having some fun with your images, or a pro photographer who is looking for a truly unique look for your portfolio.

For a limited time, Topaz is offering 50% off the product price using the coupon code “bwandbeyond”. I also recommend checking out the full Photoshop bundle while your’re there and try out some of the other great Topaz Products like Adjust and Detail.