Quick Fix: Fast Basic FixeselptUse photoshop elements to make these essential adjustments
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By Rick Sammon
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Page 3 of 3
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6 Then it was time to sharpen the image. However, there was no need to sharpen the sky. The point here is to think about selectively sharpening an image, as opposed to sharpening the entire image. In CS2, we have the History Brush and Layer Masks to help us with selective sharpening. In Elements, we can selectively sharpen an image using this technique: 1) Make a duplicate layer (of a one-layer file) by dragging the layer to the New Layer icon at the top of the Layers palette; 2) Sharpen the top layer; and 3) Use the Eraser tool (use a brush with soft edges) on the Toolbar and erase over the part of the image that you don’t want sharpened. In this screenshot of the Layers palette, you can see that the sky has been erased on the top layer, which is why it looks transparent.
As far as the actual sharpening enhancement, I used Unsharp Mask (Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask) with the amount set to 100% and the Radius and Threshold both set very low. Sharpening is a personal thing. What’s more, it has a lot to do with image size, resolution, image quality and viewing distance. Perhaps I’ll devote an entire column to sharpening in the future.
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7 All these enhancements took me about 10 minutes to apply to my image—but I’ve been working with Elements and CS2 for many years. If you have trouble getting started, here’s some advice: learn one enhancement a week. That way, at the end of a year, you’ll know 52 enhancements. That’s more than most people know!
Rick Sammon has published 27 books, including his latest: Idea to Image, Rick Sammon’s Complete Guide to Digital Photography, Rick Sammon’s Travel and Nature Photography and Rick Sammon’s Digital Imaging Workshops. He has produced a DVD for Photoshop Elements users: 3-Minute Digital Makeover, and three DVDs for Photoshop CS users: Awaken the Artist Within, Close Encounters with Camera Raw and Photoshop CS2 for the Outdoor and Travel Photographer. See www.ricksammon.com for more information.
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