Fashionable trends make their way into all aspects of life—from clothing to television to music and art. The hot trend right now in photography seems to be a hyper-sharp look that’s everywhere in advertising and editorial. It’s tricky to describe, but it looks like a super-detailed, overly sharp image with extra detail in the shadows and what appears often as heightened grain. [To see examples, check out the work of Matthew Clark, Mitchell Funk and Gary Land in recent issues of PCPhoto and Digital Photo Pro.]
It’s a cool effect, and one that’s pretty digital-specific too. No matter how you shoot or process, this look comes straight from computer-based postproduction. Maybe that makes it one of the first major visual trends to stem directly from the digital revolution? Whatever the cause, the effect is simple: for now at least, it’s new, unique and fashionable. Why not stake a claim to your own version of this effect?
Some photographers utilize specialized software (Lucis Art and DxO
Optics) that they further customize to create the enhanced-edge look,
whereas others create their own complex combinations of adjustments and
filters to create the look in versions from super-subtle to overly
produced. Most photographers aren’t eager to reveal their practically
patented secrets, so it’s up to adventurous photographers to find their
own ways to make the look possible—with a little help from PCPhoto,
that is.
First, as is always suggested, open Photoshop and duplicate the image
onto a new layer to make for an easy reference of the original—and to
ensure that no damage is done to the original image information. On
that duplicate layer, perform Shadow/Highlight effects from the
Image > Adjustments menu. This is where the bulk of the effect comes
from—although this one step won’t do it all.
The catch with Shadow/Highlight is that it can be very subtle or quite
dramatic as the mood strikes. Adjust the Shadow parameters until a
relatively dramatic effect is achieved; it can always be toned down
through layer opacity changes. I like an amount of about 50%, a width
of 50% and a radius of 100. Under the Highlight parameters, adjust the
amount to about 25%, the width and radius again to about 50. Tweaks to
clipping, contrast and color correction will also produce instantly
dramatic results. The key here is to make a major change from the
original—and there's no doubt that subtle adjustments to these parameters
translate into big changes in the finished picture.
Once the shot is sufficiently jazzed up in Shadow/Highlight, run the
Sharpen Edges filter to enhance all that detail that the previous step
brought out. Subtle sharpness changes can be made with any number of
sharpening tools, but the Sharpen Edges effect is powerful for
enhancing the detail that defines the edges of the subject—and that’s a
key component to hyperreal sharpness.
Add noise to the modified layer to again bring out the grittiness and
texture of the subject. I like a Gaussian distribution, probably around
1% or so—just enough to add texture without becoming too much of a
distraction. After the noise is added, duplicate the layer again for
additional edge-defining enhancements.
On the duplicated layer, run the High Pass filter from the Photoshop
Filters menu. Choose a radius that provides significant edge detail
throughout the subject—assuming you’d like all of those edges
additionally sharp. (If you only want to further draw attention to
specific parts of the image, adjust the radius until only those parts
are visible. Alternatively, you can erase or mask the details out of
this layer to prevent them from being overly sharp distractions.)
Now you’re looking at a gray image with only an outline of your
subject. That’s okay, because after you set this High-Pass-modified
layer’s mode to Overlay (found in the drop-down menu of the layers
palette), you’ll see all that gray disappear, leaving only those
extra-sharp edges. Toggle this layer, as well as the previously
modified original layer, on and off to view the effects. Don’t hesitate
to dial down a layer’s overall opacity, or even mask out or erase
particular elements that are either too much or not enough.
In the end, the image you’re looking at is surely a hyperreal version
of the original. Now it’s just a question of personal preference: for
more dramatic changes, repeat the process and tweak the settings until
you’re floored by the results. It’s not always the most flattering look
for a portrait, but for shots that need a little extra grit, grime or
uber-hip attitude, nothing says “fashionable” today more than this
hypersharp processing effect.
  |
Tip Of The Week Archive 
