Feedback on one of my recent images included the suggestion of applying an unsharp mask. I'm new to digital photography and I'm using Aperture on a MacBook Pro. How does one apply a USM in Aperture?
Thanks!
Posted by Jim DeWitt on January 18, 2008 at 9:33 PM
Aperture doesn't have Unsharpen Mask. I'm a big fan of Aperture, but it's not a substitute for a full-featured photo-editing tool. You'll need Photoshop for USM (or Smart Sharpen, a better tool introduced in version CS2).
Thanks Jim. I guess I'll shop around for Photoshop... All the different versions make it a somewhat daunting task though. Any suggestions in that regard would be welcomed.
Arlen, Unsharp mask (USM) increases the contrast between adjacent pixels in an image, giving the appearance of greater sharpness. The USM filter is available in PhotoShop and other photo editing programs allows you to have control over the amount of USM that is applied.
The 'Smart Sharpen' filter in PS-CS2 and CS3 is more comprehensive than the USM filter. It allows you to remove Gaussian Blur, Lens Blur and Motion Blur. It also has the facility of being able to sharpen highlight and shadow areas, respectively.
Image sharpening is a huge topic. You might want to search NPN for topics related to sharpening for both the web and for printing. But, as Jim Says, you will need a photo editing program that has USM or a stand-alone image sharpening program. I recommend a full-featured editing program.
-PB
Posted by David Bostedo on January 19, 2008 at 6:57 PM
Arlen - As for Photoshop suggestions, there are really only two choices : Elements 6, and CS3 (not CS3 extended).
I have been using Elements4 for the last 2 years, and have found it more than adequate. It is missing some things that are nice to have from CS3 (particularly layer masks, curves, and B+W conversion capability - but I've been able to add curves and layer masks through some nice free plug-ins),
CS3, of course, has it all, but it's a LOT more expensive. So Elements might be worth getting as a starting point, with an upgrade to CS3 or higher down the road. Other than those two, there are a few other options - The Gimp is a freeware, very full featured editor that is developed much like Linux, through the user community. LightZone is one that I've heard good things about and is geared specifically for photography. And then there are Corel PhotoPaint and Paint Shop Pro.
All of these are good options and if used properly will give great results, but the main reason people usually stick with Photoshop is the wealth of resources, classes, forums, books, and other info.
Posted by Arlen Fletcher on January 20, 2008 at 11:18 AM
Thanks all for the helpful responses!
Some of the items mentioned (curves, B&W conversion) are available in Aperture - but I don't know how those features compare to CS3 (having not used it). I get a pretty decent educational discount on Adobe products - so maybe I'll just bite the bullet and buy - something... I find Adobe's product line extremely confusing. What's the difference between these?
ADOBE CS3 DESIGN PREMIUM
ADOBE CS3 DESIGN STANDARD
ADOBE CS3 WEB STANDARD
ADOBE CS3 PRODUCTION PREMIUM
ADOBE CS3 MASTER COLLECTION
Posted by David Bostedo on January 20, 2008 at 1:27 PM
Arlen - I think maybe your looking at Adobe products that aren't Photoshop. Adobe makes a full lines of various products that use the "CS3" designator. Some are vector graphics tool, video editing tools, workflow tools, audio tools, etc. There are only two editions of Photoshop CS3, known as "Photoshop CS3" and "Photoshop CS3, Extended". "Extended" includes motion 3D graphic and some video capabilities - unecessary if you just want photo editing. So I think "Photoshop CS3" is what you want.
Posted by Jim DeWitt on January 21, 2008 at 2:35 AM
Arlen, as David says Adobe has confused you with its various bundles. Unless you are looking for tools beyond Photoshop, you don't need any of the "bundles" - Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Acrobat, Illustrator, InDesign, etc. all in one hideously expensive package - but only plain old Photoshop, Version CS3. Here's a link to the Photoshop as sold by Amazon for Windows and for Macintosh. Amazon may not have the best prices, but it gives you a starting point.
I'm not sure why Jim thinks Aperture has no USM in it as Aperture actually does have 3 different kinds of sharpening (USM) actions available for you to use.
The first is known as 'Input sharpening' and is applied by Aperture when it does the initial RAW conversion when you import an image into the Aperture library. This allows you to set a default level of sharpening to counteract the softening effect of your camera's Anti-Alias filter. The level of sharpening applied can be set by camera type and is automatically applied to all images imported from that model of camera (if you save it as a default after changing it).
The other two types are more akin to the USM types mentioned by others in this thread - ie those done in Photoshop. The first type was known simply as 'Sharpen' and is the same as Photoshop's 'Unsharp Mask' (USM). This was a bit of a blunt instrument as it sharpened everything in a image. Apple have updated Aperture to include a more powerful sharpening effect that they call 'Edge Sharpen' - this applied the USM
to the edges of items in an image giving a more pleasing result.
To find each of these sharpening tools you need to bring up the adhustments HUD (press H). You'll find the 1st sharpening (input) in the 'RAW Fine Tuning' section - exapnd the section and it'll be there at the bottom.
The other two don't appear in the HUD by default - you need to add them in by going to the top right of the adjustment HUD and clicking on the '+' icon - choose the 'Edge Sharpening' adjustment (or press ^S) and play around with that until you get the hang of it - it can take some trial and error to find settings that you like, and they'll change a little for each image you process. Don't bother using the 'Sharpen' tool - it isn't worth it and Apple may remove it in future versions.
Aperture was intended to help remove some of the more common things that where done in Photoshop - such as sharpening, levels, curves, and dust spotting. Photoshop will still give you far finer control of adjustments - but it takes some learning. If you desperately want to buy it, then you can choose either the cheaper, but limited, Photoshop Elements, or the expensive and fully featured Photoshop CS3. You don't need buy the 'extended' version, nor do you need to buy the Creative 'suites'.
Discussion
9 repliesThanks!
The 'Smart Sharpen' filter in PS-CS2 and CS3 is more comprehensive than the USM filter. It allows you to remove Gaussian Blur, Lens Blur and Motion Blur. It also has the facility of being able to sharpen highlight and shadow areas, respectively.
Image sharpening is a huge topic. You might want to search NPN for topics related to sharpening for both the web and for printing. But, as Jim Says, you will need a photo editing program that has USM or a stand-alone image sharpening program. I recommend a full-featured editing program.
-PB
I have been using Elements4 for the last 2 years, and have found it more than adequate. It is missing some things that are nice to have from CS3 (particularly layer masks, curves, and B+W conversion capability - but I've been able to add curves and layer masks through some nice free plug-ins),
CS3, of course, has it all, but it's a LOT more expensive. So Elements might be worth getting as a starting point, with an upgrade to CS3 or higher down the road. Other than those two, there are a few other options - The Gimp is a freeware, very full featured editor that is developed much like Linux, through the user community. LightZone is one that I've heard good things about and is geared specifically for photography. And then there are Corel PhotoPaint and Paint Shop Pro.
All of these are good options and if used properly will give great results, but the main reason people usually stick with Photoshop is the wealth of resources, classes, forums, books, and other info.
Some of the items mentioned (curves, B&W conversion) are available in Aperture - but I don't know how those features compare to CS3 (having not used it). I get a pretty decent educational discount on Adobe products - so maybe I'll just bite the bullet and buy - something... I find Adobe's product line extremely confusing. What's the difference between these?
ADOBE CS3 DESIGN PREMIUM
ADOBE CS3 DESIGN STANDARD
ADOBE CS3 WEB STANDARD
ADOBE CS3 PRODUCTION PREMIUM
ADOBE CS3 MASTER COLLECTION
I'm not sure why Jim thinks Aperture has no USM in it as Aperture actually does have 3 different kinds of sharpening (USM) actions available for you to use.
The first is known as 'Input sharpening' and is applied by Aperture when it does the initial RAW conversion when you import an image into the Aperture library. This allows you to set a default level of sharpening to counteract the softening effect of your camera's Anti-Alias filter. The level of sharpening applied can be set by camera type and is automatically applied to all images imported from that model of camera (if you save it as a default after changing it).
The other two types are more akin to the USM types mentioned by others in this thread - ie those done in Photoshop. The first type was known simply as 'Sharpen' and is the same as Photoshop's 'Unsharp Mask' (USM). This was a bit of a blunt instrument as it sharpened everything in a image. Apple have updated Aperture to include a more powerful sharpening effect that they call 'Edge Sharpen' - this applied the USM
to the edges of items in an image giving a more pleasing result.
To find each of these sharpening tools you need to bring up the adhustments HUD (press H). You'll find the 1st sharpening (input) in the 'RAW Fine Tuning' section - exapnd the section and it'll be there at the bottom.
The other two don't appear in the HUD by default - you need to add them in by going to the top right of the adjustment HUD and clicking on the '+' icon - choose the 'Edge Sharpening' adjustment (or press ^S) and play around with that until you get the hang of it - it can take some trial and error to find settings that you like, and they'll change a little for each image you process. Don't bother using the 'Sharpen' tool - it isn't worth it and Apple may remove it in future versions.
Aperture was intended to help remove some of the more common things that where done in Photoshop - such as sharpening, levels, curves, and dust spotting. Photoshop will still give you far finer control of adjustments - but it takes some learning. If you desperately want to buy it, then you can choose either the cheaper, but limited, Photoshop Elements, or the expensive and fully featured Photoshop CS3. You don't need buy the 'extended' version, nor do you need to buy the Creative 'suites'.
Hope that helps a bit.