catchlight.. Loc: Wisconsin USA- Halden Norway

It seems many "photographers" today get sharpening intoxicated in Photoshop and don't consider other forms of contrast.

Sharpening is good... so more must be better and on everything!

Example:

If the clouds are soft and the fence sharpened, the fence will actually look sharper and draw your attention to it as a focal point and add depth.

I see so many photo's posted where sharpening goes to the point of "crunchy" and flat but get praised because they are technically wildly detailed to the extreme. Few ever offer and any constructive criticism.

Eyes are a whole other subject but even that gets crazy and pushed over the cliff some times...

Sharp is a good thing but how it is controlled can make or break contrast beyond light.

Any comments?

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I'm with you - can't stand the crunchy! But it's just personal preference. I generally like my images softer and even a bit painterly - my artistic interpretation vs. documentary. Does that make me one of those "photographers-in-quotes?"

If someone doesn't ask for feedback, then they are content with their own style and there's no reason to attempt to force your viewpoint.

There is a critique forum on UHH; and another forum, called For Your Consideration, where feedback and suggestions are welcomed and conversations encouraged.

Click the "all sections" link at bottom of page to find additional specialty forums.

Jim Bob

Your title has to do with contrast and I agree with its premise. However, your thread is about sharpening. While those characteristics are related and often impacted by each other, they are not synonymous.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Actually, sharpening IS contrast - and completely subjective. When you sharpen an image, you are applying hard contrast to edges, which makes something appear "sharper." When you think about it, you can have a high resolution image with low contrast, and a high contrast image with lower resolution and most people will pick the image with higher contrast as the sharper of the two.

So, without a doubt - his explanation is on target.

https://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/what-is-image-sharpening--cms-26627

For what it's worth, I'm on board with Linda - oversharpened, crunchy is overdone. And I really don't like sharpening halos which indicate that the photographer went overboard with sharpening as well. I find it less distracting on large images when viewed at proper viewing distances, however.

Jim Bob

Geesus Gene. Contrast has to do with the range between the lightest and darkest portions of an image. It is not the same as sharpening. What planet are you from?

R.G. Loc: Scotland

Sharpness is just one aspect of what we could call vividness - contrast is another. People that get hung up on using sharpness to the max would probably benefit from considering the other ways to introduce vividness into an image.

jederick Loc: Northern Utah

Nice answer JayBob...your in good form again today. You obviously did not have a career dealing with the public in any way...probably just tied nooses.

When taking public speaking in college, the first day the professor said to our class, there are two rules you must master:

1. The definition of tact is the ability to make your point without making an enemy...you want people to embrace your ideas/opinions, not reject them out of hand.

2. Heed Shakespeare's observation..."He was a very wise man, he could hold his tongue in four different languages"...recognize when to do this.

Knowing you are the master of all things relating to photography, just wanted to broaden your horizons a bit. GFY. (Thats good for you )

R.G. Loc: Scotland

I make most of my sharpening edge-oriented by using the Masking slider in Lightroom's sharpening section. If there are textured areas that need sharpening I apply ordinary sharpening via the Adjustments brush.

catchlight.. Loc: Wisconsin USA- Halden Norway

Sharpening contrast...not lighting contrast.

Masking and blur filters are useful to bring attention to the subject and protect the natural look overall.

Simply sharpening the image where everything is crispy sharp and going wow vs contrast in sharpness and applying depth. ...and I'm not speaking about bokah.

http://www.dl-c.com/Temp/downloads/Whitepapers/Local%20Contrast%20Enhancement.pdf

catchlight.. Loc: Wisconsin USA- Halden Norway

Well said!

To others reading on my meaning of contrast:

con·trast
noun
noun: contrast; plural noun: contrasts
ˈkänˌtrast/

1.
the state of being different from something else, typically something in juxtaposition or close association.

synonyms: difference, dissimilarity, disparity, distinction, contradistinction, divergence, variance, variation, differentiation; More

Contrast can be considered in anything, not just what you know as the standard definition of light contrast.

Jim Bob

I'm not here for an etiquette lesson, either to give or receive one. I'm not here to make friends and not concerned about creating enemies. I aspire to wisdom, am no where close to that target and doubt that submissions on this site will assist in that quest. I am here to call them as I see them and to confront misinformation whenever I see it. If you don't like it, don't read it.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Yes, the masking slider is great at isolating edges, much like the high pass filter method in photoshop and other applications. It also results in the least amount of haloing, though photoshop's smart sharpen can provide similar results as well.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

If you read the link I provided, you would have a better understanding of what contrast has to do with sharpening, and that there are varying levels of contrast, from full-image coarse contrast adjustments that you describe when you say "Contrast has to do with the range between the lightest and darkest portions of an image" micro contrast, which narrows down what the contrast adjustment is applied to, all the way to high-pass, where you are only sharpening the edges. Each of these methods can be applied over a range of radii, to achieve the best sharpening of detail without sharpening noise.

You might also read material by Jeff Schewe, for instance, this piece:

http://www.pixelgenius.com/tips/schewe-sharpening.pdf

where he states, on the first page "What [Unsharp mask] basically does is increase the image contrast between light and dark pixels. The idea is to process the light slide of edges to be a bit lighter, and the dark side to be a bit darker."

So, sharpening is just a manipulation of contrast at the pixel level, or in your terms, the range of contrast between the lightest and darkest portions of tiny parts of the image - which in essence, is a very targeted application of contrast adjustment.

Now, on a personal note, try to add something of value to a thread, rather than take shots at others who are trying to do that, just because you don't understand or don't agree with them. I have yet to see any constructive or positive posts, with useful information, but I do see a lot of personal attack, rudeness, and other undesirable language and attitude. Ask yourself if your approach to forum etiquette is in your best interest, and if you can actually provide useful information that is not in the form of a complaint about someone else.

Don't take it personally, or do, I really don't care one way or the other - it just spoils an otherwise good discussion. And yes, if you are going to make incorrect statements without backup or clear rationale, for the sake of the OP, I will correct you. So expect it. And it won't be in the form of asking a stupid question like "what planet are you from?" That's just plain childish.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

martinfisherphoto Loc: Lake Placid Florida

I rarely if ever use Sharpening software for my photos. Instead I selectively use contrast and darken to sharpen my photos.