bedouin Loc: Big Bend area, Texas

I am confused-both of these seem to sharpen images. But sometimes decreasing clarity seems to sharpen and at other times imcreasing it adds a little sharpness. How are the two related?

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

The clarity slider improves texture lifting contrast in the middle tonalities. As the contrast is lifted it seems to improve on sharpness. It is a global adjustment.

https://digital-photography-school.com/lightrooms-clarity-slider-what-does-it-do/

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

What is your reference (point)? Photoshop? Lightroom? Settings in your camera? Other computer PP Programs?

bedouin Loc: Big Bend area, Texas

Edit with Acdsee Ultimate, camera settings-Natural Coloring,A priority, manually set iso, multiple lenses, raw.

bedouin Loc: Big Bend area, Texas

Thanks Bill, that was an excellent article you suggested.Now I understand.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Without looking it up and citing references... lazy this morning ... I will explain what I know from Topaz Plugin experience. Here is my understanding:

When using Topaz their Detail plugin is used to sharpening the edges within the image and bring out items not seen distinctly in the beginning image.

Topaz Clarity deals with various levels of contrast allowing one to control the change [increase of decrease] for areas with small differences for areas with medium differences or those areas with already significant differences in contrast. The plugin also allows adjustment of color shade, saturation, luminosity [brightness]. Presently Topaz for their Studio has separated the contrast control and the color control into two separate plugins. Not sure if this answers for PS people, .... I use Topaz as a tunnel to get to the end result vs PS which requires me to climb a mountain both for learning and for each result. [sorry that is a predigest statement... but true]

rwilson1942 Loc: Houston, TX

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

All clarity is doing, is increasing the contrast in the middle tones!

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

This may help.

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

Different adjustments like clarity, using a two pass method with unsharp mask - small radius large amount then large radius small amount, high pass sharpening, third party apps like Nik Dfine etc all affect image contrast and detail at different image frequencies. for close viewing regular old sharpening will likely work fine, for larger images where small details will not be visible at greater distances, medium frequency sharpening, like clarity will really do a nice job.

bedouin Loc: Big Bend area, Texas

Thanks. The video is great and opened my understanding!

berchman Loc: South Central PA

The article you linked to is insanely advanced and made my head spin.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

They aren't related at all. The Sharpen slider sharpens the edges of areas in your image where there's a lot of contrast. The Clarity slider is like the Contrast slider except it's for adding or removing contrast from the middle range tones of the image and the Contrast slider is adjusting the darker and lighter tones of the image.

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

I use both, in small doses. They are in Photoshop. Sometimes in conjunction with 'Shadow Highlight' controls.