Understanding Sharpening in Camera Raw and Lightroom

January 13, 2009 ·

Michael Reichmann

Tsingy. Madagascar, November, 2007

Canon 1Ds MKIII with 100-400mm f/5.6 L IS

Digital image sharpening is often the least understood aspect of image processing, yet it is as well among the most important. The reason for this is that every image has different sharpening requirements, and each use, whether a 16X20" exhibition print or for use on the web, requires different amount of shapening applied at different times in the image processing process. No wonder so many people simply shoot in-camera JPGs and say the hell with it.

There are automated solutions. Among the best of these is Photokit Sharpener from Pixel Genious. I’ve been using this Photoshop plug-in for years and can hardly imagine working without it.

Luminous-Landscape is a membership site. Our website contains over 5300 articles on almost every topic, camera, lens and printer you can imagine. Our membership model is simple, a Dollar-a-Month ($12.00 USD a year). This $12 gains you access to a wealth of information including all our past and future video tutorials on such topics as Lightroom, Capture One, Printing, file management and dozens of interviews and travel videos.

To continue reading with unlimited access join today for $12 a year

New Articles every few days
All original content found nowhere else on the web
No Pop Up Google Sense ads - Our advertisers are photo related
Download/stream video to any device
NEW videos monthly
Top well-known photographer contributors
Posts from industry leaders
Speciality Photography Workshops
Mobile device scalable
Exclusive video interviews
Special vendor offers for members
Hands On Product reviews
FREE - User Forum. One of the most read user forums on the internet
Access to our community Buy and Sell pages; for members only.

Michael Reichmann

See all articles by Michael Reichmann

Michael Reichmann is the founder of the Luminous Landscape. Michael passed away in May 2016. Since its inception in 1999 LuLa has become the world's largest site devoted to the art, craft, and technology of photography. Each month more than one million people from every country on the globe visit LuLa.