Photo processing software

Hi,

Could any one give some cc on various software for photo processing - saw on a thread remark that ALL digital photos need to be sharpened ? - I have elements 5 which does not identify lens used.

Many thanks

Doug

I agree that most photos would benefit from at least a little bit of sharpening unless you shoot JPEGs and the camera has already applied enough.

Elements 5 is a worthy program and will do a good job for you. The only problem I see with it is that the RAW processing add in, its called ACR, will be old and may not process the latest files from the latest cameras.

or have a camera that produces a raw file PSE5 can use.

Cedarhill said:

I agree that most photos would benefit from at least a little bit of sharpening unless you shoot JPEGs and the camera has already applied enough.

Click to expand...

I think a little sharpening and noise reduction helps even jpgs. I generally like to use Topaz Detail as an add on tool regardles of what sort of photo format I use. The built in PSE5 Sharpening and NR tools work OK if you only need a very small amout, but it just isn't what I like.

I also use Lightroom and find it does noise reduction pretty well for my tastes but the sharpening is not quite enough in my book, so I use Topaz Detail.

Cedarhill said:

Elements 5 is a worthy program and will do a good job for you. The only problem I see with it is that the RAW processing add in, its called ACR, will be old and may not process the latest files from the latest cameras.

Click to expand...

Yeah, if you have a newer camera and want to shoot raw, it's not going to work all that well for you. You'll need a newer version of something. . . But if you're shooting jpgs, it'll work fine for you

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Douglas Essex said:

Hi,

Could any one give some cc on various software for photo processing - saw on a thread remark that ALL digital photos need to be sharpened ? - I have elements 5 which does not identify lens used.

Click to expand...

^ Digital photos probably need sharpening

• The camera when you are shooting JPEG already sharpens. You don't have sharpen if the image is satisfactory

• Your camera should also come with free, brand supplied software. This can touch up JPEG and also produce JPEG from RAW. If you use this, the software will follow the recipe that the camera uses for sharpening. If you use other software the third party software may not read the recipe for initial post processing in full.

--



Ananda
http://anandasim.blogspot.com

'There are a whole range of greys and colours - from
the photographer who shoots everything in iA / green
AUTO to the one who shoots Manual Everything. There
is no right or wrong - there are just instances of
individuality and individual choice.'

Yes, the Bayer array sensor design de-sharpens the image somewhat. You need to put it back and sometimes add a little extra during processing, whether at home or in the camera. Most cameras come preset with some level of sharpening set in the camera for JPeg snapshots. Often you see a review where the reviewer said that default sharpening was a little soft. That's adjustable, so not something to pay attention to.

I'm not going to get into how sharpening works, but sharpening is best done as the last thing after you size the image. The amount of sharpening needed is determined by the size and usage of the image. If you're just playing around or shooting JPeg, it doesn't really matter much, but when you get really serious about processing, it will matter.

I shoot RAW and do everything but sharpening then save it as a TIFF. Later, when I want a print, web or email type Jpeg, I load the TIFF up, downsize it, then do the sharpening for that size and use. Just my opinion.
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Cheers, Craig

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