The Manny Librodo Sharpening Technique

[chewychua]

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thanks for sharing randy. you're waaaaay cool!

[Derick_Gamboa]

Allow me:

Anyway, here is the action, just download it from my website (right click link and select Save As), here.

You know how to load an action into PS and use it too right?

Enjoy!

Bilis naman! Thank you! More More More!!!

[Nick Tuason]

Glad to see that this thread picked up a strong response. Let's try to break it down a bit with some explanations so that the less experienced can understand what is going on behind the scenes:

USM 18-40-0- This is what many would call a Local Contrast Adjustment. Its sharpening with a low amount and a wide radius. I call it the HAZE remover. Nino C. laughs when he sees it on my actions palette. If you try this all by itself, you will notice that your image all of a sudden looks clearer. Its quite amazing. Just be careful because on some images the wide radius halo becomes evident.

USM 150-3-0- A general sharpen move. But then you
Edit > Fade > 100%? Darken- This takes the sharpen move and restricts it to the Dark halo. Meaning, you will only see the dark halo and not the white halo. Its like burning just the edges of a photo.

USM 159-3-0- Again a general sharpen but when you
Edit > Fade > 50% > Lighten - You now control the white halo. Since this is fading to 50% there is a good chance that this halo will not be evident.

This is really a good technique and save as an action. Thanks Randy Tamayo for helping us out here.

[fidel_mercado]

Thanks Randy! That was a big help!

[Arnell Umali]

Glad to see that this thread picked up a strong response. Let's try to break it down a bit with some explanations so that the less experienced can understand what is going on behind the scenes:

USM 18-40-0- This is what many would call a Local Contrast Adjustment. Its sharpening with a low amount and a wide radius. I call it the HAZE remover. Nino C. laughs when he sees it on my actions palette. If you try this all by itself, you will notice that your image all of a sudden looks clearer. Its quite amazing. Just be careful because on some images the wide radius halo becomes evident.

USM 150-3-0- A general sharpen move. But then you
Edit > Fade > 100%? Darken- This takes the sharpen move and restricts it to the Dark halo. Meaning, you will only see the dark halo and not the white halo. Its like burning just the edges of a photo.

USM 159-3-0- Again a general sharpen but when you
Edit > Fade > 50% > Lighten - You now control the white halo. Since this is fading to 50% there is a good chance that this halo will not be evident.

Nick,

This is great - explaining what the numbers mean.

I would point out that various models/cameras deal with AA's differently. Thus, one needs to experiment to get the desired effect and not follow the formula strictly. One may wonder why he did not get the "Librodo" effect after applying the formula.

[bryanyap]

sir nick!

thanks for sharing this technique! gwabe, big help and great timing talaga. just when i thought my USMing skill is hopeless.

thanks again!

-bry

[Dys Santos]

I strictly followed these steps:

Background copy
USM 18-40-0
USM 150-.3-0
Edit>Fade USM 100% in Darken Mode
USM 150-.3-0
Edit>Fade USM 50% in Lighten Mode
Flatten image

Here are two photos (before and after).


Before




After




We really should "mix and match" settings to get a desirable or acceptable effect on our photographs.

[chewychua]

you're right dys, it works on some of my images and sometimes it doesn't. i noticed that it doesn't do a flattering job on people wanting to hide their pores and fine lines as the action exaggerates it, but i feel that it's a great script to highlight wrinkles and age.

[Dys Santos]

you're right dys, it works on some of my images and sometimes it doesn't. i noticed that it doesn't do a flattering job on people wanting to hide their pores and fine lines as the action exaggerates it, but i feel that it's a great script to highlight wrinkles and age.

I agree. There are photos that need to be sharpened and photos that need to be softened (and photos that should stay untouched).

[Manuel Libres Librodo]

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Thanks Nick for helping me do my "paying forward". The sharpening is a must for me. My last step in post-pocessing actually.

Yes, I picked up the sharpening from luko, a trekearth/treklens friend. He said though that he picked it up from someone else. We never know who started it but what I know is that it improves my photographs extensively (if properly used). Here's the picture which actually started it:

http://www.trekearth.com/workshops/61240/photo13258.htm

If you click on the ensuing exchange of communications between me and Luko (and others), the "hows" and "whys" are addressed.

Have fun. And as Nick said: EXPERIMENT.

By the way, to compare the three versions, my image with my sharpening, my image with Luko's sharpening, and the original image, here's the link. Just click on each image to make it big.

http://www.trekearth.com/workshops/61240/