I’m so tired of seeing photographers mess up their images with over-sharpening. It’s like they’re trying to make their photos look like they were shot with a cheap point-and-shoot camera from the 90s. The worst part is, most sharpening tutorials out there are teaching them to do it wrong. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen a tutorial that says to crank up the sharpening sliders to 100% and then proceed to add a ton of noise reduction¹.
Look, I get it, sharpening can be tricky. But that’s no excuse for not taking the time to understand how it works. I mean, come on, if you’re going to spend hours editing a photo, can’t you spare a few minutes to learn about the basics of sharpening? It’s not rocket science, folks. The problem is, most tutorials are written by people who don’t actually understand the process themselves. They’re just regurgitating what they’ve learned from other tutorials, without ever stopping to think about whether it actually makes sense.
Why Most Beginners Get Sharpening Wrong
The main issue with most sharpening tutorials is that they focus on the wrong things. They’ll tell you to use the “sharpen” tool in your editing software, without explaining what that tool actually does. Newsflash: the sharpen tool is not a magic button that makes your photos look better. It’s a complex algorithm that can either enhance or destroy your image, depending on how you use it. I’ve seen tutorials that say to use the “unsharp mask” filter, without explaining what an unsharp mask is or how it works².
It’s like they’re speaking a different language. And don’t even get me started on the “local contrast” obsession. I mean, I get it, local contrast can be useful in some situations, but it’s not a substitute for proper sharpening. And yet, I’ve seen tutorials that say to use local contrast to “sharpen” your images, without ever mentioning the actual sharpening tools³.
The Problem with Over-Sharpening
Over-sharpening is a major problem in the photography world. It’s like, I get it, you want your photos to look sharp and clear, but there’s a fine line between sharp and oversharpened. When you over-sharpen an image, you start to introduce artifacts and noise that can ruin the entire photo. And yet, most tutorials seem to encourage over-sharpening, without ever warning about the dangers. I’ve seen photos that have been sharpened to the point where they look like they were shot with a camera that’s been dropped on the floor a few times.
According to an article by Peter McKinnon on his website, over-sharpening can lead to a loss of detail and an increase in noise⁴. And let’s not forget about the halos. Oh, the halos. They’re like a dead giveaway that someone has over-sharpened an image. And yet, I’ve seen tutorials that say to ignore the halos, or even worse, to use them as a “creative effect”⁵.
Shooting Sharp from the Start
You know what the best way to avoid over-sharpening is? Shooting sharp from the start. I mean, it sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many photographers don’t take the time to make sure their camera is set up properly. They’ll just point and shoot, without ever stopping to think about the settings they’re using. And then they’ll wonder why their photos don’t look sharp. Look, if you’re using a camera like the Nikon D850, you should be able to get sharp photos without needing to over-sharpen them⁶.
But, I guess that’s just not sexy enough for most photographers. They’d rather spend hours editing their photos, trying to make them look sharp, rather than taking the time to learn how to shoot sharp from the start. And that’s why most sharpening tutorials are wrong. They’re focusing on the wrong things, and they’re not teaching photographers the skills they need to take great photos.
The Importance of Understanding Your Camera
Understanding your camera is key to taking sharp photos. I mean, it’s not just about knowing how to use the camera, it’s about understanding how it works. What’s the difference between a full-frame sensor and a crop sensor? How does the lens affect the sharpness of the image? These are all important questions that most photographers don’t bother to ask. And yet, they’ll spend hours editing their photos, trying to make them look sharp. It’s like, come on, folks, get it together.
According to a article by Tony Northrup on his website, understanding your camera is essential to taking great photos⁷. And I couldn’t agree more. I mean, if you don’t understand how your camera works, how can you expect to take sharp photos? It’s like trying to drive a car without knowing how to use the brakes. You’re just going to end up crashing and burning.
What Most Sharpening Tutorials Get Wrong
Most sharpening tutorials get one thing wrong: they focus on the sharpening sliders. I mean, it’s like, the sharpening sliders are just a tool, they’re not the solution to all your sharpening problems. But, most tutorials will tell you to crank up the sharpening sliders to 100%, without ever explaining what that actually does. It’s like, come on, folks, use some common sense. If you’re going to sharpen an image, you need to understand what you’re doing.
For example, the sharpening sliders in Adobe Lightroom can be very powerful, but they can also be very destructive if used incorrectly⁸. I’ve seen tutorials that say to use the “sharpen” slider to “add detail” to an image, without ever explaining what that actually means. It’s like, detail is not just about sharpening, it’s about the entire image. And yet, most tutorials seem to forget that.
The Solution to the Sharpening Problem
So, what’s the solution to the sharpening problem? Well, it’s simple: take the time to learn about sharpening. I mean, it’s not rocket science, folks. Sharpening is just a tool, it’s not a magic button that makes your photos look better. You need to understand how it works, and how to use it properly. And that means taking the time to learn about the basics of sharpening.
For example, the book “The Art of Photography” by Bruce Barnbaum has a great section on sharpening that explains the basics of how it works⁹. It’s like, if you’re going to sharpen an image, you need to understand what you’re doing. And that means taking the time to learn about the tools you’re using.
In conclusion, most sharpening tutorials are wrong because they focus on the wrong things. They don’t teach photographers the skills they need to take great photos, and they don’t explain the basics of sharpening. But, by taking the time to learn about sharpening, and by understanding your camera, you can take sharp photos that look amazing. So, don’t waste your time with tutorials that don’t work, and don’t be afraid to learn something new.
It’s time to get it right.
¹ https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/sharpening.htm
² https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photoshop/tutorials/unsharp-mask-filter.html
³ https://www.tonynorthrup.com/tutorials/local-contrast/
⁴ https://www.petermckinnon.com/blog/over-sharpening-photos
⁵ https://www.photography-life.com/how-to-sharpen-photos
⁶ https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/dslr-cameras/d850.html
⁷ https://www.tonynorthrup.com/tutorials/understanding-your-camera
⁸ https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/lightroom/tutorials/sharpening-sliders.html
⁹ https://www.amazon.com/Art-Photography-Bruce-Barnbaum/dp/1568986547
