Elements 5 processing sequence

[edge1255]

Hi folks,

I've been using the quick edit facility in Elements 5.0 and the advice given on several websites and books is that the correct order to process your file from the camera is:-

1. Duplicate
2. Crop to size
3. Adjust shadow/highlight and midtone
4. Saturation
5. Sharpness
6. Noise reduction

First point, does anybody feel that a different order of processing is better and, second point, if I use the full edit and create layers for the above adjustments, does the order matter?

Cheers,

Jon

[Birdsnapper]

That's just about my work flow - I think that you'll find that it's quite a logical way of working. I've often created a new layer after each step - especially if I want to experiment. Once you have a final layer that you're happy with just flatten the image and save as JPEG (if you want to save disc space).

[edge1255]

Thanks, Mike,

I've also just found out about high pass filtering for sharpening, rather than just using the standard sharpening tool. Have you used the technique yourself? I find it gives a really nice finish to the shot, cleaner somehow. The more I get into this digital processing the more I am amazed by what you can do.

Cheers,

Jon

[Craftysnapper]

Noise reduction would be at the top of my list and not the last thing to do as the previous edits can increase the appearance of any noise in the image making it a bigger problem to deal with at the end of the process.

[edge1255]

I wasn't sure about where noise occurs in the processing, but thinking about it, what you say makes sense. By cutting it down at the beginning it must stop the noise multiplying as each step is done. I'll try that in future.
Many thanks,

Jon

[Snowyowl]

Doesn't sharpening tend to produce noise? Isn't that why noise reduction is done last?

[Craftysnapper]

Originally Posted by Snowyowl

Doesn't sharpening tend to produce noise? Isn't that why noise reduction is done last?

No sharpening does not produce noise, it can make what is already there more visable hence the reason to nulify it at the begining. Sharpening and/or noise reduction used at the finishing stage can produce artifacting but thats another subject

[edge1255]

Hi guys and gals,

here's a question I've got. This week I purchased Genuine Fractals software for increasing resolution, and also Focalblade for sharpening. Should I run Fractals before sharpening, or should I do the sharpening first? I don't have any experience with this kind of thing and I'm not too sure what I should be looking for or to avoid when using these packages.

Cheers,

Jon

[yelvertoft]

From my own experience, the edict of "sharpen once, sharpen last" seems to work best for me. I leave my sharpening to be the very, very last thing I do.

[Don Hoey]

Originally Posted by edge1255

Hi guys and gals,

here's a question I've got. This week I purchased Genuine Fractals software for increasing resolution, and also Focalblade for sharpening. Should I run Fractals before sharpening, or should I do the sharpening first? I don't have any experience with this kind of thing and I'm not too sure what I should be looking for or to avoid when using these packages.

Cheers,

Jon

Genuine Fractals will allow you to print to a larger size through interpolation, but it will not increase resolution. Great program and I have it. Not used it for a bit though. I used to sharpen as the last op before the final save to GF.

Don