217SHARPEnIng AnD
SMART OBJECTS
Figure 7-1.PhOtOShOP OffeRS more than a hundred filters,
some of which we’ve already encountered in earlier lessons. Some
filters modify the contrast of neighboring pixels, others trace the
contours of a photograph, and still others deform an image by mov-
ing pixels to new locations. (See Figure 7-1 for examples.)Original photographFilter→Blur→Surface BlurFilter→Artistic→Colored PencilFilter→Distort→ShearOriginal photograph istockphoto.com/humonia
Arguably, the most useful filters are concerned with sharpening an
image, that is, removing softness by increasing the contrast at the
edges. Inevitably, every photograph needs some sharpening to bring
out the detail that otherwise gets lost in translation between camera,
computer, and print. Be warned, sharpening doesn’t compensate for
bad focus. No amount of filtering will make up for depth-of-field
problems. But then, no perfectly focused image is going to “pop”
without the appropriate amount of sharpening applied, either.