The BEST Tool for SHARPENING Your Landscape Photos

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

What's your favorite sharpening tool?

[@azizurrahaman2101]

Mark Denney Clearity in local adjustment.

[@MrTestrak]

i usually just play with clarity, sharpness, and contrast. if the picture isnt coming out sharp i try to under/over expose it so its not as noticeable lol.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Azizur Rahaman I use that one a great deal as well!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Testrak 🤣I know exactly what you mean!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

@peter van der Vaart I believe we all probably over sharpened our photos as beginners - I know I certainly did!

[@Classlawd]

Mark I rarely comment on KZbin videos but just wanted to say you have a real natural ability for oration and teaching (perhaps honed from years in the corporate world!) and your videos are a real resource for someone just getting into the finer details of digital photography

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks so much for the kind comment - really appreciate it!

[@stefankuhn6887]

Never saw “sharpening” so well explained than in. your video! Especially to make a difference between the sizes of the structures, great! 😊👍🏻

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks Stefan! Glad to hear it!

[@chiragukani765]

You just nailed it. Contrast and Dehaze are completely new to sharpen the image for me. As always your videos are simple and full of Information.

[@nelsonclub7722]

Mark - I cannot thank you enough for the incredible information you so generously impart with every tutorial - it is though you are in the room with me guiding me through everything gently and patiently. I have been a Pro for thirty years - but film based - I took a break for ten years after being totally burned out by the industry - Fashion and commercial etc. Now I am back and just sticking to landscapes for now. My old work horses were the Mamiya RZ and then later a Fuji GX680III -with every lens!!!! Quite a system to cart around especially with the 100-200 Zoom!!!!! I used Velvia and NHG/NPS film for the wondrous detail and colours - but now I have gone all grown up digitally speaking and use a GFX50S with a handful of lenses - including the 250mm which is a joy - and along with the simulations for Velvia I believe I have finally surpassed the awesomeness of the 6X8 transparency!!!!! One of my issues is that sometimes now I have too much detail!!!!!!!! Seriously though I have not the words to express my gratitude for the tremendously relevant guidance I have received from you over the past few weeks - And I have been a user of Lightroom since it first came out - but every time I sit down with you my knowledge increases tenfold - I want to thank you from my heart. Greetings of the season from the UK to you and your family - we are truly blessed by your presence in our world.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Nelson Club Such a great comment - thanks so much for this! It’s great hearing that the videos are helpful!

[@terrylott5739]

Excellent tutorial Mark. Clear and detailed. Will be subscribing to your channel.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Terry Lott Thanks so much Terry! I really appreciate that.

[@kineticuncertainty]

Thanks again. I learn from your vids

[@ksnmurthy4476]

An amazing and illuminating tutorial Mark. Thanks for elevating my Lightroom editing skills.

[@williamcharlesworth4617]

Mark, singularly you have done more to improve my work flow and the finished product of my images. No one has done what you have. Done it so well that it was understandable and easy to plug it in and use it. Can't thank you enough. Bill

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

William Charlesworth Many thanks for the great feedback William - I really appreciate it!

[@kcaark]

Thanks Mark for explaining sharpening so well. Thanks.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

kcaark Thank you!

[@cathyann8093]

Excellent video, a subject I don't know enough about. You filled in the blanks. I don't use Lightroom, but the principles you express so well apply to all of the editing software I use - Photoscape, Elements and Luminar. Thank you!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

CathyAnn THanks CathyAnn - glad to hear the video was helpful!

[@anujasharma9677]

Mark, I am yet to see such a detailed video or tutorial on various ways of sharpening images and how they impact various aspects of the image. Your presentation style & rich content is what gets me here all the time. Speaks volumes about your knowledge and passion. I now have a better understanding of these sliders and will be able to put this to use in much better way. Thank you Mark and have a wonderful weekend.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Anuja Sharma Thanks so much for the many kind words Anuja! It’s very much appreciated!

[@cedarhousesoaps]

thank you for simplifying and making it so much easier to understand....Love the content and Channel!!!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Jennifer Thanks so much Jennifer!!

[@davidwilliams9002]

Fantastic explanation to sharpening, keep up the excellent work mark

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

David Williams Many thanks David!!

[@herkekaandorp5796]

Little tip for toggling sliders on and off: Use the short cut: Command+Z And: shift+Command+Z to go back way simpler than sliding it back up

[@nickwaldron3223]

Great video Mark. Certainly gave me further understanding of sharpening techniques that I can introduce to my work.

[@BlackSniperElit]

You’re such a great teacher, simply and to the point, thank you and keep up the good work.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks so much Elli!

[@BlackSniperElit]

Mark Denney greating from Israel 😊 any chance you’ll be doing another community review? I loved it and would like to submit one. Thank you again for a great channel.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

@@BlackSniperElit I should be doing another one towards the beginning of the new year.

[@trailtracing]

Thank you for this excellent video. I've now watched is numerous times and look forward to improving the sharpness of my photos.

[@donriemer]

Great tutorial. You should do a TED talk on the relevance and importance of landscape photography. It may seem staid and old fashioned, subject-wise, but I think it's more valuable than ever. Cheers.

[@davidposaas7350]

Very informative, helpful and clearly explained! Appreciated how you demonstrated the effects...

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

David Posaas Thanks David!

[@1966Sunrunner]

Thank you for clarifying those detail options. I’ve wondered about them but never looked them up. Good video. When I go to local photo classes here in Vegas I always end up bringing up your channel because I’ve learned a lot from each of your tutorials. On the down side I always end up going back to Lightroom and re-editing my pix. 😁

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Hahahah! Sorry about the reedits, but I do appreciate you bringing up my channel:)

[@AmochaSagolsem]

You always make the best lightroom tutorials.. Great tutorial with so much details in just a few mins. thanks.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks so much for this!

[@fatihyaman9710]

Thanks for the great explanation and tips

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

fatih yaman Glad to do it!

[@mauriceprokaziuk337]

Well done. You answered many questions I had about sharpening.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Maurice Prokaziuk Excellent! Glad to hear it Maurice!

[@MrChologno]

Thanks for this video Mr. Denney, I learned so much watching the content on your channel. I'm new to photography and last month I went on vacation to the US on a road trip so I could use my new camera (sony a6400) shooting in several National Parks but I barely had time to watch videos and learn. So most of my first photographs suck, either bad exposure or wrong aperture for the scene, etc... ahahah so now I have to do magic on Lightroom to fix them. This video and others you made on post processing are helping me a lot.

[@thelateboomer1960]

Another winner, Mark! Thank you!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Catherine Hervey Thanks so much Catherine!!

[@grat2010]

Thanks for explaining when to use texture vs clarity.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

fotonut Happy to do it - hope it was helpful!

[@davidakoubian3025]

Well done as usual Mark!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

David Akoubian Thanks David!!

[@homesickphotographycomau4107]

great video bro... you have come along way. since first watch you

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Harry A Thanks Harry!!

[@ARCSP10]

Very informative and presented in an calm, confident manner that keeps my attention. So glad I found your channel today, Mark! Thank you!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

ARCSP10 Thanks so much! Super glad you found the channel as well!

[@shkspear52]

Excellent Content...very informative!!!!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks Ryan!

[@boatman222345]

Excellent video on sharpening! As usual Mark has an unusual ability to explain complex topics in an easily understood manner.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

boatman222345 Much appreciated - thanks so much!

[@stephensingleterry8047]

You have a very solid teaching style, easy to follow along and understand.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks Stephen! Appreciate you taking the time to let me know!

[@Gordonlanguam]

Really informative thank you so much!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Gordon Li Many Thanks Gordon!

[@dotmatrix7383]

I've found the texture slider can increase detail as well. I like using it now over the sharpening sliders.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Dot Matrix I use it quite a bit as well!

[@jimmyzwheelz]

Another excellent tutorial video, Mark! I would love to see you post an start to finish video of your editing techniques, especially of the first image shown in this video. The comparison of the Raw and edited image was amazing! The finished product was stunning. Thank you for continued inspiration.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Jimmy Wilson Thanks so much Jimmy!! I made a video a few weeks ago on that very topic if you’d like to check that out👍

[@owenlawre]

Thanks for the tips Mark. I hadn’t thought of it in quite that way before.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Glad to do it Mark!

[@martchaka]

Very easy to follow explanation. I use all of them from time to time depending in the photo. But I have not, until now, really understood what each of them affects. Thanks for clearifying that 🙏🙂

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Martin Westberg Glad it was helpful Martin!

[@peterhiggins1568]

Great tips, thanks! 👍

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks Peter!

[@niftytwo]

Thank you Mark. I’m usually very careful when using clarity/detail/texture. This tutorial has shown me that I need to pay closer attention to your suggestions & information. Stay safe & well. Neville J.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Always appreciate your comments Neville! Have a great weekend!

[@niftytwo]

@@MarkDenneyPhoto G'day Mark,,, I'm right up there with you. Trying my best to put your tutorials into action for myself.. Stay safe.Neville J...

[@AndreaBaggio]

Another one of those good videos. Great explanation! Thanks

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Andrea Baggio Thank ya Andrea!

[@ronjenkins4257]

What Lightroom could use for sharpening differing degrees of sharpness (as described in this video) is the ability of set up more than one "sharpening bracket" (for lack of a better term) in the Details panel. Each sharpening mask would have two pegs on its slider (like the Range Mask slider), one setting a lower level of detail (edge contrast), one setting an upper level. Then multiple masking brackets could be set up based on degree of detail, and each mask could be used for separate sharpening exercises. Even three such brackets would work well. That would be awesome. You would then be able to "Alt-slide" the range masks to set a preferred range of detail, set a bracket, and sharpen within that bracket. As it is now, the only thing you can do is "Alt-slide" one way and for one application of sharpness. This would solve those limitations. I think this is necessary because some of the the other sharpening techniques described in this excellent video (Clarity and Dehaze for instance), while effective at sharpening in one way, are altering color at the same time, which you might not want.

[@ericklindberg8377]

Great video Mark! Very informative! Sharpening is definitely something I struggle with. See you next week my friend!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Appreciate it Erick - hope it was helpful!

[@janh6639]

As always great explanation. Well thought out and explained thank you 🙏

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Jan H Thanks for watching Jan!

[@toniakraakman49]

thank you, great video!!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Tonia Kraakman Many thanks - I’m glad you think so!

[@mikemitchell3889]

Mark, Nice breakdown. Your concise and demonstrative presentation is very helpful. Thank-You, Mike

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Mike Mitchell This is great to hear - many thanks Mike!

[@ZackTaylorFilms]

Thanks for making such detailed videos, Mark! These have been making me want to get out and shoot!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Zachary Taylor Awesome to hear man!

[@pm1Chh]

I wonder where did you lern so so many about lightroom? I cant thank you enough for your videos.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Glad to do it Brano!

[@DJshutterfly]

Love this one. Professional quality useful information. Really like your channel.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks so much - glad to hear it!

[@MrPrashanth619]

Awesome video like always..u rock 🤘😎

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

prashanth kumar Thank you!

[@AD-lb6zm]

Great video, Mark! Super helpful video. I’m still very new to LR, so I’m always looking up on KZbin how to do things.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

A D Thanks so much! There’s so much great teaching content available on KZbin these days - a great way to learn LR👍

[@MichaelWilliams-yo9eo]

Another great video Mark!!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Michael Williams Many Thanks Michael!

[@CollinVogt]

Thank you for the tips!!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Collin Vogt Glad to do it Collin!

[@mikegindling4236]

Interesting tips. Thanks

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Mike Gindling Much appreciated Mike!

[@mattnovak5896]

Great video Mark! Like many have already commented below, your teaching is very effective! Keep up the great work and thank you for sharing your knowledge in a way that a beginner like me can understand! 🙏🏻

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Matt Novak Much appreciated Matt! Thank ya friend!

[@djehuti3]

Great video Mark, thanks. Do you not think you would have more precise control in applying clarity etc. by using an adjustment brush rather than a radial filter?

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks so much! I use both approaches, just depends on the specific situation really.

[@lcador9]

Outstanding!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

lcador9 Many thanks!

[@Sayan1-p3b]

I always get confused with the detail section! Thank you so much for such a nice and clear explanation!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Sayan Das Glad to do it and happy to hear it was helpful!

[@DobromirManchev]

Hey i asked if you could make a video about this a few days/weeks back, glad you actually made it!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Dobromir Manchev Sure thing! Hope it was helpful!

[@DobromirManchev]

@@MarkDenneyPhoto Yeah, i get some of those sliders a bit better now. Some of their uses and effects are not very intuitive so it's always nice to get some examples and explanations :)

[@robertmiles3634]

Mark I always come away learning something important from your videos. Since I'm relatively new at photography perhaps you could do a video on lens. I've watched other youtubers on this topic but left scratching my head. I don't need to learn how they work mechanically but how they work in the real world of landscape photography so even a newbie can understand. Thanks

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Robert Miles Great to hear the video was helpful Robert!

[@82300sd]

Thanks for the tips Mark, I never tried local adjustments with the clarity slider and radial filters, but I'll give it a try on my next edit

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

82300sd Great to hear the video was helpful👍

[@resityaman5990]

Thank you.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thank YOU for watching!

[@TheMoodyPhotographer]

Nice video dear Mark ✌️👍 I do normal overall sharpening but not too much just a little, and after that the local brush for more specified sharpening.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

The moody Photographer Glad you think so!

[@bradwilkins3226]

Great video Mark but it would also be a good idea to show some examples where the five techniques are combined to produce a final image.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Many thanks Brad!

[@MrCochise71]

Dehaze has helped me big many times!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Cochise Hart Same here!!

[@adventuresofjandk]

Love your channel first off. I am curious other than zooming in is there any other way to see if you need to apply any sharpening? I guess I am not always sure I need it and Lightroom just adds it.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

JK’s Outdoor Journal Thanks so much - I really appreciate that! I’ve found that adding sharpening and then toggling it on/off is a great way to determine if you like the image better with or without the additional sharpening.

[@haldorasheim]

Why have I never thought about localizing the clarity?! Although I don’t do landscape photography, I still really appreciate the clear explanation for when and how to use the different sliders effectively, thank you!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Great to hear you enjoyed the video!

[@cindyrosen8170]

Excellent video!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks so much Cindy!

[@axlr5150]

A great help,thanks.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

axlr5150 Happy to do it!

[@Tunesmithnw]

Best explanation of sharpening I've seen/heard. Question: Do you use the Auto tone button in your workflow a lot or just for demo purposes?

[@romikroyart]

Another awesome video.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Romik Roy Thanks so much!

[@bradley9856]

thank you

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Just a Zebra that does minecraft totorials Thank YOU for watching!

[@mattoney4711]

You're the best.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Matt Oney No, you are the best!! Appreciate it Matt!

[@Adrian_Mason]

Awesome guide! Thank you! (i would love to see you do similar with the Sony Raw Editor that comes with camera)

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Adrian Mason Thanks so much Adrian!

[@leonardsmith82]

Amazing video =) What lens did you use for the first edited photo? I like the narrow depth

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks Leonard! It was the Sony 16-35 GM

[@Spartacus1975]

Recently I like to use the relatively new texture-slider to sharpen the fotos and bring some detail in. I also find it not so much destructive as clarity.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

I find myself using Texture over Clarity for the same reason as you mentioned.

[@mouthpiec]

Amazing video, explained really well. What version of Lightroom are you using?

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks so much! I'm using Lightroom CC.

[@damperdeen327]

thank you mark to share these great informations , what is the best tools to sharp portrait photos ?

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Damper Deen Many thanks! I think Texture, Clarity and/or the Detail panel are best for portraits.

[@SAMESAMBUTDIFFERENT]

Thanks legend👊🏽

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Sam Lai You the man Sam!! Appreciate it buddy!

[@DACobin]

when do you apply noise ruction?

[@Saint756]

Hey Mark Great video as always! You have no undoubtedly been one of my favorites to learn from on my photography journey. I am upgrading to my first FF camera and noticed after your last video about not upgrading from the a7r ii(2) that in you "description" section your "main camera" link is now the a7r iii (3) - while the Riii is out of my budget would you recommend the Rii or the Canon EOS RP for landscapes? They are identical in pricing at the moment.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Nik Rowe Thanks so much Nik and thanks for the heads up on the link as well! I’d personally go with the Sony, I think the resolution and dynamic range will be better.

[@Saint756]

@@MarkDenneyPhoto I believe this to be my conclusion as well. If you are using the Riii now & I just somehow missed it, then congratulations :) Looking forward to more amazing content.

[@davetrumpet1]

Holey Mackeral ! Cool ! Thank you !

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Dave O'Connor Thanks Dave!

[@johnvansant57]

Another great tutorial Mark, and another for my bookmark list. My question today regards smoothing rather than sharpening, particularly with colors. I will sometimes intentionally keep some, most, or even all of my images out of focus, and will post process to enhance and give a more etherial look. But in the areas of bokeh, within areas of high color contrast, I get a very spotty transition between colors. Do you have any ideas on how to smooth out these color transitions. Noise reduction and color noise reduction just doesn't do it. I want to smear the colors together if that makes sense. The problem is mostly with close-up work, but I would like to experiment with color smoothing on other images as well - not even sure why. (a tip of my own, printing on canvas is great for this kind of photo).

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Appreciate it John! Using negative clarity could help, but I think using the Orton Effect would be best for what you're trying to accomplish, but that can't be done in Lightroom, got to use Photoshop for that.

[@leniehulse1621]

Thank you so much as I never went beyond the sharpening tool in detail as I didn’t know how the other tools worked in detail. How do you handle halos created when you take the highlights to the left?

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Glad to do it Lenie! I'll usually just bring back some highlights until the halos are lessened.

[@ericandalexlego]

Thanks for this video. I sometimes forget how versatile Lightroom really is when I get into my own comfort zone... Question...do you use only your Macbook for photo editing? I ask because I see an iMac behind you and wonder if of you use the desktop at all.

[@danield8107]

Mark, I'm interested in your class for sharpening but the link you provided at visual wilderness leads to a class on Dodging and Burning by Snow. Please provide a link to your tutorial on sharpening landscape photos. Thanks

[@ProTantoQuid]

Doesn't deconvolution operate at the pixel level? I have used the filter "Focus Magic" for a decade or so for out-of-focus and (less successfully) camera movement blur.

[@roshanwright3436]

Advice for this newbie. . what to buy ..photoshop or lightroom and where to begin?

[@treyfoerster8759]

As a rule of thumb for me, if I apply Texture let's say to +12, then I will decrease Clarity to -5 or so. Texture is more subtle.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

I do a very similar approach as well Trey!

[@allandavies1187]

Hello Mark, congratulations on a comprehensive tutorial on the very important subject of sharpening. It is probably the best that I had seen up to date from any other vloggers' So I have a question for you, as we saw you various ways sharpening for the best results as per scene. It is in relation to sending an image to the professional printers. Do you recommend any other kind of sharpening for output? Or, just send it as it is?

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks Allan! Thats a great question and really depends on quite a few variables, but I would recommend speaking with the specific printing company you're using and ask them for their specific advice.

[@jimbryan2932]

It seems people see these adjustments differently. So how do you know if you added to much Contrast or not?

[@tungalpilt6307]

Hi Mark, What would be your opinion if to compare sharpening in Lightroom Details panel vs Photoshop Filter => Sharpen => Smart Sharpening? Thank you for great tutorials here, well targeted and structured! And not agressive :-)

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Smart Sharpen in Photoshop is more robust is it give you additional controls that LR doesn't. Like the ability to determine levels of sharpness between highlights vs shadows.

[@ethanzuniga9628]

im currently watching this videos but i cant have the volume up i wonder if there is a read article for this??

[@BobG-eh5fc]

Any particular preference in the order you apply these tools?

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Bob G5511 No I don’t have a consistent workflow related to the order of the tools. Just depends on the specific photos needs.

[@AsuriSaran]

I normally use camera raw and it is quite good.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

I use it as well from time to time.

[@havanejp]

Why did you not use local adjustments with texture?

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

I do, just didn't in the video, but I do it rather often.

[@pbziegler]

Now that you shoot Fuji have you changed your sharpening workflow? I sharpen in Photoshop on the tiff file to avoid the Fuji/PS worms if you sharpen in ACR/LR?

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Hey Philip! I really do apply much sharpening at all anymore, but if there is a certain area of a scene I want to sharpen I'll usually do that in PS.

[@pbziegler]

@@MarkDenneyPhoto Funny I don't do much sharpening either. I think we are all moving away from oversharpening and over saturating our images.

[@agiverreviga4592]

You should check out Topaz Labs Sharpen AI. It sharpens photos in a different way and they don't get that fake oversharpened look. Seriously impressive tool.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

I've heard of it, but never really looked into it! Thanks for the reminder to do so!

[@gegu6257]

What version of Lightroom is in the video?

[@skiwithgreg]

I have found that using clarity and dehaze create halos or artifacts even in low adjustment settings. I've also found that using Lumeniza from Greg Benz allows for much more precise control, higher saturation and contract without negative effects. Of course, you won't see any issues with 8x10 however I'm enlarging 20, 30 or 40", sometimes more and EVERYTHING shows up. Keep up the good work, I enjoy watching your videos and adventures.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Greg Mainis Many Thanks Greg! Really appreciate it.