Quote Originally Posted by Noel Carboni View Post
Hi Bill,

Genuine Fractals 5.0 is a plugin for photoshop that allows you to upsample an image via a process where it applies fractal algorithms to match the original image, then extrapolates those algorithms in the upsampling process. The detail that's "created" closely matches that which is found in everyday things. It simply allows you to specify the new size you want for the image and the image size is changed. It can be pretty slow with large images at high bit depth.

I have no business affiliation with OnOne Software (the makers of Genuine Fractals), by the way.

My dSLR Fractal Sharpen actions upsample the image to 250% of original size with Genuine Fractals, which preserves the crispness of subject edges with minimal "ringing" or "haloing", manipulates the image at the higher resolution to add additional edge crispness, and finally downsizes back to original size. This is incredibly effective for that last little bit of sharpening, such as what is needed with most digital cameras. Here are a couple of before / after images to give you an idea of the results... The first is done with one of my most aggressive actions, Heavy Sharpen Low ISO. The second with a less aggressive one, Medium Sharpen Max Texture. I describe the "feel" of the results as "refined detail", and it's well suited for prints.

Like Bill, I am also very familiar with deconvolution sharpening (I process a lot of astrophotos) and there are limits to what the deconvolution can produce. It's highly dependent on data quality for one thing, and personally I find the results from deconvolution can all too easily get to a point where the image looks overprocessed, especially at the edges of subject material. I worked to avoid that look with my own sharpening actions.

Lastly, I have been experimenting with a technique I call "iterative smart sharpening", in which multiple passes of very light Photoshop Smart Sharpen are applied at slightly decreasing radii. This is proving surprisingly effective.

-Noel
Even with my rudimentary sharpening skills (one pass with Smart Sharpen) I can see a difference when I use GF first. I would love to know what your sharpening steps are as well as how you downsize.