Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

imported jpeg photos with noise after unsharp mask in photoshop

Hallo, I have this problem with Aperture (last update version). I have some photos in RAW/NEF format, I use Camera Raw for the main adjustment and then I use unsharp mask in photoshop for get sharpening. Photos are saved in jpeg max quality and I import the Jpeg files in Aperture. When I view this photos, for a few seconds photo looks good and sharp (I see loading... indicator). Then photos become blurry and it present a huge noise. If I export one of this photos or I view in Iphoto or in mac Preview, photo is very good. The problem is INSIDE of Aperture. If I don't use unsharp mask (from photoshop), all is ok!!! I tried to import files directly in Iphoto and photos are good.


Thank you.

Macbook pro 2.2 intel core 2 duo, Mac OS X (10.5.2)

Posted on Sep 28, 2013 2:38 AM

Reply
5 replies

Sep 28, 2013 4:01 AM in response to mauitaly

When I view this photos, for a few seconds photo looks good and sharp (I see loading... indicator). Then photos become blurry and it present a huge noise.

Could you please post an example, of the noisy blurred result you are seeing in Aperture?

It is hard to imagine, how an image could become noisy and blurred at the same time. Blurring should smooth the photo and reduce the noisy.


I tried to reproduce the effect, but without success. When I edit a raw image (Canon CR2) in Photoshop and apply "Unsharp Mask", the edges will be more prominent, the colours slightly desaturated, and the noise will increase slightly as is to be expected from a filter that will emphasize intensity variations. And I do not see any blurriness at all:

For example: the original (left) - after unsharp mask (right) zoome at 180%

User uploaded file

What are the settings you are using for your unsharp mask in Photoshop?

Sep 28, 2013 5:44 AM in response to léonie

Ok, problems are two: one (the worst) when I see a photo with noise and the second, if I don't see the noise, when I open a picture, at first it looks sharp but after less a second the photo becomes blurry. In both case, I have applied the unsharp mask in photoshop.

If I don't apply unsharp, Aperture works well. If I import the same picture in Iphoto or I see in preview, photo is not noisy and it is not blur.

Below an example of the main problem, photo with high noise. The first photo that I see in Aperture and the second photo is the same photo that a see in Iphoto (or in preview, in photoshop, in lightroom ect..)

Setting in photoshop: unsharp mask factor 100 radius 1 and threshold 0.

The second case is difficoult to post...Usually when I open a picture in Aperture, at first it doesn't look well but, after a few second, after the "loading...." indicator, the picture looks well.


Many thanks.

User uploaded fileUser uploaded file

Sep 28, 2013 9:29 AM in response to mauitaly

What your screenshots are showing, is exactly how the sharpening with "unsharp mask" is supposed to work. It emphasizes any variation of the luminance in the image, including the variance due to noise. The threshold parameter should be used to separate noise from the main edges in the photo. By setting this parameter to 0, you have disabled the noise suppression in this filter, and so the result is very noisy, most noticable in the darker regions of the image, where there are no real edges to be sharpened, only noise. I'd recommend to set the threshold to a higher value, I usually use 10-20 or so. My screenshot was computed with a threshold of 15.


But the big question is, why you are not seeing the noise in iPhoto or Preview. Have you pixel-peeped at 100 % in these apps? There must be some kind of filter applied that will reduce the noise that must be present.


Your second question: Why do the jpeg load first as bluury and then gradually become sharper? I only see this happen, when I save the jpegs with the option "Progressive"; this will encode the jpeg in scale-space - a pyramide of images at different resolution. When opening, Aperture will first load the coarse resolution as apreview, and the image will gradually become sharper.



-- Léonie

Sep 28, 2013 2:11 PM in response to léonie

That's correct. I think the problem is Aperture because if I print the picture it is correct, no noise, as I look in iPhoto! Same thing about the second problem. In Aperture picture looks blur but if I make a print, photo is perfect.

I don't think the problem is in Photoshop but I think the problem is due to unsharp mask plus Aperture. I don't known where I make error.


Thank you for the cooperation!

imported jpeg photos with noise after unsharp mask in photoshop

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.