GDML77 wrote:
Is there any way to simulate "Clarity" from LightRoom in a jpg in Photoshop?

I am using PS4, not sure why Clarity hasn't been added to PS, but hope theres a way to get there without switching programs and then blending...

You can, but you can also open the jpg as a raw fie.

From Photoshop > File> Open -  select the jpg you want to open- use the pop up menu "format"  to select "Camera Raw"

Photos by Jack Heniford wrote:
Try this : Layer>Duplicate Layer. Mode Overlay then Filter>Other>High Pass and set the slider at a low number, increase slowly until you have what you  want.

If you select the mid tones first this would be similar in an off way.

Clarity is a filtered ( masked if you like) mid tone contrast slider. Very nice, Photoshop doesn't have it other than if you open as CR as Natalia said above.

Natalia_Taffarel wrote:

You can, but you can also open the jpg as a raw fie.

From Photoshop > File> Open -  select the jpg you want to open- use the pop up menu "format"  to select "Camera Raw"

That is great, however I can't manage to open.

I get the pop up menu, I specify the size as the same of the jpg, 5184*3456, but get an error saying "Specified image is larger than file". Tried playing with multiple stuff, but still get the same error.

By a chance, is there a way to convert a layer in order to open it as a RAW file? Now that would be gold...

Photos by Jack Heniford wrote:
Try this : Layer>Duplicate Layer. Mode Overlay then Filter>Other>High Pass and set the slider at a low number, increase slowly until you have what you  want.

Thank you, I use that for sharpening, but the point was not sharpening, but skin smoothing instead... I think the next answer covered the rest... thank you

Neil Snape wrote:

If you select the mid tones first this would be similar in an off way.

Clarity is a filtered ( masked if you like) mid tone contrast slider. Very nice, Photoshop doesn't have it other than if you open as CR as Natalia said above.

And how do I select the mid tones? Only way I know is in the "blending properties"

GDML77 wrote:
I get the pop up menu, I specify the size

?
You're not following my directions right, there's no pace where you have to specify the size of the image.

x

ETA: You're in a PC aren't you?

if you are, you need to go to OPEN AS - and there change the format to Camera Raw -

note: Camera raw and photoshop raw are not the same format

GDML77 wrote:
And how do I select the mid tones? Only way I know is in the "blending properties"

On a whole layer be it the background or a visible stamp go to select >  Color Range>mid tones


Yet I just tried it, it doesn't work as expected.

So I'll say just open as Camera Raw, use the clarity slider in CR. Make sure your output settings in CR are the same as the original , as far as the color space goes.

Natalia_Taffarel wrote:

?
You're not following my directions right, there's no pace where you have to specify the size of the image.

x

ETA: You're in a PC aren't you?

if you are, you need to go to OPEN AS - and there change the format to Camera Raw -

note: Camera raw and photoshop raw are not the same format

Okay, got it, I was opening as Photoshop RAW... and yes on a PC.

Do you know of any way to open any layer in RAW at any point? Now that would be a quick short cut for great stuff.

Thanks a lot, this so far is really useful

David-Thomas wrote:
unsharp mask.

Its not the same thing... it applies a different kind of maths...

My point was not to sharpen, but to apply skin smoothing.

JK Photographic wrote:
Clarity in Lightroom is similar to local contrast enhancement, which Michael Reichmann of the Luminous Landscape learned from Thomas Knoll, which is about as "from the horse's mouth" as you can get.

Try Unsharp Mask with settings similar to:

Amount 20%
Radius 50
Threshold 0

You will get added "pop"

Here's a link to the Luminous Landscape article.

Thank you, this doesn't help much though. I am familiar with sharpening techniques, from all sharpness filters to high pass... however in some cases the use of clarity is better than others due to the maths involved. It depends... that is why it is good to have multiple options...

My point was actually for skin smoothing, not sharpening...

GDML77 wrote:
Thank you, this doesn't help much though. I am familiar with sharpening techniques, from all sharpness filters to high pass... however in some cases the use of clarity is better than others due to the maths involved. It depends... that is why it is good to have multiple options...

My point was actually for skin smoothing, not sharpening...

Please read the article I cite.  Although the technique uses a sharpening filter, it does not sharpen the image.

JK Photographic wrote:

Please read the article I cite.  Although the technique uses a sharpening filter, it does not sharpen the image.

Sorry, don't understand how it is does not produce sharpness increase... Unless I am skipping something, it is the direct application of the unsharp mask using a large radius and small percentage. What it is doing is sharpness (sharpness is in fact local contrast)

They are only opposing it to curves, which is a large scale contrast tool, or in other words not so localized.

This article is just too basic, there are far better ways of achieving the same in a less destructive way...

I am just considering if I am missing something in the text but I have read it a couple of times...

GDML77 wrote:
My point was actually for skin smoothing, not sharpening...

oh please...don't do that...

IHP with a HP mask as DerW Explains here

Since there was quite a lot of confusion about the technique and the action, I've created a little video that shows the whole process and explains what to look out for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2ei0yN2ULY

GDML77 wrote:
Thank you, this doesn't help much though. I am familiar with sharpening techniques, from all sharpness filters to high pass... however in some cases the use of clarity is better than others due to the maths involved. It depends... that is why it is good to have multiple options...

My point was actually for skin smoothing, not sharpening...

Sharpening filters with high radius should give you effect similar to clarity.
You can also use external filters like Topaz for example.

If you are interested you can check out this tutorial and script from Russell Brown to open Photoshop Layers in Camera RAW interface and apply the actual clarity.

Dr. Brown's Adobe Photoshop CS5 Scripts (CS5 Script: Edit Layers in ACR)
http://russellbrown.com/scripts.html

Here is a video tutorial: http://av.adobe.com/russellbrown/Layers2ACR_SM.mov

Natalia_Taffarel wrote:

oh please...don't do that...
IHP with a HP mask as DerW Explains here

+1

Krunoslav-Stifter wrote:
+1

Okay let me give you more context:

1) I was editing a close up face portrait with naked shoulders, shot in studio with good light distribution.

2) I used frequency separation to edit the skin preserving detail.

3) Then, I have sharpen the image using successive high pass filters with small radius, and masking unwanted zones more than others.

4) Just out of experimentation in the end I used the sharpen image and I moved to LR, and used some Clarity reduction, like -20 or so...

5) Came back to photoshop, and merged the new image (after clarity reduction) into the previously image... (masked some parts), and REDUCED OPACITY to a small value...

All together out of pure accident experimentation, I got one of the most beautiful skin tones ever... had plenty of detail, yet so smooth and silky like an angel, and most of all the light reflections were preserved (and typical they fade a lot with IHP).

I haven't posted the image yet, and I don't know if this was an isolated incident due to the nature of this image or if it can actually be applied to other images with the same results.

I am working on more experimentation...

GDML77 wrote:

Okay, got it, I was opening as Photoshop RAW... and yes on a PC.

Do you know of any way to open any layer in RAW at any point? Now that would be a quick short cut for great stuff.

Thanks a lot, this so far is really useful

No you cant just open a single layer but you can save that effect as a jpg call it whatever and then go to Bridge open as Raw and boom. No you just open it with how ever much you want and likely with Saturation all the way down to make it BW

Once it is open copy and paste it where you want in the image switch it to luminosity and boom you have it in your image:)

Not sure if that was already said but there ya go lol

Natalia_Taffarel wrote:

You can, but you can also open the jpg as a raw fie.

From Photoshop > File> Open -  select the jpg you want to open- use the pop up menu "format"  to select "Camera Raw"

Wow!  Thank you ... here is the new thing I have learned today! Thank you.

GDML77 wrote:

Its not the same thing... it applies a different kind of maths...

My point was not to sharpen, but to apply skin smoothing.

Don't, you may as well just google "worse ways to smooth skin" and see what comes up along with negative clarity...