"Detail Extractor" - High quality details without compromises

Samstag, 26. Januar 2008, 11:33

> Deutsche Version

When working to enhance a digital image, one has a detailed vision in mind of what it should look like in the end. The enthusiast, usually, will try to achieve his goal relying on the possibilities provided by Photoshop. Upon failure, favorite conclusions are that one has not yet grasped all that is necessary, that one just has to read more on the relevant topics. Often, a lot of time is then invested in looking for a solution. The dilemma is that one is not productive during this time. This handicap is not to be underestimated, especially for professionals on a deadline.

In this regard it is interesting that one usually is willing to spend considerable amounts for a Photoshop course or a new book, to learn some new techniques directly from the pros (or at least from their writings). First learn, then be able to do - very satisfactory. However, when one considers (or is recommended) to use add-on software for Photoshop that promises "professional results", doubts arise immediately. After all, one would like to keep complete control over the processing steps that lead to the ideal result. If some software does "the job" this apparently cuts back on one's own achievements, and - maybe worse - the end result often is not really predictable.


Valid concerns,

well known to all who occupy themselves with serious image processing. However, one ignores the fact that such high quality software represents the experiences and knowledge of experts, all provided in a neat package that allows others to take advantage of the necessary expertise they lack themselves. For example, since I use PhotoKit Sharpener by PixelGenius to sharpen my images, the topic of sharpening is not an issue for me anymore. After all, how could I expect to do a better, gentler, or even more precise job than the legendary Photoshop expert Bruce Fraser who developed PhotoKit-Sharpener.1


"Detail Extractor" by Outbackphoto.com

Similar support is provided by Uwe and Bettina Steinmueller with their Photoshop add-ons "Tonality Tuning", for adjusting brightness and contrast (reviewed also here on subworld.at), and "Detail Extractor", for enhancing details in digital images.

The Steinmuellers offer both Photoshop scripts on their Website. They don't make a big fuss about them; one literally has to search for them there. The demo version of Detail Extractor (a zip-archive with just 870 kB) is a fast download. The installation procedure (manual copying of one script file into the Photoshop directory) provides no reason to expect "great" software, and at this point one has not yet been provided any clue about how many - or which - horses are under the hood ...

After restarting Photoshop, an additional item in the File/Scripts menu is present. Clicking on Detail Extractor will open a window with a simple layout and just a few sliders and two checkboxes. Not spectacular at all.

Detail Extractor's user interface (CLICK for larger image)

However, after accepting the standard settings by clicking OK, Photoshop quite abruptly begins to exert a great deal of activity.

The user interface appears to perform some kind of "dance", a series of actions are apparently executed in the background. The image that is being processed blanks out and comes back again, adjustment layers appear in the layers palette and vanish, the memory usage indicator at the bottom of the image window changes.

A few seconds later, just as abruptly, everything is still again. The layers palette shows a new layer, "DOP_Detail".


Subtle effect without loss of quality

At first glance, the changes were almost not noticeable. The images had changed in a very subtle way. At 100% magnification, details appeared much clearer than before, seemed to be more real, more tangible, all without affecting the overall character of the image. Even higher magnification did not reveal any artifacts.

It seemed that here, the image has been optimized by a virtual expert who went about his job in a very competent but also very gentle way. Looking closer at the history palette of Photoshop revealed that indeed several adjustment steps were performed automatically during the execution of the Detail Extractor script. The careful elaboration of image details becomes evident when turning on and off the "DOP_Detail" layer.

After the script has completed its job, image processing continues with ones' own Photoshop expertise. If a stronger effect is desired, the layer created by Detail Extractor is simply deleted and the script re-run with different settings. If the effect should be limited to certain areas, layer masks can be used. Of course, one can freely experiment with all kinds of layer types.


Integration of Detail Extractor into the image processing workflow

I use Detail Extractor for subtle image fine-tuning as one of the last steps in the processing chain. To me a non-destructive 16bit workflow built upon RAW files is optimal, providing enough quality reserves for tonality changes.


Conclusion

As simple and unspectacular Detail Extractor may appear at first glance, it proves itself as an excellent tool for effective yet subtle image processing, packed with a high dose of concentrated expert knowledge. The target audience are advanced Photoshop users who utilize a high-end workflow and emphasize the enhancement of details without compromising quality.

Highly recommended!

_____

Notes:

1 see Bruce Fraser, Real World Image Sharpening with Adobe Photoshop CS2, Peachpit Press, Berkely: 2007, 288 pages.




Detail Extractor in action - before/after

Image before processing (CLICK for larger image)

Image after execution of the Detail Extractor script: subtle
enhancement of details with standard settings
(CLICK for larger image)