Unhappy w Photoshop diffusion filters

D

dadoboy

Well-known member
Hey, I've been shooting a series of portraits and find they are just way too sharp. I used no filters during the shoot, thinking I could do it in "post" but I'm not happy with the results from any of the built in Adobe Photoshop CS3 filters. It just seems unnaturally out of focus rather than "soft" to me. Perhaps because I'm just used to the built in softness of Film and its grain characteristics. Can someone please tell me what Adobe or 3rd Party filters you like to use? Any recommendations on 3rd party software?

This is the equipment I used. Sorry but I don't have the model's permission to post the pics online or anywhere.

1. Sony Alpha A900
2. Tamron 90mm DI F2.8 DI (just too damn sharp!).
3. Two large softboxes to light flat and evenly.

Next time I might just use an older/softer lens if I can't get around this issue.
Thanks for any input.
 
Do it yourself. Duplicate your layer, change it to a smart object (for filter editability), add some gaussian blur and change the blending mode to screen or soft light (or experiment with others for desired effect). You can also do a high pass version of that by using levels to bring your gamma up and then add the blur and blending mode. You can also mess around with masking on your duplicate layers to only have the diffusion affect certain parts, and use multiple layers to really dial it in.
 
Thanks for the advice. I'll try that path. I've been using Photoshop for years but pretty much at the most basic layers and filter use.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top