A year or two ago Thomas Knoll at Adobe / Photoshop put out the idea of using unsharp mask with a very large radius and a low strength. This does not sharpen an image, instead what it does is increase local contrast, so whatever the image content, you get a larger local dynamic range. I first read about it at Michael Reichman's site - in fact rather than go over it again, far better that I provide the link:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/contrast-enhancement.shtml

Contrast masking is one of the most win-win image adjustment techniques I have come across. It almost always significantly improves the image and it rarely does any damage. Sometimes it is useful to mask it from either or both of edge areas, or highlights, but often no masking is needed at all.

I imagine the technique would be equally beneficial with Video, probably it already exists. Is there a Premiere plugin that does anything similar? I find the sharpening tools in Premiere pretty lacking in sensitivity but perhaps I have not yet learned how to make best use of them.

Andrew

SORRY about this but I must say beacuse I'm totaly rookie to reply anything

but when I stare those two pic somehow I CAN merge them

they are so dynamic & went deep to my HD display

that is wonderful experience


THANKS

Thanks, I will have to give it a try. I know you could export a photoshop sequence and then apply the filter as a batch action in photoshop. But, there may be a similar effect filter in AE for Premiere.

updated: THE unsharp filters DO EXIST IN aobe premiere and after effects and do seem to provide the contrasted image you report from photoshop.

I posted a more typical example of the potential benefits of contrast masking on my journal:

http://www.andrew-hall-artist.com/journal/index.php?p=149

To my eye, when a slight (standard) contrast boost is combined with a contrast mask the image clarity and definition improves well beyond what can be achieved with only a single contrast boost.

Andrew

Jeff: I can't see any unsharp mask in Premiere, I've looked through all the filters, also does it provide controls for amount, radius, threshold - because that is what you need to do this adjustment.