Can this be saved?

[PhoebeG]

Took this a few days ago. Hand held 400mm VR Nikon zoom lens on a D80, at an angle through a double pane glass door (dirty) at about 30 yards. I've been messing around with it trying to get it sharp(er) without making it look all contrasty. I really like the picture, but I'm not happy with the blur. Anyone know of a fix?

Feel free to edit.

Thanks,

Phil G.

[SmartWombat]

If a photo is really soft, I don't know any way of saving it.

[jetrim]

If unsharp mask didn't net you the result you're looking for, then it's probably doomed. Sad too because the color and composition are great!

[mjs1973]

Like Wombat said, if it's too far out of focus, or soft, there isn't much you can do to bring it back.

You can try the High Pass sharpening method and see how that works. Make a duplicate copy of your background layer, then go to Filter > Other > High Pass. Adjust the slider in the dialog box that pops up so it highlights the edges of the image you want to sharpen. I find anywhere between 4 and 10 will do the trick depending on the image. Click ok, then go to your layers pallet and change the blending mode to Overlay. Since this is on it's own layer, you can adjust the opacity if it is too much, or you can add a layer mask and paint out the sharpening affect on areas of the photo you don't want to sharpen.

[PhoebeG]

mjs, Thanks, I think that's better. I'm not sure what I did, but your directions were very clear. I'll save them with some other sharpening stuff I've found here.

Thanks again,

Phil G.

[shootme]

All of the above, but a great capture, puts a smile on my face. Would have liked to see all the tail. S