Can Photoshop do a Paintshop Pro "Clarify" type adjustment?

[OldSchool]

Hi all,

"Clarify" is one of my favorite PSP adjustments that really help add depth to a photo and bring out the subject.

I think it has a similar effect of bringing out contrast using USM with a very large radius and low strength. However, I could never get near equivalent results when playing with USM as I get with Clarify.

So, if anybody is familiar with PSP and PS and would care to answer, I would really appreciate it.
Best regards,
Tim

[Sebastian]

Most of the lower-cost software has "one-click" features that typically are nothing more than a certain implementation of several different adjustments. I think the reason you could not replicate the effect in PS was because you only tried using USM. Study the PSP effect, learn the PS tools and see what combination you need to replicate it.

But in the end, the more you pay for serious software, the fewer "one-click" sorta things you get. That's what we all pay for.

[OldSchool]

Thanks for the reply Sebastian,

Unfortunately, I don't own PS. This is why I ask.

The only reason I'd consider Photoshop is because I like the (I think) seamless integration with Nikon Capture ( no need to save as a tiff and then reopen to continue with 12 bit editing).

Also, I would not characterized Paintshop Pro as a "one-click" package. It is pretty sophisticated such that I can follow PS tutorials with the equivalent PSP commands (once I've decoded the PS jargon). It's got layers, vectors, magic wands, RAW editing/conversion, you name it.

Cheers,
Tim

[Asylum Steve]

Also, I would not characterized Paintshop Pro as a "one-click" package...

Tim, I don't think Seb was labeling the entire PSP program as one click, just the Clarify tool. I'd think it would have to be, as "clarify" is not a standard photo editing term...

Even veteran PS users pretty much know by now that PSP is a very good and fairly complex program...

[OldSchool]

Thanks Steve,

I think we'll all agree most serious packages have their strengths. And they have their weaknesses. For example, some guy may have a workflow where he converts RAW with one package, uses another for noise reduction, and then does the final tweaks with another.

One click actions can be replicated (improved?) with scripts once somebody understands the underlying actions. I really like what Paintshop Pro's "Clarify" tool does (for images that need it). I also really like PSP's digital noise reduction and how they present the histogram when you are working directly with the histogram.

What I don't like about PSP is that it doesn't really have great color management (I have not tried the latest release though), and their editing isn't so flexible when working with greater than an 8-bit images.

Corel recently bought JASC. I may switch over to PS if I don't like how Corel is supporting PSP. So far, I'm not impressed with what I've read about Version X. I have not yet upgraded. For me, the money for Photoshop is not an issue, but I know PSP well enough to meet my needs (I'm just a hobbyist.).

So, I'm just asking here to see if anybody knows about possible Photoshop equivalent actions to PSP's Clarify (just in case...). I know it's kind of a very specific question.

Sorry, just rambling,
Tim