The tutorial below is Photoshop Elements’ Smart Brush method of enhancing details in a portrait. It’s very similar to Camera Raw’s Clarity adjustment.
- Select the areas in which you would like to emphasize the details.
- Add a Brightness/Contrast Adjustment Layer by clicking on the half-black half-white circle near the top of the Layers Palette.
- Double click on the Adjustment Layer Thumbnail to open the Brightness/Contrast Dialogue box.
- Adjust the Contrast to +50.
- Hit ok. Change the Blending Mode of this layer to Soft Light. Adjust the opacity to taste.
Another method that I like to use to bring out details in a portrait is below. This one works well on eyes.
- Duplicate the background layer
- Change the Blending Mode to Soft Light
- Run the High Pass Filter (Filter Menu/Other/High Pass) with the Radius set to about 20 pixels
- Add a layer mask and fill it completely with black
- Use a soft white brush at 100% Opacity and Normal Blending Mode to brush over areas that you would like to sharpen
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