Adobe Photoshop's 'Super Resolution' Made My Jaw Hit the ...

The term 'Super Resolution' refers to the process of improving the ... in Adobe Camera Raw via Photoshop or Adobe Bridge as shown below. AdobejustdroppeditslatestsoftwareupdatesviatheCreativeCloudandamongthoseupdatesisanewfeatureinAdobeCameraRaw(ACR)called“SuperResolution.”Youcanmarkthisdaydownasamajorshiftinthephotoindustry.IhaveseenabitofreportingoutthereonthistopicfromthelikesofPetaPixelandFstoppers,butotherthanthattheramificationsofthisnewfeatureinACRhavenotbeenwidelypromotedfromwhatIcansee.ThenewSuperResolutionfeatureinACRessentiallyupsizestheimagebyafactoroffourusingmachinelearning,i.e.ArtificialIntelligence(AI).ThePetaPixelarticleonthisnewfeaturequotedEricChanfromAdobe:SuperResolutionbuildsonatechnologyAdobelaunchedtwoyearsagocalledEnhanceDetails,whichusesmachinelearningtointerpolateRAWfileswithahighdegreeoffidelity,whichresultedinimageswithcrispdetailsandfewerartifacts.Theterm‘SuperResolution’referstotheprocessofimprovingthequalityofaphotobyboostingitsapparentresolution,”Chanexplains.“Enlargingaphotooftenproducesblurrydetails,butSuperResolutionhasanaceupitssleeve:anadvancedmachinelearningmodeltrainedonmillionsofphotos.Backedbythisvasttrainingset,SuperResolutioncanintelligentlyenlargephotoswhilemaintainingcleanedgesandpreservingimportantdetails.Whatdoesthismeanpractically?Well,Iimmediatelytestedthisoutandwasprettyshockedbytheresults.Thoughitmightbehardtomakeoutinthescreenshotbelow,Itookthesurfingimageshownbelow,whichwascapturedadecadeagowithaNikonD700—a12MPcamera—andrantheSuperResolutiontoolonitandtheendresultisa48.2MPimagethatlookstobeeverybitassharp(ifnotsharper)thantheoriginalimagefile.ThismeansthatIcannowprintthatold12MPimageatsignificantlylargersizesthanIevercouldbefore. Whatthisalsomeansisthatanyonewithalowerresolutioncamera,i.e.thecurrentcropof24MPcameras,cannowoutputhugeimagefilesforprintsoranyotherusagethatrequiresahigherresolutionimagefile.InthethreeorfourimagesIhaverunthroughthisnewfeatureinPhotoshopIhavefoundtheresultstobeastoundinglygood.Let’srunthroughhowthisworks.Firstoff,itworkswithanyimagefile,whetheritisarawimagesfile,aTIFF,oraJPEG.YouwillhavetoopentheimagefileinAdobeCameraRawviaPhotoshoporAdobeBridgeasshownbelow.ToaccesstheSuperResolutionfeature,right-clickontheimageandchoose“Enhance”asshownbelow.AdialogwindowwillcomeupsoyoucanseehowtheimagewilllookandyoucanalsotogglebackandforthbetweentheoriginalimageandthenewEnhancedversion.ThedialogwillgiveyouanestimateonhowlongitwilltaketocreatethenewEnhancedimage,whichwillshowupasaseparateimagefile.OnceyouarereadysimplyclicktheEnhancebuttoninthelowerright-handcorner.ACRstartsworkinginthebackgroundimmediatelytobuildthenewimagefileanditeventuallyappearsrightnexttotheoriginalfileyouselectedwhereverthatoneisstored.Inmytesting,asshownbelow,ittookthisold12MPimagefrom4256×2832pixelsto8512×5664pixels.Thescreenshotsbelowshowthisenlargement.Thetopimageisthelowerresolution(original)versionandthebottomimageistheonethatwentthroughtheSuperResolutionprocess.Thehigher-resimagelooksabsolutelyamazing.Andat48MPIcouldeasilyblowthisuptoa40×60inchprintjustaswithanyimagecapturedusingmy45MPNikonD850.TheOriginalimageat4256×2832pixelsshownat100%inAdobePhotoshop.(Clicktoenlarge). ThenewEnhancedimageupsizedusingtheSuperResolutionfeatureat8512×5664pixelsshownat100%inAdobePhotoshop.(Clicktoenlarge).OnceIupsizedtheimageusingtheSuperResolutionfeature,Izoomedintotheresultingimageandwasveryimpressed.Theimageseemedjustassharp(ifnotalittlesharper)astheoriginalimagefilebutofcourseitismassivelylarger(intermsofresolutionandfilesize).KudostothefolksatAdobeforcreatingatrulyrevolutionaryadditiontoPhotoshop.IhavetriedsomeoftheTopazAIsoftwareoptions,likeTopazGigapixelAI,butIhavenotseenitworkthiswell.Sowhatdoesthismean?Forstarters,itmeansthatAItechnologywillhaveahugeimpactonphotography.Goingforward,thesoftwareweusetoworkupourimages(andupresthem)mightinsomeinstanceshavealargereffectonthefinalimagesthanthecamerathatwasusedtocapturetheimage.Toacertaindegree,thisnewtoolinPhotoshopsignificantlyequalizestheplayingfieldnomatterwhatcamerayouareworkingwith.AllofasuddenmyNikonZ6andFujifilmX-Pro3(respectively24MPand26MPcameras)arecapableofproducingstunninglargeprintsinawaythatwaspreviouslyjustnotpossible.Whatabouthigh-resolutioncamerasyoumayask?Wheredotheyendupwithallofthis?ThenewSuperResolutiontoolwillallowuptoupresanyimageaslongastheresulting“Enhanced”imagefileislessthan65,000pixelsonthelongsideandunder500MPintotal.WhatthatmeansisIcanupresthe102MPimagesfrommyFujifilmGFX100andGFX100Scamerasandproduceinsane400MPimagefilesfromasingleimage.Thatisgettingintotheabsurd,butthatalsoopenssomedoorsforcrazyhugeprints.Therealityisthatthisfeatureisahugeboontolowerresolution(12MPto16MP)andevenmediumresolution(24MP)cameraowners.Higherresolutioncameraswillstillyieldbetterimagequalitybutwenowhavetheoptionofmakinglargeprintsfromrelativelylow-resolutionimagefiles.EnhancingaPhototo376MegapixelsAftertalkingwithsomephotographerfriendsaboutthisnewfeatureIplayedaroundwithimagesfromavarietyofdifferentcamerastoseehowitvaries.IranafewimagesthroughfrommyNikonZ6andalsoafewfrommyFujifilmGFX100.WiththeGFX100image,theSuperResolutionfeaturepoppedouta376MPimagefilethatwasdamnnearidenticaltotheoriginalimagefile,justfourtimeslarger.MyjawhitthefloorwhenIzoomedinto100%andcomparedittotheoriginal!YoucanseeboththeoriginalandtheEnhancedimagesbelow.Thereisnowaytoactuallyconveythe100%imagesizehereasIhavenocontrolovertheviewer’sscreenresolutionbutregardless,theybothlookwickedsharp. TheoriginalFujifilmGFX100imageat11205×8404pixelsshownat100%inAdobePhotoshop.(Clicktoenlarge).ThenewEnhancedimageupsizedusingtheSuperResolutionfeatureat22409×16807pixels(376MP)shownat100%inAdobePhotoshop.(Clicktoenlarge).FromwhatIcantell,theSuperResolutiontoolseemstodoanevenbetterjobwithhigherresolutioncamerasandinparticularwithcamerasthatdonothaveananti-aliasingfilterinfrontofthesensor.MyNikonZ6imageswhenenhancedwiththistoolstilllookimpressivebutnotasjaw-droppingastheexampleabove.TheZ6hasaverystronganti-aliasingfilter,basicallyafilterthatslightlyblurstheimagetoreducedigitalartifacts.Inaddition,itseemsliketheamountofsharpeningornoisereductionappliedtotheimageisalsomagnifiedsoplayingaroundwithhowtheimageisworkedupmayhaveasignificanteffectonthefinalimagequality.Iwillhavetodosomemoretesting.Ifyouhavegottenthisfar,andarestillreadingthisfull-onpixel-peepingmadness,thenyoumighthaverealizedthatthiscouldbethebestupgradetoanyandeverycameraever.ThisiscertainlyoneofthemostincrediblefeaturesAdobehaseverreleasedinPhotoshop.ThisisjustthestartoftheAIrevolution.Italsoshowsquiteclearlythatmanyoftheadvancementsinimagequalityaregoingtocomefromthesoftwaresideoftheequationaswestarttoseecameraswithincrediblespecsthatmightbehardtodramaticallyimproveuponinthecomingyears.IamsuperexcitedaboutthisnewoptioninPhotoshopasitwillallowmetooffermuchlargerprintsthanIhavebeenabletocreatepreviously–andtheywilllookstunning.Abouttheauthor:MichaelClarkisaninternationallypublishedoutdoorphotographerspecializinginadventuresports,travel,andlandscapephotography.Theopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearesolelythoseoftheauthor.ClarkcontributestoNationalGeographic,NationalGeographicAdventure,SportsIllustrated,Outside,Men’sJournal,Backpacker,OutdoorPhotographer,DigitalPhotoPro,Climbing,Alpinist,RockandIce,BikeMagazineandTheNewYorkTimesamongmanyothers.YoucanfindmoreofClark’sworkonhiswebsite,Facebook,Twitter,andInstagram.Thisarticlewasalsopublishedhere. 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