Best Software to Fix Blurry Out of Focus Portraits and Photos

I have both the standalone plugins and the newer PhotoAI but I prefer the method here for how to deblur and sharpen portraits. This sharpening method works well for other photo genres too.

𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲

𝗣𝗹𝘂𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀

𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀

𝗠𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

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[RedField-jqiz]

Tony, thanks for your excellent demonstration to share with us. I couldn‘t agree more with you. I’m both Luminar Neo and Topaz bundle user and found that they supplement each other so well that I can do most of my editing work without resourcing from the other apps.

[whooptydj]

Like the comparison between products. Also liked the reminder of importance of masking. Thanks Tony!

[jer]

This study in sharpening results is very interesting. For me, the 3 variations that Neo produced and you placed side-by-side were such a great comparison. Neo appears to be a 3-choice in sharpening strength, while Topaz seems to be a 3-choice in sharpening methods. Not a surprise that Topaz is still the king, but Neo wasn't all that bad, IMHO. Thanks so much for showing us how the pro in you saved the day!

[fransstaal]

Hi Anthony. Love the tings you do with the out of focus photo. So valuable when you have a photo who needs some tlc to it. 😀

[xavidub]

I discovered a year ago that using Gigapixel to not increase the size but just to sharpen is by far the best tool available to me. I have found sometimes that the algorithm gets a bit thrown by a ratio of 1:1 so I sometimes use 1: 0.99 or 1.01 as this seems to cause less problems. It also brilliantly denoises images!

[fenraven]

I've been amazed at how well Gigapixel fixes a bad photo. It's actually my first go-to software if I'm dealing with blurry, too soft, grainy/noisy all around bad pics. It doesn't always work, but when it pulls it off, it's terrific.

[omnirhythm]

Props for objectively trying out Luminar and pointing out when it doesn't work out. Topaz can also leave unprocessed spots as seen with Neo - high on the beard on the right side of your face. I'd love a tiny bit more control over the process with both of themSoon, I'm sure!

Also, two recommendations: PortraitPro for advanced and controllable Face Enhance, also with a mind boggling realtime re-lighting feature.
For Photoshop, the Retouch4Me set of plugins is fantastic, specifically Fabric, Dodge & Burn and Heal.

[Centauri]

Thanks for the tips Anthony--I never thought of using Gigapixel for face recovery. I'm a total Topaz fan, owning every one of their products. One tool you didn't mention that I thought would be a shoo-in for this job: Topaz Photo AI. Though I'm in awe with what Sharpen AI and Denoise AI can do, having them both wrapped together in Photo AI is a godsend--and it does an amazing job on faces! I'm also a big fan of Luminar Neo too, but in this case their sharpening AI is not at the same level as Topaz's (especially when it comes to faces!).

[normansuchorzewski]

I am a great fan of Luminar and been using Luminar 3, 4 and now Neo and have been very impressed with their advances over the years, I was surprised that Topaz was so significantly better than Neo - as I thought Neo had cracked it. I hope the team from Skylum are aware of this and make the necessary improvements. I really don't want to run several post production tools to get a good result, Im happy to plough extra into one to save the hassle. A great video and thank you for letting us know.

[colinyoung]

Very interesting video Anthony. As a user of Topaz Ps & Luminar I do tend to use all 3... I have Luminar Sharpening as thought it was better than Topaz sharpening. Must say I enjoyed the video & makes me think, well done. Thank you Colin Devon UK

[mtreadwell]

Thanks for the great video! Interested as to how it all compares to DXO Pure Raw

[felixthecat]

Hi Again Anthony! Update! You are correct about using Topaz, I tried an out-of-focus portrait just using Luminar NEO's portrait tools, and the 'Eye Enhancer' and after closing and re-opening the tool it only made the irises look too bright, even 'radioactive, ' so it's not recommended. As you know, I don't have Photoshop, but I think Affinity Photo is recommended as a good substitute, it's far cheaper too! 😺 Regards from Felix the Cat. 😺 Ps. Did you get my emails I posted two days ago? 😼

[AXNJXN]

Join the crowd Anthony!! I'm a terrible photographer too, LOL. Actually, I do have to put some blame on my lenses since I don't have any L-Glass but the affordability of this software more than makes up for it!

[jimavery]

Topaz Sharpen and then Gigapixel did wonders for a bird in flight photo.

[felixthecat]

Hi Anthony! No need to use Photoshop, I found that Luminar NEO's Portrait panel has the tools for sharpening eyes. Instead of resorting to Topaz and PS try using the 'Face Adjustment' panel and then the 'Eye Enhancer' tool instead, it works a treat! 😺 Regards from Felix the Cat. 😺

[brianrowland]

Brilliant - but scary the way AI is slowly displacing human skills.
Topaz looks like a great tool!

[felixthecat]

Hi again Anthony! You're right, the 'Face Enhancer' button in NEO's ' 'Supersharp' option it is absolute rubbish, as it distorts the face! 😾 Regards from Felix the Cat! 😺

[atbattson]

Great video, thank you for sharing. If I wanted to go with Topaz but wished to keep the cost to a minimum and not all the programs for $200 but just one, either Gigapixel for $100 or Sharpen for $80 which would you suggest to fix this issue "mostly"? Is Neo even better "value" if you were to factor in cost -to- benefit?

[tubehead]

Hey Tony, what's the difference between using Topaz Photo AI and Topaz's individual tools like Sharpen, Gigapixel and DeNoise, since Photo AI has all three of those features in it?

[patricklancien]

Thanks for the video!
Witch version of gigapixel do you use?