Focus Problems: Image Sharpening

Photographs which are badly out of focus are beyond rescue, but photographs which are a little blurred can be effectively sharpened to bring out details.

Example 1

In this first example, note how blurred the original photograph (below right) is. After sharpening (below left) note how much detail is visible, on the person's face, the dogs' fur, and the brick fireplace behind them.
Sharpened photograph
Original, out of focus photograph

Example 2

The original photograph of this water lily (below right) was disappointingly out of focus. A little sharpening brings out details of the flower, and adds clarity to the leaf and ripples on the surface of the water.
Sharpened photograph
Original, out of focus photograph

Example 3

The photographs below formed part of a panorama of Queens, taken from an apartment on Manhattan island. All together there were six individual, overlapping shots, three of which are shown below. One of the six was a little out of focus - as can be seen in the lower set of photographs - spoiling the composite. Sharpening - and some color adjustment - makes the final composite seamless.
Composite with sharpened componant photograph
Above - the final composite, with sharpened component photograph.
Three photographs to be used for composite, with centre photo out of focus
Above - the original three photos, the middle one being the problem image.