Mark Hemhauser posted an excellent image of a hand statue. He was trying to get better tones out of the image and I made some suggestions. Mark gave me permission to post the step-by-step process that I followed in making some changes.
Check out Mark's original image HERE.
Click next to view the other images in the process.
Process: The last step is to duplicate the layer again and then use Sharpen, Unsharp Mask with the settings Amount 43, Radius 15, and Threshold 0.
This method of dodging, burning and sharpening are modifications of the technique posted by photographer, JEFF ALU. I really like his high contrast, gritty style. It is not for everyone but I think he has some stunning work. Be sure to check out his galleries when you visit his site!
These images are copyright 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Linda Vich.