Photoshop Camera Shake Reduction Help!

madisonofriel · May 29, 2015

I am trying to use the new shake reduction feature in Photoshop, But every time I choose what needs sharpening, instead of fixing just what was in the box, It sharpens the WHOLE PHOTO. To an extreme I might add. How can I get it to just reduce camera shake in the chosen box? Please help!
And If you want to do it for me that would be awesome too. Below is the photo, Obviously when I slowed the shutter speed for the waterfall, the leaves moved dramatically (It was very windy).

madisonofriel · May 29, 2015

Sorry photo wouldn't upload, Here's a link:
Dropbox - DSC 0062.jpg

tecboy · May 29, 2015

I think the best way is use a tripod.

480sparky · May 29, 2015

The image doesn't have any shake... it has subject movement.

madisonofriel · May 29, 2015

tecboy said:
I think the best way is use a tripod.

I was using a tripod.. It would be impossible without one.

madisonofriel · May 29, 2015

480sparky said:
The image doesn't have any shake... it has subject movement.

Yes I know. I don't really need a definition, I need a SOLUTION please.

spiralout462 · May 29, 2015

I would think the only real "solution" would be to shoot again on a calm day.

Dave442 · May 30, 2015

It seems to me the tool uses a selected area to determine the settings to use, you can change the selected area and also modify the settings, and then the settings are applied to the entire image.

Looking at the photo it is subject movement and not camera movement (at least on the rocks in the upper left I do not see any camera shake). Photoshop can correct the camera movement as it would be a slight movement all in the same direction, while the photo has leaves that are moving in all different directions. If there was a specific location with camera shake you could select that, but then the correction would be applied to areas that had motion blur that is greater than the camera shake and in a different direction.

I think at least you can consider that if a camera based vibration reduction system would not solve the problem then a shake reducing filter applied in post processing is not going to solve the problem.

The solution I know of is to blend shots, not easy here with the leaves in front of the waterfall. Usually have done this to replace the sky in a long exposure of the ocean.

The_Traveler · May 30, 2015

What they said ^

And it isn't clear what exactly you want to 'un-shake'
Assuming its motion in the trees (that I don't really see) you could duplicate the layer, reduce shake on the top one and then mask out the places where it wasn't desired.

Buckster · May 30, 2015

If it's working for the part you want it to work on, but the problem is that it's also working on the parts you don't want it to work on, then you just need to learn to work in layers with masks.

raventepes · May 30, 2015

madisonofriel said:
Obviously when I slowed the shutter speed for the waterfall, the leaves moved dramatically (It was very windy).

If I'm coming across like an a**, I'm not meaning to, and I'm going to be using a few assumptions here.

I think you kind of answered your own question. There's a difference between camera shake and blur from long exposures and wind. For the leaves to have stayed crisp, you would have needed a much faster shutter speed, but you wouldn't have gotten the motion of the waterfall itself. Even if you started using mirror up and had the best possible tripod, the problems would be there.

Now, I don't use Photoshop CC (I still use CS6), but from what I gather, the camera shake function corrects for just that. Camera shake! I can only assume that it's not intended to fix blur from wind and longer exposures. Unfortunately, there's really nothing that can be done. Even the best software can't fix that kind of blur.

Personally, I like the image as is. It gives a sense of fluidity of nature. The little nuances of the blurred leaves and branches just kind of add to the picture as a whole.

480sparky · May 30, 2015

I don't use PS either, but my assumption is you're trying to use the wrong tool for the job. You don't use tweezers to drive a nail. You need a hammer. Maybe you can get PS to apply the plug-in to selected parts of the image, but I don't think you're going to really like the end result.

The best solution will be to retake the image on a calmer day.

dennybeall · May 31, 2015

If you wanted the wind waving leaves to be sharp(fast shutter speed) and the falling water to look as it does (slow shutter speed), the way to do it is to take two photos with the camera locked on the tripod. One for the water and one for the leaves. Then blend the two photos using layers and masking in Photoshop.

Dave442 · Jun 1, 2015

What Denny said. Also, received a message today that had a link to this video where two shots are blended in order to eliminate motion blur in the final image. One shot using a high ISO to allow a fast enough shutter speed to freeze what needs to be frozen in the image and the other shot with the desired blur. So there is a solution, but need to address it when planning the shoot.