Ok here it goes..tryin\' to keep this as short as possible...remember this for 40d files:
1. - open the Raw in Canon\'s DPP...do all the necessary adjustments.. sharpening usually anywhere between 7-10 (max).I also use the 2nd tab and play w curves to turn down blown highlights and open deep blacks. On the 3rd tab take the Chroma NR slider at max. 10 (kills it completely) and Luminance NR slider to 1 (DPP luminance NR is very strong). Now convert to jpeg.
2 - Now you need to create a 2nd jpg file which will be very very clean...blast it w luminance NR as hard as you can I use NoiseNinja at max. settings but you can use CS3\'s Luminance NR slider at max (+10) although I think the results w CS3 are quite dissapointing as it smears colours and edges
Anyaway, now you have a 2nd full-res jpeg file which is super clean but no detail on the bird
3. - Open in CS3 the 1st \"regular\" jpg and resize it for web w bicubic-sharper method. Now apply USM w radius 0,6 and anywhere between 50-90 (depending on ur taste). Now you have a resized file w plenty of detail but kinda noisy bgs
4. - Now open in CS3 the super-clean NR bombarded full-res jpg and resized it to the same size as the 1st file but this time smoother gradients method
5. - Use the move tool and slide the cleaner jpg over the sharper jpg. Now hit Add layer Mask and click it (Opacity and Fill options set at 100%). Now bring back the bird and / or perch w the brush at 100% hardness.
Simple no? you got ur very sharp bird from the sharper file and super clean bgs from the clean file! Best of both worlds
If you need to you can bring back some detail in the bg / surroundings by using a brush w only 1% hardness
6. - Now sabe the file as jpeg at max. setting in CS3.
Hope I was clear enough...if you have any questions pls ask
Mar 12, 2009 at 06:09 PM
Previous versions of Nello Milanese's message #6828095 « Same Killah combo..new PP flow! »
I use NoiseNinja at max. settings but you can use CS3\'s Luminance NR slider at max (+10) although I think the results w CS3 are quite dissapointing as it smears colours and edges 
