✅ Released In v1.0.2 | Enhancement Improvement | Nature Focused Model Development

[jbear555]

Hi Topaz Peeps. Just wondering…
I am a nature photographer (all types of outside non-human stuff). Are there any plans to make features more, let’s say…animal-bird-botanical oriented. Specifically sharpening models that are optimized for critters…specific or general? I am able to get results that I am happy with most of the time, but always looking for improvement.
Thanks folks.

[john.topazlabs (John S)]

Thank you for your feedback. You’re right on track, and we’re excited to share that this is already in the works!

We’re currently beta testing Animal Sharpen, a new sharpening model designed specifically for wildlife photography. It focuses on preserving natural texture in fur, feathers, whiskers, scales, and other fine details, areas where general sharpening models can sometimes produce overly smooth or “plastic” results.

[jbear555]

That is great to hear! Thanks John.

[unrelent]

It would be great to have something like this among Topaz tools. I’ll be waiting impatiently!

[Harald.De.Luca]

Will it be implemented in Gigapixel? Or Photo? Or both? Or simply in the web tools?

[TPX (Thomas K.)]

You will be happy with the new model.

Had a lot of fun testing it.

[john.topazlabs (John S)]

The new Animal Sharpen model is currently available in Topaz Photo and is specifically designed to refine natural details, such as fur, feathers, and scales.

At this time, there are no plans to bring Animal Sharpen to Gigapixel or the web applications, since it’s a sharpening model (not an upscaling model), and Gigapixel’s focus remains on high-quality image enlargement.

[Harald.De.Luca]

Well, I don’t see it in Topaz Photo. Were you using a more recent beta version than 1.0.1?

[jbear555]

Same here…don’t see it yet but looking forward to it!

[Harald.De.Luca]

Yes, me too. Perhaps the result will be even more realistic than with Redefine in record time. This will allow me to save a lot of time in my workflow.

[AND-E]

Hi.

John is referring that the Animal Sharpen Model is currently in the Beta Testing version of Topaz Photo

Hope this helps

[john.topazlabs (John S)]

@jbear555 @unrelent @Harald.De.Luca

Topaz Photo v1.0.2 has been released, and it includes the Wildlife Sharpen model.

Here’s some more information from @Lingyu, our Technical Product Manager:

@Lingyu

Wildlife Sharpen — Natural Detail for Wildlife Images

We’re introducing Wildlife Sharpen, a new model designed specifically for fine, natural detail in wildlife photography. When researching places to improve Topaz Photo, better sharpening for wildlife comes up frequently in fur, feathers, whiskers, scales, and delicate textures.

Existing sharpen models in Topaz Photo are for general sharpening which smooths away these details, producing an artificial, plastic result. The Wildlife model aims to preserve lifelike textures while keeping larger structures crisp without that over-sharpened halo look.

Below are before and after examples.

Low resolution JPG image, upscaled first, then sharpened. The GIF only shows the sharpening step.

Noisy raw image, denoised and sharpened.

Here are sample images to download and try processing.

Best practices for using the Wildlife model:

• Use on high-resolution images (5MP or higher) with low–medium blur to keep lifelike fur/feather detail and avoid “plastic” looks.
• Not for heavy blur recovery, the other sharpen models will be better for cases where the subject is significantly out of focus or smeared by motion.
• Treat as a finishing step once the image is in good shape, after denoise or other adjustments.
• For low-resolution files, Upscale first to increase resolution and generate enough pixels for the model, then apply the Sharpen - Wildlife model reveal convincing micro-detail.