The Unsharp Mask

a mirror with a reflection of a person

The Unsharp Mask

n.
the tendency for social networks to magnify unexpected personality traits of people you know, a consequence of compressing someone’s raw persona into a low-res digital format, which can randomly brighten their outer glow, sharpen their comic edges, darken their shadows, or add motion blur to a stationary life.

In digital photo processing, unsharp mask is a filter that combines the original negative with a blurred positive image. The resulting image may look sharper but is actually a less accurate interpretation of the subject.

Backmasking

a woman's face with a double exposure

Elsewise

Cover image for the Elsewise word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Clockwise

a close-up of flower along with polaroid pictures

Alpha Exposure

a close-up of a baby with diffusion filter

Mithenness

a person standing on the side of a road

Etherness

Cover image for the Etherness word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows