Picture Noise

[tegan]

You often get noise or grain in your photo from one of more of the following:

1. setting a high ISO ... 1600 and above

2. a long shutterspeed of 1 second or more

3. a hot processor due to perhaps some continuous or frequent shooting or even very hot weather.

What is important to know is that some high frequency photo noise may be visible on some LCD screens but it is too fine to show up in print and therefore should not be a concern for most. Low frequency heavy grain is the visual problem.

Cameras tend to have built in noise processing for high ISOs and long shutterspeeds that can be turned off or on in a menu. The problem is that solutions to noise in camera often involve softening the image and that is not what many photographers want. The challenge is to balance a sharp image against the absence of noise which is often a compromise.

A lot of noise software tends to increase contrast particularly at edges and even create "halos" and artifacts which are as bad as the original noise.

Does anyone here use standalones or plug-ins for noise and which have you found to be the absolute best?

Tegan

[tirediron]

Great post; very informative. Thanks!

[tegan]

Interesting!.... So do you ignore noise, correct it in Photoshop, Paintshop Pro, or Gimp etc. or use Noise Ninja, Focal Blade, Noiseware, etc.?

Tegan

[kiley9806]

tegan, i actually have a picture that i oversharpened and the noise has become really nasty... it's created a halo effect. (its the one of an owl that im thinking about, ive posted it in the monthly contest forum for 'patriotism'). its nothing too important, but reading this thread got me thinking you might be able to help...i was wondering if theres a technique you know of in paintshop pro for correcting it? thanks!

[tegan]

tegan, i actually have a picture that i oversharpened and the noise has become really nasty... it's created a halo effect. (its the one of an owl that im thinking about, ive posted it in the monthly contest forum for 'patriotism'). its nothing too important, but reading this thread got me thinking you might be able to help...i was wondering if theres a technique you know of in paintshop pro for correcting it? thanks!

Well, if it is OK with you, I can show you what can be done with your owl strictly in Paintshop and if you like what you see, I can go through the methodology.

Tegan

[kiley9806]

sure - thatd be great. thanks!
heres the shot...