Advanced Techniques - Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 for Photographers - page 243

Reduce Noise filter workflow:
1 Open the noisy image and select the Filter > Noise > Reduce Noise filter.
2 Drag the Preserve Details slider to the left and then gradually move the Strength
slider to the right until the noise is at an acceptable level.
3 Now slowly move the Preserve Details slider to the right until there is an accept-
able balance between detail and noise in your picture.
4 To reduce the appearance of JPEG compression select the Remove JPEG Artifact
check box in the feature's dialog.

Adding texture to an image

At first, the idea of making a smooth, evenly graduated image
more textured seems to be at odds with the general direction
that digital technology has been heading over the last few
years. Research scientists and technicians have spent much
time and money ensuring that the current crop of cameras,
scanners and printers is able to capture and produce images so
that they are in effect textureless or grainless. The aim has been
to disguise the origins of the final print so that the pixels cannot
be seen.

For me to introduce to you at this stage a few techniques that
intentionally add noticeable texture to your image may seem a
little strange but, despite the intentions of the manufacturers,
many digital image makers do like the atmosphere and mood
that a 'grainy' picture conveys. All the techniques use filters to
alter the look of the image. Filter changes are permanent, so it
is always a good idea to keep a copy of the unaltered original file
on your hard drive, just in case.

Editor: Filter > Noise > Add Noise
The Add Noise filter is one of four options contained under the Noise heading in the Filter
menu. Using this feature adds extra contrasting pixels to your image to simulate the
effect of high-speed film. When the filter is selected, you are presented with a dialog that
contains several choices. A small zoomable thumbnail window is provided so that you can
check the appearance of the filter settings on your image. There is also the option to pre-
view the results on the greater image by ticking the Preview box. The strength of the effect
is controlled by the Amount slider and the type of noise can be switched from Uniform, a
more even effect, to Gaussian, for a speckled appearance. The Monochromatic option adds
pixels that contrast in tone only and not color to the image.

Despite all the techniques
in the previous section,
which were designed to
reduce the marks in our
pictures, there are many
photographers who like
texture and who regularly
use other techniques to in-
tentionally put back desir-
able textures into their
photographs.