Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Reducing Noise with Photoshop
The truth is that all digital cameras create noise. The more advanced and
expensive cameras, at lower ISOs, will not produce much obvious detectable
noise at i rst glance; however, as we raise the camera's ISO settings or
underexpose an image, noise can become a serious problem. In most cases,
the noise is predominantly more visible in the Blue channel of an image.
Some people feel the noise resembles i lm grain, and even like the look, while
others i nd it unacceptable in their image i les. While we cannot remove all
noise altogether when it appears at extreme levels, there are some things we
can do to reduce some of the ef ects at lower levels if the noise is not making
us happy.
SMART FILTERS IN
CS4
Using i lter layers,
reduce noise can be
applied, changed
or even turned of
for previewing, web,
saving, printing, etc.
Working in layers also
allows you to apply
noise reduction using
a myriad of blend
modes and opacities.
There are many available methods and techniques that produce excellent
to moderate results depending on several factors, such as amount of noise,
bit depth, i le size and the type of noise. Just like the many dif erent ways
to convert an image to monochrome have advantages and disadvantages,
so too do the noise reduction techniques. Whichever method you choose
to support, it is most important to be mindful that noise reduction does
introduce a certain level of blur, which is ef ectively sharpened back. Finding
the right balance between technique, loss of image detail and acceptable
noise is a tricky endeavor for even the most experienced digital users. The
following Lab method is often a good starting point for a attacking an often
very complex problem.
 
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