Best de-noise method for images with large areas of same color and gradients

[MrSmith27]

It's quite hard to properly describe, so maybe it's easiest if you look at the picture. As you can see I have very large areas of nearly identical colors with slight gradients, see for example the orange sky or the smooth reddish mountains below Fuji that move from dark red to a more orange red.

What technique, or plug-in would you recommend to reduce the noise in shots such as this?

Thanks!

[David Sutton]

For me it would depend on whether I were printing it or posting to the web. For printing I just start running through the 3 or 4 de-noise plugins I have in PS and stop when I have a good rendering of the shadows and then begin masking off the highlights. I doubt there is a "right" answer.
You could also try converting to lab colour and using surface blur or dust and scratches on the a or b channels (I'm guessing the b channel for the foreground and a lesser amount on the entire a channel)
David

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

I do noise reduction in Lightroom, before that I used noise ninja.

Best regards
Erik

It's quite hard to properly describe, so maybe it's easiest if you look at the picture. As you can see I have very large areas of nearly identical colors with slight gradients, see for example the orange sky or the smooth reddish mountains below Fuji that move from dark red to a more orange red.

What technique, or plug-in would you recommend to reduce the noise in shots such as this?

Thanks!

[Tim Lookingbill]

I just applied +100 Luminance Noise Reduction in ACR 4.6 and got clean results shown in a 300% view screengrab of your posted PNG file shown below.

You should get similar results in Lightroom or ACR. In LR4 I find the Masking slider acts the same as Luminance Noise in ACR 4.6 or you could switch to PV2003. You have so many options I don't see why you couldn't get just as good or better than what I got shown below.

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

I am a strong supporter of using noise reduction in LR. The NR in LR is VG (very good). You want sharpening and NR to be applied at the same time, because NR softens the image and sharpening enhances noise. Using a sharpening mask is good advise, I always use some.

Best regards
Erik

I just applied +100 Luminance Noise Reduction in ACR 4.6 and got clean results shown in a 300% view screengrab of your posted PNG file shown below.

You should get similar results in Lightroom or ACR. In LR4 I find the Masking slider acts the same as Luminance Noise in ACR 4.6 or you could switch to PV2003. You have so many options I don't see why you couldn't get just as good or better than what I got shown below.

[bill t.]

Another interesting method is the new "Reduce Noise" slider in the Photoshop CC "Smart Sharpen" dialogue.  It works even when "Amount" and "Radius" are set to zero.  Reminds me a little of Noise Ninja.  Haven't worked with it much but at first glance it seems better than the classic Photoshop Reduce Noise function and is also effective at reducing processing artifacts, such as cleaning up messy skies without killing landscape details.  Can save a trip to LR for us old Photoshop dogs.

[PhotoEcosse]

Just an aside - not particularly pertinent for the image in question, but useful when one wants to get rid of any noise in a featureless sky but not affect a detailed foreground - the ability in LR to apply noise reduction to part of an image with the adjustment brush can be an easy option. Often reducing clarity and sharpening within the same adjustment brush can farther enhance the process.

[jrsforums]

You should get similar results in Lightroom or ACR. In LR4 I find the Masking slider acts the same as Luminance Noise in ACR 4.6 or you could switch to PV2003. You have so many options I don't see why you couldn't get just as good or better than what I got shown below.

Hi, Tim...

I have to disagree a little bit.

Both LR4/5 have similar Luminance Noise reduction sliders with ACR....They use the same engine (different code & UI)

Masking acts to create an on-the-fly edge mask, which varies with movement of slider....visible by holding down alt key.  the appearence of noise reduction in smooth (sky) areas is it is masking out the sharpening in this area, thus reducing sharpening created noise.

JOHN

[Tim Lookingbill]

Hi, Tim...

I have to disagree a little bit.

Both LR4/5 have similar Luminance Noise reduction sliders with ACR....They use the same engine (different code & UI)

Masking acts to create an on-the-fly edge mask, which varies with movement of slider....visible by holding down alt key.  the appearence of noise reduction in smooth (sky) areas is it is masking out the sharpening in this area, thus reducing sharpening created noise.

JOHN

I'm all well aware of what you outlined about Adobe UI.

The masking slider in LR4 works for me on my files just as I said. Your experience may be different for you and maybe the same for others due to source data induced anomalies not known by Adobe Raw converter engine such as thickness and quality of the camera's AA filter (i.e. my Pentax K100D is thin compared to most similar model Canons/Nikons where I have to reduce sharpness) and other image texture variances. The noise I see in the OP's posted image is similar to what I get on my Raw PEFs and jpegs but cleans up better on that screengrab of the OP's Raw shot more so than on my incamera jpegs using the same ACR tool.

I work at a zoom view over 100% so I can see what the algorithms are doing to each individual pixel and how that will look when downsampled or viewed at lower zoom view levels which can change things quite a bit with appearance to noise and sharpness.

I do like the ability in LR to paint back noise suppression and other detail enhancements with the brush, but I really never saw the necessity because I know that a final print isn't going to show much of a difference. I've found you have to make big moves editing on a transmissive display before its seen on a print and fussing with a lot of detail issues such as noise suppression has been a big waste of time in this regard for me.

[jrsforums]

I'm all well aware of what you outlined about Adobe UI.

The masking slider in LR4 works for me on my files just as I said. Your experience may be different for you and maybe the same for others due to source data induced anomalies not known by Adobe Raw converter engine such as thickness and quality of the camera's AA filter (i.e. my Pentax K100D is thin compared to most similar model Canons/Nikons where I have to reduce sharpness) and other image texture variances. The noise I see in the OP's posted image is similar to what I get on my Raw PEFs and jpegs but cleans up better on that screengrab of the OP's Raw shot more so than on my incamera jpegs using the same ACR tool.

I work at a zoom view over 100% so I can see what the algorithms are doing to each individual pixel and how that will look when downsampled or viewed at lower zoom view levels which can change things quite a bit with appearance to noise and sharpness.

I do like the ability in LR to paint back noise suppression and other detail enhancements with the brush, but I really never saw the necessity because I know that a final print isn't going to show much of a difference. I've found you have to make big moves editing on a transmissive display before its seen on a print and fussing with a lot of detail issues such as noise suppression has been a big waste of time in this regard for me.

Tim...I'm just telling ya how it works.

What you see or how you interpret what it does is yours to decide.

Howevr, your statement of that may confuse other people on what the slider algorithms do and how each relate between LR & ACR.

[Christoph C. Feldhaim]

It's quite hard to properly describe, so maybe it's easiest if you look at the picture. As you can see I have very large areas of nearly identical colors with slight gradients, see for example the orange sky or the smooth reddish mountains below Fuji that move from dark red to a more orange red.

What technique, or plug-in would you recommend to reduce the noise in shots such as this?

Thanks!

Its very simple:
Strong denoising on the gradients, and more careful denoising on features with structures, glued together with layers.
I have a 35mm scanned Kodachrome image of ships waiting in the Bosporus at Istanbul where I did a really strong denoising on a large blue evening sky and a more careful denoising on the ships and sea.
I printed it 24" wide and it looks like medium format.

[Fine_Art]

Its very simple:
Strong denoising on the gradients, and more careful denoising on features with structures, glued together with layers.
I have a 35mm scanned Kodachrome image of ships waiting in the Bosporus at Istanbul where I did a really strong denoising on a large blue evening sky and a more careful denoising on the ships and sea.
I printed it 24" wide and it looks like medium format.

Yes. I'll add strong color channel de-noise. Watch out for color bands starting to form, the noise is hiding color gradients.

[MrSmith27]

Thanks for all the excellent advice!

[BernardLanguillier]

I would try first to convert the raw file with DxO 9.1 in Prime mode.

Then a selective application of Topaz denoise.

Cheers,
Bernard