In 2013 I wrote about noise reduction and best practise for minimising noise in images. Since then a lot has changed including much better image sensor sensitivity and image processing software which has become a lot smarter and way more effective. While its always best to maximise image quality when shooting, there is now way more leeway when it comes to managing noise post.
This image below has been shot with an iPhone 11, not known for super dynamic range. Detail is not great and there’s visible noise. Using the default settings of the ON1 nose module reduces the noise, smooths graduations and sharpens the image. This one will be smoother in the sky and water without losing detail in other areas. It’s also possible is using AI masking to select the sky and water as separate layers and just apply noise reduction to those areas which is the way many of these tools now work.
The image above is the final result which is just fine from a noise perspective for an image taken with an iPhone. Now this is all push botton processing. There’s been no careful hand masking and its taken a few minutes to do and it wasn’t a great image in the first place. This should give you some insight into what’s possible with these sorts of tools now.
