Does the picture seem dirty and fuzzy? Does it feel like it’s filled with noise, but you can’t see the details? Is there an old-film effect that you didn’t plan for? Most likely, we are talking about a defect called noise. You can get rid of it easily using the AI-based image noise reduction extension from Luminar Neo. It’s a modern photo editor you can regularly use to improve your pictures. The article discusses about how to remove noise from photos.
You can remove noise from photos by using Photoshop, Lightroom, and Luminar Neo Extension. Today we’re going to look at what noise is, why it occurs in photos, and, most importantly, how to remove it.
Let’s start with the basics so that it’s much easier for newcomers to the field of photography to get to grips with this issue. Read below to learn how to remove noise from photos.
See Also: 6 Best Free Alternatives Apps Like Photoshop In 2023
Contents
What Is Noise?
It is a defect in photography. It manifests in the appearance of small, chaotically scattered pixels in an image. This creates a feeling of graininess and blurring where the surface should be smooth, monochrome, or even hollow. There are two types of this defect:
- When pixels scatter throughout the picture, colors are in different shades. Such noise is the easiest to remove – it is enough to discolor it in a couple of seconds, especially in a raw image editor.
- Brightness noise appears as to scatter pixels of different luminance. If you reduce this defect, the picture will inevitably lose sharpness. Because of this, eliminating this noise is regarded as being more difficult or even unattainable.
On occasion, preventing the issue is simpler than dealing with it afterward. If you know why noises occur, you can take measures in advance and reduce the chance of their occurrence by removing noise from photos.
Why Noise Occurs?
Noise occurs when there is not enough light. In this case, the photographer gets into a trap – he needs a brighter picture, but if he raises the ISO, the quality will drop. You should either accept this or buy a brighter lens.
The state of the camera’s sensor is also significant. It may be physically damaged (e.g. it may have some broken pixels). The size of a sensor pixel also plays a big role. The bigger it is, the better. Often the specifications of the camera specify this value. As a rule, the more expensive the camera, the larger the pixel size and the higher the ISO parameter, which allows you to put the camera.
Removing Noise From A Photo
We will look at the easiest and fastest ways to remove noise from photos using graphic editors. But remember that in most cases, this defect can be prevented:
- Use slow shutter speeds and tripods instead of using ISO.
- Use more light, if possible. Even the cheapest external flash will improve the quality of your pictures.
- Keep a fast lens in your arsenal in case of bad light.
- When choosing a camera, choose one with a larger google pixel sensor.
- Take photos in RAW format, so post-processing will be easier to “pull out” the picture without losing quality to remove noise from photos.
Removing Noise In Photoshop
It is very good if the photo saves in RAW format because, in that case, you have a better chance of post-processing it. After you have opened the photo in Photoshop, you should click on the Filter menu on the toolbar and find the Noise item as to remove noise from photos.
Hovering your cursor over it will open an additional list with suggested operations, the last item on the list being Reduce Noise. Clicking on it will bring up a window with tools for editing your photo. All the tools to equip with sliders; by moving them, the user will be able to see the changes in the quality of the photo. This way, the user can get the result and remove all the noise. Save the changes.
Noise reduces at the RAW file development stage. For example, Adobe Camera RAW contains a special Detail tab. It is made with noise reduction in mind. As in the case with the Reduce Noise filter, you should first reduce the color noise. If you are lucky, it will be enough, and the details will not be lost.
However, in most cases, you have to decrease the brightness noise. Here note that less detail is lost when noise reduces at the stage of development than when filters and plugins apply. But, on the other hand, the noise is not removed as neatly.
See Also: How To Put A Watermark On A Photo Without Photoshop
Noise Reduction In Lightroom
In the Develop module of Lightroom, you will find a section called Detail, where the Sharpening and Noise Reduction tools we need are located to remove noise from photos. This tool is divided into two subsections: Luminance and Color. Each category has its own set of adjustment sliders.
The Luminance slider is responsible for the graininess, and the Color slider is responsible for the noise color. Accordingly, the first slider will soften the graininess, while the second will work with the element whose color stands out from the general picture. Since the program delimits the noise reduction areas, you can understand what type of noise prevails in your photo.
Luminar Neo AI Noise Reduction
The easiest way to remove noise from a photo is to use the Luminar Neo Extension. AI removes noise from the image while preserving all the details. Unlike many other tools, it doesn’t blur the image and requires minimal time, yet the result is remarkable.
Noiseless AI restores all the details and preserves the natural look of the image, and works great with both raw and JPEG files, which is very important. Even though the work on noise starts right at the time of shooting (low ISO settings, proper exposure), it’s still important to get rid of noise during post-processing. Your camera will do its best, and the Luminar Neo will improve the result to remove noise from photos.
See Also: How To Change The Default File Extension In Photoshop?
Conclusion
It is all about how to remove noise from photos to improve them quickly and easily. Using the best solution available is imperative because it is simply not feasible to apply noise reduction to your pictures at the cost of losing detail.
Freelancer Michael Franco writes about the serious and silly sides of science and technology for CNET and other pixel and paper pubs. He’s kept his fingers on the keyboard while owning a B&B in Amish country, managing an eco-resort in the Caribbean, sweating in Singapore, and rehydrating (with beer, of course) in Prague.
