LR denoise AI tips?

[camelguy]

I'd really appreciate some tips on how to use LR's denoise AI in this particular situation, to hopefully save a bunch of trial and error time:

Nighttime shots, people lit by bonfire, background very very dark. ISO's from 8000 to 12600.

I've tried the denoise feature at the default setting of 50% - it does a great job overall, especially on the figures. In the dark background, however, while much of the noise is mitigated, there are dots of whitish-blue noise that remain and are very noticeable. I tried selecting a 'background' mask to do work just on the background, which would have been ideal, but LR has decided that the fire is the subject and everything else, including the people, is background. Also, it's not so easy to just use a brush and reduce exposure, since the areas I'm trying to hit are broken up by lots of things that are exposed correctly.

Some possible options:

1. Just crank up the AI Denoise and see what happens - hoping it doesn't soften the figures too much.

2. Try to spot heal each and every dot

3. Select the specific color of the dots and try reducing luminance, hoping it only affects those dots

Any of these make sense? Or any other ideas? Thanks!

 

[Henry Richardson]

I'd really appreciate some tips on how to use LR's denoise AI in this particular situation, to hopefully save a bunch of trial and error time:

Nighttime shots, people lit by bonfire, background very very dark. ISO's from 8000 to 12600.

I've tried the denoise feature at the default setting of 50% - it does a great job overall, especially on the figures. In the dark background, however, while much of the noise is mitigated, there are dots of whitish-blue noise that remain and are very noticeable. I tried selecting a 'background' mask to do work just on the background, which would have been ideal, but LR has decided that the fire is the subject and everything else, including the people, is background. Also, it's not so easy to just use a brush and reduce exposure, since the areas I'm trying to hit are broken up by lots of things that are exposed correctly.

Some possible options:

1. Just crank up the AI Denoise and see what happens - hoping it doesn't soften the figures too much.

When you tried this how were the results?

2. Try to spot heal each and every dot

3. Select the specific color of the dots and try reducing luminance, hoping it only affects those dots

Any of these make sense? Or any other ideas? Thanks!

You may also increase the black point to turn the "very very dark" background more black and hide the noise speckles.

 

[Zeee]

I'd really appreciate some tips on how to use LR's denoise AI in this particular situation, to hopefully save a bunch of trial and error time:

Nighttime shots, people lit by bonfire, background very very dark. ISO's from 8000 to 12600.

I've tried the denoise feature at the default setting of 50% - it does a great job overall, especially on the figures. In the dark background, however, while much of the noise is mitigated, there are dots of whitish-blue noise that remain and are very noticeable. I tried selecting a 'background' mask to do work just on the background, which would have been ideal, but LR has decided that the fire is the subject and everything else, including the people, is background. Also, it's not so easy to just use a brush and reduce exposure, since the areas I'm trying to hit are broken up by lots of things that are exposed correctly.

Some possible options:

1. Just crank up the AI Denoise and see what happens - hoping it doesn't soften the figures too much.

I watched a lot of videos about it. Just like manual noise reduction if you push it too much it gets that plasticky look. Reviewers said between 43 and 50 was a good range.

Some pushed higher. I found I don't like hitting 70 but most my files are around the mark.

Can you show an example?

2. Try to spot heal each and every dot

Depending on how many that is lots of work. I worry about the subject first. If the background still shows more noise then I like I create a mask and remove more background noise.

3. Select the specific color of the dots and try reducing luminance, hoping it only affects those dots

Any of these make sense? Or any other ideas? Thanks!

 

[dj_paige]

Some possible options:

1. Just crank up the AI Denoise and see what happens - hoping it doesn't soften the figures too much.

This would take just a few minutes or less to try, I'm surprised you have to ask ...

--
Paige Miller

 

[camelguy]

I'm just trying to save time (I can't believe you'd waste yours with such a pointless comment).

It takes quite a while for each version of the denoise to apply itself, and I figured someone might say 'don't bother, the image will degrade substantially', or 'yes, I crank it to 100% and it looks great.' Or that someone would say, 'don't waste your time with that, here's a better approach.'

As it is, I think I might be getting as good or better results using the old-school noise reduction sliders. But I still need to play around.