NEAT IMAGE: your help needed

[lochinvar]

made this pic on an indoor dog show:



because i don't like to use flash when taking pics from animals i used iso 400. now i would like to reduce the noise in the background and tried the demoversion of NEAT IMAGE by making a selection of a part of the background for the rough noise analyser, taking the default noise filter settings and applied that to the image. it works well regarding the background but softend the face of the dog like you see here:



before i buy the tool i would like to know if it is possible to correct a pic like this properly. have i made something wrong? is it a problem of the settings or of structure of the image?

many thanks in advance!

Heidi

 

[Dublove]

Not sure about setting up neat image but why not process the whole image with the settings for the background, then the same again for the dogs face. Save them out separately. Load them into photoshop and put them on different layers - use a layer mask to gently blend the dogs face into the background putting the detail back in!

Hope this helps ya

dublove...
--

made this pic on an indoor dog show:



because i don't like to use flash when taking pics from animals i
used iso 400. now i would like to reduce the noise in the
background and tried the demoversion of NEAT IMAGE by making a
selection of a part of the background for the rough noise analyser,
taking the default noise filter settings and applied that to the
image. it works well regarding the background but softend the face
of the dog like you see here:



before i buy the tool i would like to know if it is possible to
correct a pic like this properly. have i made something wrong? is
it a problem of the settings or of structure of the image?

many thanks in advance!

Heidi

 

[Mike Fitzgerald]

From most other samples I've seen, I feel that the defaults in NeatImage are far too aggressive. I haven't had time to experiment with the demo yet myself, but this article is worth reading:
http://www.michaelalmond.com/Articles/noise.htm

Mike

made this pic on an indoor dog show:



because i don't like to use flash when taking pics from animals i
used iso 400. now i would like to reduce the noise in the
background and tried the demoversion of NEAT IMAGE by making a
selection of a part of the background for the rough noise analyser,
taking the default noise filter settings and applied that to the
image. it works well regarding the background but softend the face
of the dog like you see here:



before i buy the tool i would like to know if it is possible to
correct a pic like this properly. have i made something wrong? is
it a problem of the settings or of structure of the image?

many thanks in advance!

Heidi

 

[lck0925]

If I remember correctly you should only sample places with little detail.. i.e. a wall. Don't sample the dogs face or it'll wipe out a lot of detail. Also, neat image doesn't work well with carpet. You can probably improve ur image but adding a little sharpening but don't over do it as it might ruin the image. I didn't really like the soft images produced by neat image so i went out and bought an internal flash.. bouncing gives u a pretty nice effect.





T

made this pic on an indoor dog show:



because i don't like to use flash when taking pics from animals i
used iso 400. now i would like to reduce the noise in the
background and tried the demoversion of NEAT IMAGE by making a
selection of a part of the background for the rough noise analyser,
taking the default noise filter settings and applied that to the
image. it works well regarding the background but softend the face
of the dog like you see here:



before i buy the tool i would like to know if it is possible to
correct a pic like this properly. have i made something wrong? is
it a problem of the settings or of structure of the image?

many thanks in advance!

Heidi

--
T
Sony F717, Canon S110, Sunpak 383 Super
http://www.pbase.com/terluk

 

[lochinvar]

Hi dublove, this is a gret idea. i will try this!

thanks a lot, Heidi

Not sure about setting up neat image but why not process the whole
image with the settings for the background, then the same again for
the dogs face. Save them out separately. Load them into photoshop
and put them on different layers - use a layer mask to gently blend
the dogs face into the background putting the detail back in!

Hope this helps ya

dublove...
--

 

[lochinvar]

thanks for the link, Mike. i will read this and maybe i'll find a more suitable tool or a combination of tools for images like mine.

Heidi

From most other samples I've seen, I feel that the defaults in
NeatImage are far too aggressive. I haven't had time to experiment
with the demo yet myself, but this article is worth reading:
http://www.michaelalmond.com/Articles/noise.htm

Mike

 

[Daniel Jackson]

made this pic on an indoor dog show:



because i don't like to use flash when taking pics from animals i
used iso 400. now i would like to reduce the noise in the
background and tried the demoversion of NEAT IMAGE by making a
selection of a part of the background for the rough noise analyser,
taking the default noise filter settings and applied that to the
image. it works well regarding the background but softend the face
of the dog like you see here:



before i buy the tool i would like to know if it is possible to
correct a pic like this properly. have i made something wrong? is
it a problem of the settings or of structure of the image?

many thanks in advance!

Heidi

Heidi, I ran your photo thru Neat Image and was pleased with the results. I sampled the blue background and none of the dogs face. Face seems sharper now and grain is gone.
Before



after



--
Scotty, I need more power! I'm givin it all she's got Jim!
http://www.pbase.com/daniel_jackson/root

 

[lochinvar]

Hi there,

thanks for your answer and the pics of your cuties. always nice to meet other pet photographers .

Yes, i sampled a part of the background, but i will try a slight sharpening. thanks a lot for your suggestions.

i'm doing a lot of pics on dog shows and the problem in using flashs there is, that some dogs could be frightend by flashs. and never ever a dog should be frightend by me . another problem is, that flashing light is suspected to cause epileptical seizures in some dogs. therefore many dog owners don't like flashs and sure, i have to respect this.

thanks again for answering and all the best for you and your doggies.

Heidi

--

T
Sony F717, Canon S110, Sunpak 383 Super
http://www.pbase.com/terluk

 

[lochinvar]

Hi Daniel,

BINGO!!!! that's what i hoped to reach with the tool! thanks so much. would it be possible if you could send me the device noise profile and the filter preset you used?

thanks again, Heidi

Heidi

Heidi, I ran your photo thru Neat Image and was pleased with the
results. I sampled the blue background and none of the dogs face.
Face seems sharper now and grain is gone.
Before



after



--
Scotty, I need more power! I'm givin it all she's got Jim!
http://www.pbase.com/daniel_jackson/root

 

[Daniel Jackson]

BINGO!!!! that's what i hoped to reach with the tool! thanks so
much. would it be possible if you could send me the device noise
profile and the filter preset you used?

thanks again, Heidi

Heidi

Heidi, I ran your photo thru Neat Image and was pleased with the
results. I sampled the blue background and none of the dogs face.
Face seems sharper now and grain is gone.
Before



after



--
Scotty, I need more power! I'm givin it all she's got Jim!
http://www.pbase.com/daniel_jackson/root

Under working colorspace=YCrCbJPEG(ITU 601 coefficents)

I just used the default setting. Noise level H-0, M-0 L-0, Y-0, Cr-10, Cb-10. Noise reduction H-100, Mid-100, Low-100, -70, Cr-100, Cb-100. Sharpening settings Y=checked Amounts High=50, Mid=0, Low=0
--
Scotty, I need more power! I'm givin it all she's got Jim!
http://www.pbase.com/daniel_jackson/root

 

[Daniel Jackson]

BINGO!!!! that's what i hoped to reach with the tool! thanks so
much. would it be possible if you could send me the device noise
profile and the filter preset you used?

thanks again, Heidi

Heidi

Heidi, I ran your photo thru Neat Image and was pleased with the
results. I sampled the blue background and none of the dogs face.
Face seems sharper now and grain is gone.
Before



after



--
Scotty, I need more power! I'm givin it all she's got Jim!
http://www.pbase.com/daniel_jackson/root

Under working colorspace=YCrCbJPEG(ITU 601 coefficents)
I just used the default setting. Noise level H-0, M-0 L-0, Y-0,
Cr-10, Cb-10. Noise reduction H-100, Mid-100, Low-100, -70, Cr-100,
Cb-100. Sharpening settings Y=checked Amounts High=50, Mid=0, Low=0
--
Scotty, I need more power! I'm givin it all she's got Jim!
http://www.pbase.com/daniel_jackson/root

To be less confusing used = rather than - so you didn't think there were minus numbers.
Under working colorspace=YCrCbJPEG(ITU 601 coefficents)

I just used the default setting. Noise level H=0, M=0 L=0, Y=0,
Cr=10, Cb=10. Noise reduction H=100, Mid=100, Low=100, Y=70, Cr=100,
Cb=100. Sharpening settings Y=checked Amounts High=50, Mid=0, Low=0

--
Scotty, I need more power! I'm givin it all she's got Jim!
http://www.pbase.com/daniel_jackson/root

 

[lochinvar]

Daniel, you helped me a lot! thanks for your support.

Heidi

To be less confusing used = rather than - so you didn't think there
were minus numbers.
Under working colorspace=YCrCbJPEG(ITU 601 coefficents)

I just used the default setting. Noise level H=0, M=0 L=0, Y=0,
Cr=10, Cb=10. Noise reduction H=100, Mid=100, Low=100, Y=70, Cr=100,
Cb=100. Sharpening settings Y=checked Amounts High=50, Mid=0, Low=0

--
Scotty, I need more power! I'm givin it all she's got Jim!
http://www.pbase.com/daniel_jackson/root

 

[Daniel Jackson]

Heidi

To be less confusing used = rather than - so you didn't think there
were minus numbers.
Under working colorspace=YCrCbJPEG(ITU 601 coefficents)

I just used the default setting. Noise level H=0, M=0 L=0, Y=0,
Cr=10, Cb=10. Noise reduction H=100, Mid=100, Low=100, Y=70, Cr=100,
Cb=100. Sharpening settings Y=checked Amounts High=50, Mid=0, Low=0

--
Scotty, I need more power! I'm givin it all she's got Jim!
http://www.pbase.com/daniel_jackson/root

--
Scotty, I need more power! I'm givin it all she's got Jim!
http://www.pbase.com/daniel_jackson/root

 

[lck0925]

Thanks for your compliments. = )

Yep.. a little sharpen will help but I find that no matter what I do (with the neat image processed image), I can never get it to look good.. at least for my tastes.

Heh.. it's a good thing my dogs arn't afraid of flashes.. I know that my dog hates it when i directly flash @ his face but now that I have an external flash I bounce it off the ceiling so it doesn't really bother them much anymore. I have since, after using the external flash and bouncing it up towards the ceiling, hate the effect of the direct flash. I don't remember the last direct flash pic I've taken. = )

I still perfer natural daylight lighting versus artificial. It's just too bad my doggies won't stay put whenever i bring them out.

Wow.. epileptical seizures.. scarey.. i hope I haven't done any damage to my favorite model (the light brown dog) cuz I've taken numerous pics of him (somewhere around 50k). I'm no pro tho.. i'm kinda broke now but I'm planning to get some backdrops and some umbrellas to set up a mini studio for portrait pics (dogs and humans). Until then I'm stuck with my flash.

I understand how it is when the owner themselves don't like it (i've experienced it myself haha) so if flash is not an option.. try considering a constant light source of some kind.. with this set up the only problem u'll have to worry about is getting ur subject to stay put. = )

Good luck..

T

thanks for your answer and the pics of your cuties. always nice to
meet other pet photographers .
Yes, i sampled a part of the background, but i will try a slight
sharpening. thanks a lot for your suggestions.
i'm doing a lot of pics on dog shows and the problem in using
flashs there is, that some dogs could be frightend by flashs. and
never ever a dog should be frightend by me . another problem is,
that flashing light is suspected to cause epileptical seizures in
some dogs. therefore many dog owners don't like flashs and sure, i
have to respect this.

thanks again for answering and all the best for you and your doggies.

Heidi

--

T
Sony F717, Canon S110, Sunpak 383 Super
http://www.pbase.com/terluk

--
T
Sony F717, Canon S110, Sunpak 383 Super
http://www.pbase.com/terluk