Do YOU ever add noise to your images?

[tikkathree]

Well I must confess that removing noise is part of my post processing.

I've just upgraded to Elements 9 from an earlier version (why? long story involving new laptop and elements disks missing, probably 200 miles away with my son!), and found this "add noise" facility.

Well I had this photo I was editing and decided to see. Here's the result. If I thought it really exciting I'd offer you a before and after comparison. My first thoughts are that it looks too even, quite artificial, but I'm going to see if it grows on me.

[Scheimpflug]

I have on occasion.

The thing about noise is that it is generally not considered a desirable characteristic, yet it greatly influences the perception of resolution. If you go too far with the noise reduction, then you smooth away those tiny details, and our eyes get bored. Likewise, if you keep the noise, there are enough small nuances that the eyes "think" that there is more to the image than they can see, and the image is more engaging.


For me, I have used this understanding with good success when printing images to larger sizes. If you have an image (or a crop of an image) with limited resolution, but you want to print it bigger than the conventions would say is recommended, then you can upscale the image (to several times its original size) and then add a fine layer of artificial pixel-level noise. When printed, this gives the same perception of increased capture resolution, even though the actual "detail" of the image hasn't changed.

It doesn't work miracles, and it has its limits... but it makes for a good experiment.

[LucisPictor]

I sometimes do with SilverEfex Pro or some other film simulation software.

[hexi]

I use Silver efex and i leave noise as is : ) i mean the D700 shows a "slight" amount of noise @ 6400 NR being off.

I think that new developments in dslr system will go in unexpected and unseen iso levels with time. When comparing the 6400 of the Nikon, it's like 1600 iso on the 5D.

[Attila]

I just try to remove noise

[Geoff C. Bassett]

I use to truly hate noise in my images. But now I think it adds texture and personality. Black & Whites especially I almost never turn on noise reduction, as I think on Nikon systems I use it is close to the look of film grain. Canon noise however is ugly as sin, especially on the 5D.

[martinsmith99]

Canon v Nikon again.

[Attila]

Never, m4/3 4/3 were enough noisy

[Kram]

I used to push 3M 1000 ISO transparency film two ore three stops. Beautiful noise, I mean grain.

I think adding noise has it's place although I rarely do it. When I do, it's usually to evoke that film look of yore.

Deborah Turbeville, Rebecca Blake, Sarah Moon and David Hamilton made careers out of it. It can be quite beautiful.

[ForenSeil]

Grain and noise are two completely different shoes!
I like to add grain, especially in B/W conversions but NOISE? *wurks*

[Orio]

[Arkku]

Before the days of automatic retouch tools, one classic way to remove blemishes and such was to blur the area strongly to obscure the detail. However, blurring also had the effect of “removing” the noise and any real texture in that area (e.g., skin), so the fix was to add noise to that area in order to make it match the noisy and/or textured surroundings. Works pretty well, actually, although these days so many better ways are available that there is little point in doing it.

Other than that, I don't think I've ever added noise with a specific “add noise” command, but I have done B&W conversions in ways that do have the effect of making the existing noise more prominent.