High ISO noise reduction

Wichipic

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Hi all. I'm pretty new to DSLRs and have been shooting mostly in aperture priority. I like this shot, but I should have been around f5.6. Instead I was at f16, so my camera (EOS 70D) selected 2500 ISO. What can I do better in Lightroom to improve this image? Thank you very much.
K drink-2726.jpg
 
I always use auto-iso for candid shots, I would rather have a bit of image noise than a blurred photo, if you can control the subject then use manual iso and keep it as low as possible, A shutter speed of 1/125 stop most motion blur caused by people moving, animals or sports will need to be a bit higher.

John.

I use Noiseware Professional in CC, try the trial it`s worth it in my opinion, I auto adjusts the noise reduction level, also you can use presets, I used portrait for your photo as it does not smooth out the detail so much.

Noiseware - the Better way to remove Noise

John.
 

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First turn off auto-iso

Lightroom has noise reduction features.
I mean is auto ISO the issue here at all? Without auto ISO he's either 3 stops under exposed or the image is a complete blur.
 
Very cute! The wavy/curly hair is adorable. I would try to clone/heal that hand at the bottom left corner.
 
The noise is fine; reducing it wont improve the image--it might degrade it.

clone out the hand in the lower left, add some vibrance and contrast and move on with life.
 
Yeah, the original really is not bad at all. It's very large on my screen and the noise is visible, but not really a distraction. If you made a 4x6 print of this you wouldn't even be able to see the noise.
 
Yeah, to me the bigger issue is the diffraction and lack of contrast from using f/16, much moreso than the noise.
 
This is the way I would handle it for this photo, go B&W and add contrast and then a little noise reduction. And a littlecrop


K drink-2726-3.jpg
 
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I had no issue with the noise, i just didn't like the tone. It had no pop to it.
 
I had no issue with the noise, i just didn't like the tone. It had no pop to it.
Well, that's partly the same issue, or at least the same cause, because high ISO + f/16 will drastically cut contrast.
 
I have no issue with the noise here either. But if it is an issue for you, Lightroom has an OK but comparatively limited noise reduction. The best you can get imho is Topaz DeNoise, where you can use some more advanced options.
Topaz DeNoise - the 1 noise reduction software for photography

Agree with others re auto ISO. If you have a stationary subject like a posing model, there is no need in auto ISO, if you are shooting playing/moving children, then it makes sense. 1/125 sec is a little too slow for moving people, I prefer 1/250 to avoid blur. Sometimes something like 1/400 is preferable to get ot sharp.
 
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Well, that's partly the same issue, or at least the same cause, because high ISO + f/16 will drastically cut contrast.

Why would that be? Provided that the shutter speed is compensated, the same amount of light would accumulate at sensor elements, and thus the same signal to the amplifier. I don't quite see how aperture would affect image quality any more at higher ISO than lower, assuming that the exposure is equivalent.

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I agree with others though. Noise isn't that terrible of a thing provided that it's managed well. If you happen to be using a Mac, Raw Photo Processor renders noise very nicely.

For b/w, you can try inverting a duplicate of the background, set to "overlay" or "soft light" mode and apply an highpass filter with a radius such that the edges are minimal, leaving only the noise profile slightly visible. This will not eliminate noise, but it will give it a more gentle, film-like quality.

I've never gotten this to work in Color, and generally makes a giant mess out of things.
 
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