...as good as the noise reduction has become (especially for color noise), it would be really neat to have NR in the level of Noise Ninja or Noiseware, integrated into ACR and PS...
I'll give a hearty "Amen!" to that request. That has been a sore point for me, a real "hole" in Photoshop.
Noise reduction is best done as close to capture as possible (at the beginning of RAW processing is ideal) ... but some of the noise-reduction products only work on 8-bit images or only on JPEG files . Let's hope that ACR/LightRoom's noise reduction improves enough to make the NR add-on products unnecessary.
Perhaps Adobe could purchase Neat Image or Noise Ninja or whatever ... similar to how its acquisition of the RAW-processing company that led to these big improvements in ACR and the advent of LightRoom? Just a thought ...
Canon EOS 7D ........ 24-105 f/4L | 50 f/1.4 | 70-200 f/2.8L IS + 1.4x II TC ........ 580EX
Supported by: Benro C-298 Flexpod tripod, MC96 monopod, Induro PHQ1 head
Also play with: studio strobes, umbrellas, softboxes, ...and a partridge in a pear tree...
Clarity you can do in Photoshop! Its a technique originally described by Mac Holbert of Nash Editions.
Midtone Contrast
1. Highlight your top layer in your Layers Palette then:
2a. In CS I: Select Layer->New->Layer to create a new, blank layer at the top of your Layer Stack. Then, holding down
your Opt Key (Mac) / Alt Key (PC), select Merge Visible from the fly-down menu on the right side of your Layers Palette.
Be sure to keep the Opt/Alt depressed until you see the blank layer update. You should now have an additional layer at the
top of your layer stack. It represents how the image would appear if you had flattened your layers. Rename this layer
“Midtone Contrast”
-OR-
2b. In CS II: Holding down your Opt Key (Mac) / Alt Key (PC), select Merge Visible from the fly-down menu on the right
side of your Layers Palette. Be sure to keep the Opt / Alt depressed until you see the blank layer update. You should now
have an additional layer at the top of your layer stack. It represents how the image would appear if you had flattened your
layers. Rename this layer “Midtone Contrast”
3. Ne xt double-click on the Midtone Contrast layer icon to bring up the Layer Style Palette. Change the Blend Mode to
Overlay and lower the Blend Mode Opacity to 20%. Now move the left “This Layer” slider to 70. Now Split away the left
side of that slider by holding down the Opt / Alt key and move it to 50. Repeat the same process on the right “This Layer”
slider, moving the sliders to 185 and 205 respectively. Then select “OK”.
4. Now select Filter->Other->High Pass. In the High Pass Palette set the radius to 50 and select “OK”. Now select Image-
>Adjustments->Desaturate. The Midtone Contrast layer is now complete. At 20% opacity it should be very subtle, but
noticable. The effect can be decreased or increased by raising or lowering the Midtone Contrast Layer opacity. I’ve found
that the proper setting can usually be found between 20% and 40% opacity. Above 40% one risks creating “halo” artifacts
that are visually distracting.
One ugly side-effect of the update.
After launching the new Bridge (2.1, also several new features) for the first time, I noticed that my shots started displaying huge banding/dithering in Bridge preview/slideshow. After new ACR 4.1 "touched" them, effect disappeared.
On the other hand, the new Bridge 2.1 fixed my problem where Bridge would crash if I tried to access any files on a drive other than the one CS3 was loaded on (worked fine in the beta though ). But again, this update fixed that issue for me! Haven't noticed the problem you're encountering Nikolai.
On the other hand, the new Bridge 2.1 fixed my problem where Bridge would crash if I tried to access any files on a drive other than the one CS3 was loaded on (worked fine in the beta though ). But again, this update fixed that issue for me! Haven't noticed the problem you're encountering Nikolai.
It also fixed the one that Brdge module would stay hidden after closure and next time would not start until the old copy killed from the Task Manager (or some other way:-). With 2.1 the problem's gone.
Comments
Noise reduction is best done as close to capture as possible (at the beginning of RAW processing is ideal) ... but some of the noise-reduction products only work on 8-bit images or only on JPEG files
Perhaps Adobe could purchase Neat Image or Noise Ninja or whatever ... similar to how its acquisition of the RAW-processing company that led to these big improvements in ACR and the advent of LightRoom? Just a thought
Supported by: Benro C-298 Flexpod tripod, MC96 monopod, Induro PHQ1 head
Also play with: studio strobes, umbrellas, softboxes, ...and a partridge in a pear tree...
Midtone Contrast
1. Highlight your top layer in your Layers Palette then:
2a. In CS I: Select Layer->New->Layer to create a new, blank layer at the top of your Layer Stack. Then, holding down
your Opt Key (Mac) / Alt Key (PC), select Merge Visible from the fly-down menu on the right side of your Layers Palette.
Be sure to keep the Opt/Alt depressed until you see the blank layer update. You should now have an additional layer at the
top of your layer stack. It represents how the image would appear if you had flattened your layers. Rename this layer
“Midtone Contrast”
-OR-
2b. In CS II: Holding down your Opt Key (Mac) / Alt Key (PC), select Merge Visible from the fly-down menu on the right
side of your Layers Palette. Be sure to keep the Opt / Alt depressed until you see the blank layer update. You should now
have an additional layer at the top of your layer stack. It represents how the image would appear if you had flattened your
layers. Rename this layer “Midtone Contrast”
3. Ne xt double-click on the Midtone Contrast layer icon to bring up the Layer Style Palette. Change the Blend Mode to
Overlay and lower the Blend Mode Opacity to 20%. Now move the left “This Layer” slider to 70. Now Split away the left
side of that slider by holding down the Opt / Alt key and move it to 50. Repeat the same process on the right “This Layer”
slider, moving the sliders to 185 and 205 respectively. Then select “OK”.
4. Now select Filter->Other->High Pass. In the High Pass Palette set the radius to 50 and select “OK”. Now select Image-
>Adjustments->Desaturate. The Midtone Contrast layer is now complete. At 20% opacity it should be very subtle, but
noticable. The effect can be decreased or increased by raising or lowering the Midtone Contrast Layer opacity. I’ve found
that the proper setting can usually be found between 20% and 40% opacity. Above 40% one risks creating “halo” artifacts
that are visually distracting.
Author "Color Management for Photographers"
http://www.digitaldog.net/
On the other hand, the new Bridge 2.1 fixed my problem where Bridge would crash if I tried to access any files on a drive other than the one CS3 was loaded on (worked fine in the beta though
Portland, Oregon Photographer Pete Springer
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It also fixed the one that Brdge module would stay hidden after closure and next time would not start until the old copy killed from the Task Manager (or some other way:-). With 2.1 the problem's gone.