Ugh...ISO too high in JPG, any way to clean it up

[KenJulio]

I havent tried to do any PP on the photos I took this afternoon, 1138 photos to be exact. I'm just uploading them now for my friends to see with the caveat they're unedited.

So, my question is before I bury myself in google and thought I'd ask the knowledgeable folks here. I have Aperture2, PS CS4, Adobe Bridge of course, so, what would be the best method to clean up the high ISO/noise in the photos in jpg.

Some background of the photos, outdoors with an iso 800. I didnt realize they were at 800 when I was importing them. :(

Thanks in advance.

[robert t]

If you are an Adobe fan I would suggest Lightroom. It will let you batch process images also and is a non destructive program. Will let you export the corrected images without making any changes to the original files. It interfaces with PS well and you will find a similar user interface.

[hotshot38]

I did the same thing once....shot a huge number of images at 3200.....I used NeatImage. Allows for batch processing and saves under a different filename. Be forewarned, it takes sometime...especially with the number of images you are talking about.

I know there are other similar programs that others use and I'm sure they'll pipe in.

[AndrewCCM]

Noise Ninja, Neat Image or Noiseware Professional.

All plugins for Photoshop and all work well.

[KenJulio]

Appreciate the input, while reviewing them, I was googling as well and have read a number of forum posts in the past with mention of Noise Ninja. From what it sounds like, the work will be needed to be done via a 3rd party app.

As for Lightroom, I'll have to give it a try. I believe Aperture does provide the same functionality as you mentioned, I'll keep my options open.

Thanks again. Additional responses are welcome still of course :)

[toverman]

I've heard good things about Neat Image, but have never used it.

With Noise Ninja, one of the photogs who used to shoot for me when I was a newspaper editor would overdo it. He really pushed the images and the people starting looking ghostlike and plastic. Of course, I didn't need anything really clean because newsprint gives some dot gain to make the "noise" a little less noticeable.

[abril1127]

I learned this neat trick the other day. YOu might could set up a action and run them all through....1100 would be quite a feat but isn't there some sort of batch processing you can do...I think you create a droplet and you can drop your images onto the droplet icon and it runs them all....You create an action (i'll tell you the action in just a sec) then go to file>automate>create droplet. Under play you pick the action you want to run and then choose a place to save the droplet to. I suggest you desktop for now.
Then cntrl click all the pictures you want and drag them onto the droplet icon you just created. Kewl Hu!
Ok so for noise, I found this on google and really liked it.

You go to Image > Mode > Lab color Mode
Then go to your side menu bar and select "channels" It's in the little tabs you never touch. :)

Select channel "A" then go to Filer>noise>median > this one is around a 6 range (play with it a little
Then Select Channel "B" then go to Filer>noise>median > this one is around a 8 range
Then select Lightness channel, and go to Filter> Sharpen> unsharp mask and choose around 95% and 1.3 pixels.
Then go back to Image> mode >and change it back to RGB color mode or what ever you had it at.

Hope that helps

[Angelo]

Ken, have you tried the Noise Reduction filter in Aperture2?

[KenJulio]

Todd/April/Angelo;

Thanks for the input, I'll be experimenting tonight as the photos finally finished uploading in the middle of the night. I'm kicking myself in the head for the high ISO and me 'dinking' around around the house with the cam and not having it ready for the next day. Live and learn.

[carrbowl]

Well Ken if it makes you feel any better alot of us have done that. Some of usmade the ISO so high we couldn't even salvage the image though. I too was furious with myself. I did do noise ninja and it did help. I have LR, but did not know they have anything that helps?? Good luck...and I'll be you will be like me...you will always check the ISO now!!

[KenJulio]

Unlike some/most of y'all, I'm not doing this as a business where reputation(which I have none at this time) and money is on the line, so I can possibly get away with some noise. Sadly, I have to wait till tonight to start some PP on the photos I rated :)

[venchka]

Shaking his head...

photos I took this afternoon, 1138 photos to be exact.

[KenJulio]

Originally Posted by venchka

Shaking his head...

LOL

I dont know if this is the norm with sports photography, but I was 'trigger' happy. And I admit there were some a cluster of shots which were not needed and for sure there are a number of shots which will be trashed which I didnt want to tackle last night. 2.5 hr drive leaving Houston to SA, then playing paintball and photographing for 4-5 hours, then driving 2.5hrs back.

[venchka]

My condolences on your long day.

Sometimes "chimping" is acceptable. Like during the first 5 minutes when you notice that the ISO setting isn't right. Stuff happens. We've all been there.

[KenJulio]

Originally Posted by venchka

My condolences on your long day.

Sometimes "chimping" is acceptable. Like during the first 5 minutes when you notice that the ISO setting isn't right. Stuff happens. We've all been there.

I totally agree, and I told myself when I got there, that I would validate my cam settings, but I got eager and jumped in and played vs taking photos. But enough of my excuses, again lesson learned.

So, I'm using the trial of Noise Ninja and made a duplicate of the master image in Aperture before making any changes of course. FYI, it does spawn a working copy so I have a duplicate of a duplicate.

Cropped Original

PostProcess with Noise Ninja ONLY

I need to work on the lighting/shadow area. I posted links vs posting the image directly due to their size. I'd figure it would help to see the processing done from NN.

Let me add that I'm still green.