Sharpening and Noise Reduction

[BillN_33]

A simple question really

If you sharpen an image in LR or PS do you just introduce more noise?

If you reduce the noise in an image does it just become less sharp?

or is it not that simple

 

[drounding]

Yes increasing sharpness can introduce some noise. In LR5 whenever I increase the sharpening amount I usually also then increase the noise reduction luminance by around a quarter of the amount. Depends on the image really. You can of course mask some portions of the image and only sharpen the parts you want.

 

[BillN_33]

Thanks Duncan

 

[Neil B]

A simple question really

If you sharpen an image in LR or PS do you just introduce more noise?

If you reduce the noise in an image does it just become less sharp?

or is it not that simple

The best advise i can offer Bill is to watch a few Youtube vids and try the different methods on one of your own images, you will get loads of differing views on this subject.

 

[Pookeyhead]

A simple question really

If you sharpen an image in LR or PS do you just introduce more noise?

Gobal sharpening, yes.. unsharp masking, no... within reason, and if used correctly.

If you reduce the noise in an image does it just become less sharp?

or is it not that simple

Generally yes, unless you increase detail also, but that adds other artefacts.

There's no panacea, and sharpening and NR are compromises.