Why I NEVER Use Noise Reduction.

I (almost) never use noise reduction in Davinci Resolve, Photoshop or Lightroom. Here's why...

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[JorisHermans]

What do you think? Noise or clean? There's no wrong answer! 😎

[coin]

3:45 Pro tip. Turn off the default ALWAYS on sharpening in Lightroom, so you dont have as much noise

[DaivisonCardoso]

Hi Joris! This is Daivison Cardoso.

Great explanation! I couldn't agree more with you. Chroma noise is a truly unpleasant issue. For years, I've shot in RAW on Blackmagic cameras, and that noise has always driven me crazy. The noise reduction process in DaVinci Resolve is good, but beyond a certain point the footage starts to lose all detail. Last year, I took some time to study the process of sharpening images and discovered the helpful role of DCTLS. I came across a combination of tools in a node tree that can better process chroma noise while preserving all the details.

The result is exactly what you point out in this video: it transforms chroma noise into a beautiful grainy texture.

[gianni]

I usually don’t mind some noise in my pictures. Sometimes it even adds to the photo. But it also depends on the subject. When I take architecture pics from example I like the photo as clean as possible.

[imcrystl]

I do quite like the texture some noise creates. Sometimes Ill even ADD noise as an artistic choice to photos and videos. I might be the only person that actually adds it instead of removing it LOL

[rioricardo]

i like the "good noise", of course. but i often use an fx to soften something, like face for example. so i need to reduce the noise first, then apply the softening fx to skin, and then i will apply grain fx, so the noise will appear uniformly.

[AIKnowledgeGo]

Great insights, Joris! Your discussion reminds me of a recent video I saw arguing that today's movies often look too clean, sacrificing realism for polish. 'The Batman' from 2022 was highlighted as a counterexample for embracing a more 'gritty'/dirty aesthetic, which I believe ties perfectly into your points about noise in photography and videography. I've always believed in adding a bit of 'grit' to my generated images to achieve a more authentic feel. It's refreshing to hear a professional perspective validating that approach. Interestingly where i don't like noise/film grain effects are video games.
Thanks for shedding light on this topic!

[bang]

I add grain in Lightroom og often shoot high iso. I dont mind it. My work is all about mood and not so much about detail.

[AndreiStefanBalog]

I used to hate noise. When I get my actuall camera, the Sony AIII I though that noise will dissapear at almost ant circumstances. When I realized that even the newest digital cinema cameras have noise… I understand that the problem it’s not the gear, not the noise… It’s all the photographs and social media that make us think noise it’s bad. The same influencers who said that couple of years ago… now… thet add grain to their photos… so…

[GaryCunninghamyouareenough]

Agreed, Joris 🤘🙏...
I actually enjoy the texture from luminous noise 😁🤘

Excellent video .. very well explained 🙏

[super_guide]

Thanks for explaining, I think...noise at bokeh of the image could be not bad at all

[ilanlachish]

it's not a point if I like it or not, I'm event photographer, I can't always arrange suitable lighting and the client is not looking for artistic but a sharp and clear image, so i looking for solution, I can say that a customer has never tell me nothing about noise, but it bothers me, i am using capture one, lightroom always fail when i have to work fast

[BybbyCreme]

Good video. Still don´t get why you would use it though. Just as an aesthetic approach? I always try to show film the way our eyes see the world and there is never noise, just blurred and focused bits...

[MikeVR]

VR180 - when creating a VR video, we often want the viewer to feel like they were there, in that scene, in that moment. And in real life you don't see the noise, so that noise can reduce the immersiveness of the video. IMO. It's interesting though and your video makes me want to consider leaving more of the noise in the shots.

[DamienDae]

It reminds me of pictures some "photographers" would smooth out using blurring functionalities in Photoshop because they would look grainy otherwise. The result was catastrophic.

[CO_]

"Never" is a strong word. Cameras also de-noise in-camera so saying no denoising is done is dependent on what you mean. Without in camera denoising, a7siii's 12800 ISO will not look so clean. And luminar noise can be bad, too. The bigger problem is noise reduction algorithm sometimes make the image look worse, so then I have to go back without de-noising. Same thing with stablization, it sometimes makes things worse.

[JGphotoyt]

Under "MY CREATOR ESSENTIALS" in your bio, the "Photo editing" link is broken, can you update it?

[raymobula]

I’m with you. I dislike ultra clean images. They look sterile. Some noise / texture looks better.

[brad_in_yyc]

Rarely use noise reduction. Sometimes on pictures from low light events where I'm shooting at 10, 000-20, 000 ISO. But otherwise, no. Never used it on video. Never needed to yet.

[daysandwords]

2:04 - Did you take that photo?
That's a great photo Joris (if you took it... if you didn't take it, it's still a great photo but the comment won't mean very much.)