How to remove 'noise' from images?

[flossie]

Hi folks,

Our wedding photos were unfortunately shot with the wrong setting, which meant that the images are all affected by 'noise'. You probably all know far better than me what that means, but essentially its most noticeable on for example the men's tuxedos, which do not look nice and black, but are affected by speckles of colour which are an artefact of the photographer's settings.

Now, I have noticed that PS has a setting to 'add noise'.

Is there also a setting that 'removes noise'?

And if so - is this something that can be done in batch form, or is it best done image by image?

If PS doesn't have a preset, I would appreciate some advice on other ways of using PS to tackle this issue. Our wedding was 6 years ago and I've never wanted to print the images until I've figured out how to fix them, but my Mum is getting antsy for an album!

Many thanks,
Laura.

[weidmic]

Laura,

it is best to use a software like Photoshop, Lightroom or something like that to "fix" those photos.
There are many trainings videos on the web available, just google for it.

Regards,
Michael

[Mike Buckley]

In addition to the possibilities that Michael mentioned, you can also find free noise-reduction software.

[HaraldE]

Morning,

From another photo forum which I follow I have seen positive referencies to "Athentech" and their product "Perfectly Clear". Must say I haven't tried it myself but I have good trust in the people who wrote these comments. Maybe will be worth while to take a look at. And Laura, if you try it do tell us your opinion, thanks

Regards, Harald

[Preston B]

Laura, sorry to hear of your plight.

Without seeing a sample image it's hard to tell what's going on and how it might be corrected. From your description it sounds like the images were shot with a high ISO. Some earlier cameras did not handle high ISO very well which leads to low frequency noise. So, here's a couple of thoughts...

You could purchase a noise reduction program and edit the images yourself, or ask a skilled and trusted friend to work on the images for you.

If you have Photo Shop, this would be the very best app to use not only for NR but for other adjustments, too. It's NR filter is pretty good. You could also install plug-in such as Neat Image. If you don't have Photo Shop, Neat Image can also be installed as a stand-alone app.

--P

[flossie]

Hi guys I would like to say firstly apologies for my absence, and secondly, thank you so very much for your helpful replies! I really appreciate it!

I will look into each of these options over the next few days and let you know how I get on!

Have just put Windows 7 onto my desktop so I can use that as the main machine from which to upload and catalogue my images.

Best wishes,
Laura.