Pixelated pictures? Eliminating noise takes just one click

By

Macphun's new software, Noiseless, makes removing the pixel distortion known as noise easy.
Macphun's new software, Noiseless, makes removing the pixel distortion known as noise easy.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

You don’t need a formal photography education to make a pretty good snap. But sometimes, it would be nice to have a simple fix for a technical challenge without requiring a textbook or expensive software.

Take noise. In non-scientific terms, it’s the appearance that your pictures were taken in a sandstorm. It generally happens when you are shooting in low light. Lots of microscopic bits of colorful grain across your images.

The team at Macphun has created new software for Mac users with a series of simple sliders that let you take noise out of your photos. The aptly named Noiseless can have photos looking better with just a couple of intuitive steps.

noiseless002

Noise is especially apparent in the sky and shadows on the left. Using one of the presets on Noiseless, I was able to greatly reduce the pixelation.
Noise is especially apparent in the sky and shadows on the left. Using one of the presets on Noiseless, I was able to greatly reduce the pixelation.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

Noise is a kind of visual distortion and looks similar to the grain you find in old black and white photos. Ther is pixelation and splotches of discoloration, the result of a number of variables, including shooting on a high ISO in low light and using older cameras or smartphones, which have smaller sensors.

Noise does not necessarily ruin a photo. It is quite common to see some noise in sports photos, especially in newspapers that cover local high school teams. Photographers must boost the ISO – a rating for light sensitivity – to shoot at faster shutter speeds on dimly lit fields at night and dingy gyms.

The latest cameras have sensors and software that make noise virtually a non-issues. Even the latest iPhone and other high-end smartphones have great software that helps users make great pictures in low light.

But not everybody can afford the latest equipment. I am one of those photographers. I shoot with two older camera bodies, a first generation Canon 5D and a Canon 1D Mark III. I try to shoot at as low an ISO as possible to hold down the noise but often I have to reduce the noise of an image in Photoshop.

While I have learned the many ways to take out noise using Photoshop, I found Noiseless to be quick and easy to use. A desired result could often be achieved in a single click. The results were just as good or slightly better than when I take out the noise in camera RAW using more steps.

To shoot in the low light of this indoor swimming pool and with a high enough shutterspeed to stop the action, I had to bump my ISO to 6400, creating some noise in the image on the left.
To shoot in the low light of this indoor swimming pool and with a high enough shutterspeed to stop the action, I had to bump my ISO to 6400, creating some noise in the image on the left.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac
The shot is slightly soft but Noiseless took out some of the noise without further softening the sharpness of the image.
The shot is slightly soft but Noiseless took out some of the noise without further softening the sharpness of the image.
Photo: David Pierini/Cult of Mac

I would recommend Noiseless to any of my professional friends or to any enthusiastic novice who can’t afford Photoshop software or a better camera. Macphun has two versions: a Standard version, which is $17.99 at the Apple App Store or a pro version that can plug right into Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture for $49.99 that is available at the Macphun Store.

The pro version has a few more functions for fine-tuning and the recovery of detail. The standard version has eight presets versus the pro version’s 10 plus two presents for RAW. More advanced photographers have the option to make more custom adjustments. Both versions have a feature to tackle noise in smartphone photos.

My favorite feature is how you can enlarge a photo and divide into “before” and “after” sides to preview your work. You can go too far with noise reduction tools, removing so much detail the image begins to appear soft and painterly.

Macphun has been developing photo software for Mac users since 2010. Noiseless is the ninth product. There are products for special effects, improving color, removing unwanted objects and one called Tonality for fine-tuning a photo you have converted to black and white. An update for Tonality will be available later this summer. Macphun also sells a creative kit of its software for $179.90.

Noiseless was released in April and a free trial is available on the Macphun website.

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.