Mastering Noise Reduction in Lightroom (A Step-By-Step Guide)

• The image on the left was captured at an ISO of 2000 and is shown without the Denoise enhancements.
• The image on the right shows what the image will look like using the Denoise enhancements.

As you can see, the Denoise AI adjustments are pretty amazing!

One important thing to note before using the Denoise Button on EVERY image you have ever taken is that each time you activate it, Lightroom will create an entirely new raw file (DNG), including the new enhancements.

In addition, these files will be MUCH LARGER than the original files (3x the size in the case of this particular image).  As a result, you may want to consider ONLY using the Denoise button on images that REALLY need the noise reduction or are specific favorites.

If the denoise button isn’t reducing noise as effectively as you’d like, you can manually adjust both luminance and color noise reduction settings to make further improvements to your photo.  I will discuss how to do that in the next step:

3-B. Adjust Luminance & Color Noise Reduction Sliders (Manual Option)

Whether for file size or to further optimize the existing AI adjustments, you can certainly choose to make manual adjustments to reduce image noise.

To get started, click the Manual Noise Reduction Dropdown at the bottom of the Detail Panel to access the additional sliders.

Let’s start by examining Luminance Noise, which appears as speckles or grain in your image when shooting in low-light conditions or using high ISO settings.  Some photographers like to use this type of grain for creative effect, but too much can be distracting and lower the quality of the image.

To minimize Luminance Noise in your photo:

• Start by slowly moving the Luminance Slider to the right.  Be careful not to push it too far, as it can make your subject begin to look OVERLY SMOOTH.  I rarely move this slider above the mid-20s.
• The Detail Slider (just below the Luminance slider) is used to bring back some of the details that may have been lost due to the noise reduction process and keep your image from blurring.  Moving it to the right will bring back some of those details.  I typically move this slider somewhere above 50.
• The Contrast slider helps to preserve some of the contrast that is also removed by the Luminance slider.  Moving this up a bit will bring back some of this lost contrast.  Generally, I move this somewhere in the 10’s.

Color noise is the other type of noise found in high-ISO images.  It appears as random speckles or pixels of color throughout the photo but is generally most often noticeable in the shadow areas.

This type of noise is created by the camera’s image sensor amplifying the signal to capture enough light in low-light conditions, resulting in a weaker signal-to-noise ratio.  As a result, the image may appear grainy, and the colors may be distorted or mottled, especially in areas of uniform color.

The good news is that Lightroom can remove these random color flecks from your image quite easily.

To reduce Color Noise in your photo:

• Start with the Color Slider.  You will not need to slide it very far as it works quickly to reduce image color.  Often moving it somewhere in the 10-25 area will be perfect.
• The Detail Slider (just below the Color Slider) works very similarly to how it worked in the Luminance section.  The difference is that this slider starts in the middle.  Slide it to the right to preserve detail and to the left to blur it.  Typically, I move this slider a little bit to the right.
• The Smoothness Slider will determine how much smoothing goes on in the image as the noise reduction is applied.  Slide it to the right to increase the smoothness in your image and to the left to remove some of the smoothness that has been applied.  Generally, I will move this slider a little to the left.

Tip: Noise Reduction for Black and White Photos

When capturing images in very low-light situations, I frequently opt to convert them to black and white.  This conversion helps eliminate color issues and can produce a more natural and realistic-looking image.  Additionally, black and white photos can have a timeless and less noisy aesthetic than their colored counterparts, making them more visually appealing.

The same noise reduction steps I described above also apply to black and white photos.  However, you will NOT SEE any color noise involved in the image because the color will have already been removed.  

You can still play with the Color slider when reducing noise in black and white photos, as you will still probably achieve some improvement as you make some adjustments.

Conclusion

While Lightroom’s noise reduction is generally very effective, it’s not always perfect.  If your photo is extremely noisy, you may have to compromise some detail.  However, with a bit of trial and error, you should be able to find the perfect balance between noise reduction and detail retention for every image!

Noise Reduction Sliders – Video Tutorial

If you are more of a visual learner or would like to reinforce the information described above, watch this helpful Lightroom Noise Reduction video.

Do you have any questions or comments about Lightroom Noise Reduction?  Leave us a comment below – we would LOVE to hear from you!  And PLEASE SHARE our tutorial using the social sharing buttons (we really appreciate it)!