Digital Noise Tamed

New for Dfine 2.0:

• User Interface
• Improved noise reduction engine
• Image and camera profiles
• Improved batch processing
• Improved selective tool

User Interface
Dfine 2.0 opens in a clean, professional interface, and automatically measures the image noise to create a profile. The image noise may be manually measured by selecting noise measurement areas, and then measuring this noise to create the profile. Alternatively, previously saved profiles may also be applied. Custom camera profiles are easy to create for each ISO used. These custom profiles are based on the camera used to create each profile, and thus account for manufacturing differences between sensors.

Preview and Loupe views are available to review the noise reduction effect on the image. Selecting the “Reduce” tab provides controls for the noise reduction process. Both contrast and color noise reduction may be controlled. Control points may also be placed on the image to fine tune the noise reduction. A brush tool is also available to selectively apply the noise reduction.

Images
To illustrate the noise reduction abilities of Dfine 2.0, an image was selected from photos taken in the evening at Seattle’s Pike Place Market (taken with a Nikon D200 (10 MP sensor) set to ISO 800). The selected image was processed in Photoshop CS4, using Dfine 2.0. 100 percent crops of the original and processed images are presented below.

100 percent crop of the original photo

Automatic Noise Reduction

Nikon D200 ISO 800 Camera Profile

Control Point Adjustment

The above images illustrate the noise reduction abilities of Dfine 2.0. The Automatic nose reduction works well. Using a camera & ISO profile provides enhanced noise reduction. And employment of control points provides precise noise reduction control.

Training

• Training videos
• Webinar schedule
• Archived webinars

System Requirements:
Windows

• 32-bit version of Windows XP with Service Pack 3 and Windows Vista
  (64-bit operating systems with 32-bit host application)
• Pentium III 1GHz or better
• 1 GB RAM
• Adobe® Photoshop® 7 through CS4, Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 through 7.0; other Adobe Photoshop plug-in compatible application**
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom® 2.3 or later

Macintosh

• Mac OS 10.4 and later
• G4, G5, Intel® Core™ Solo, Intel Core Duo, Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Xeon®
• 1 GB RAM
• Adobe® Photoshop® CS2 through CS4, Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 and 6.0; other Adobe Photoshop plug-ins compatible applications**
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.3 or later
• Apple® Aperture™ 2.1 or later

** Nik Software product filters are developed to integrate seamlessly into many popular image editing applications that support the Adobe plug-in architecture. There are numerous software applications that accept Adobe plug-in compatible filters. Please consult your image editing application’s documentation for compatibility and installation instructions for 3rd-party plug-ins.

Contact: Nik Software
Cost: $99.95

The Devil’s in the Details

This format and the extensive index are the book’s strong points.  However, I found covering both CS3 and CS4 distracting.  While the extensive sidebars add lots of detailed information, I also thought that the sidebars were over used and in some cases distracting.   The Photoshop CS3/CS4 WOW Book could make an exciting interactive e-book if done properly.

Detailed Desk Reference

In 11 chapters, 4 Appendices, and multiple lessons/projects for each chapter, The Photoshop CS3/CS4 WOW Book covers a wide variety of techniques for both photographers and graphic artists. With many examples geared to the graphic artist, the book may be more valuable to the graphic artist.  The first third of The Photoshop CS3/CS4 WOW Book – chapters 1-4 – cover basic Photoshop skills.  These sections are intended more for the beginner, but are a good review for more experienced users.

Other chapters cover:

• Enhancing Photos
• Painting
• Type and Vector Graphics
• Special Effects for Type and Graphics
• Putting It All Together (Composition, Layers, and Compositing)
• 3D, Video, & Animation
• Measurement & Analysis

The Photoshop CS3/CS4 WOW Book is a good book that provides extensive coverage of Photoshop.  If you are using Photoshop CS4 or CS3, this book makes a solid desk reference.

Contact: Peachpit Press

Cost: $59.99 US, $65.99 CAN

Layer Master
Richard Lynch provides a structured, dare I say layered, approach to mastering Photoshop layers.  The Introduction provides a concise overview of the book and how to extract the most from the book.  Chapter 1 is a simple, yet powerful, introduction to layers and work-flow.  Do not skip chapters , as each chapter provides a stepping stone to the next chapter. After completing all the lessons, you will be able to use layers like a pro.

Easy to Read
The Adobe Photoshop CS4 Layers Book is well laid out, easy to read and informative.  Richard Lynch provides excellent explanations in each lesson.  A CD is included that practice images for the lessons and a library of practical actions based on techniques from the book.

Contact: www.focalpress.com

Cost:$39.95; £22.99

Adobe has released its Photoshop Camera Raw 5.4 Release Candidate, available immediately as a free download from Adobe Labs at labs.adobe.com. The “release candidate” label indicates that this update is well tested but would benefit from additional community testing before it is distributed automatically to all customers.

The Camera Raw 5.4 Release Candidate extends raw file support to an additional 26 camera and camera back models including the Canon EOS 500D (EOS Rebel T1i), Nikon D5000, Olympus E-620 and 18 Hasselblad models. The full list of newly supported cameras and camera backs is below.

The camera raw functionality in Adobe Photoshop software provides fast and easy access to supported raw image formats produced by many leading professional and mid-range digital cameras. Working with these “digital negatives” provides photographers with greater artistic control and flexibility while maintaining the original raw files. Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw supports the same functionality for TIFF and JPEG files.

The Camera Raw team would like the community to help verify the quality of the Camera Raw 5.4 Release Candidate through normal usage to ensure that the application is tested on a wide variety of hardware and software configurations not available internally at Adobe. Feedback can be provided on the Adobe User to User forum (forums.adobe.com).

Pricing and Availability
The Photoshop Camera Raw 5.4 Release Candidate is available as a free download for existing customers of Photoshop CS4, Photoshop Elements 7, Premiere Elements 7 and Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac. Click here for more information and to download: labs.adobe.com.

Additional Supported Camera and Camera Back Models
Canon EOS 500D (EOS Rebel T1i)
Epson R-D1x
Hasselblad CF-22, CF-22MS, CF-39, CF-39MS, CFH-22, CFH-39, CFV, 503CWD, H2D-22, H2D-39, H3D-22, H3D-31, H3D-39, H3DII-22, H3DII-31, H3DII-39, H3DII-39MS, H3DII-50
Kodak EasyShare Z980
Nikon D5000
Olympus E-450
Olympus E-620
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1
Sigma DP2

What is HDR?   HDR is a process for combining several images taken at different exposures into a single image that accurately represent the wide light intensity range perceived by the human eye.  The intent of HDR is to accurately represent the wide range of light and shadows found in real scenes and captured in digital photos.

For example, if you take a picture of a scene in bright sunlight (with the exposure based on bright areas) the shadows may not have any detail.  Take the same picture exposed to capture details in the shadows, and the highlights will be over exposed.  Your camera sensor is capable of only capturing a certain dynamic range (the difference between bright and dark areas).  Expensive cameras have a wider dynamic range than lesser expensive cameras.  Nikon’s D3, a professional single lens reflex (SLR) camera, has a dynamic range of approximately 12.2, whereas Nikon’s top-of-the-line point and shoot camera, the Coolpix 6000, has a dynamic range of 10.2 (based on testing by DXO labs (www.dxomark.com)).  Less expensive digital SLR cameras willl have smaller dynamic ranges.

In comparison to all these cameras, your eye has a wide dynamic range of about 24.   With current technology, even the most expensive camera will not have the visual dynamic range of the human eye.
How does a photographer overcome their equipment limitations?  One option is to pick scenes where the dynamic range is less than the camera’s sensors.  A second option is to take several images at different exposures and apply the high dynamic range tools provided in Adobe Photoshop CS4.

Photoshop CS4 includes a “Merge to HDR”  tool [File > Automate > Merge to HDR].  This feature permits the user to select several photos, which can be combined into an HDR image.  After selecting this tool, a dialog window opens for the user to select the source files for the HDR image.  Once the source images are selected, click “OK”.  Photoshop CS4 will automatically align the selected images and then process these images in to a 32-bit HDR preview image.  The preview window permits the user to make some picture adjustments before final processing.  Click “OK” and the HDR image is displayed in Photoshop CS4.

A second option is using a combination of two layer tools: Auto-Align Layers and Auto-Blend Layers.  To apply these features, first create a Photoshop document where each photo that you want to combine is a layer in the document.  Unless the photos were taken on a tripod, you will want to first apply the Auto-Align Layers [Edit > Auto-Align Layers].  This tool aligns the layers based on the content in each layer, and is a great tool for still images.  However, as expected,  don’t select slightly moving objects as your subject, like floating boats or moving trees in the wind, since the images won’t align perfectly.

Next, select the Auto-Blend Layers [Edit > Auto-Blend Layers] tool and a dialog window is displayed.  In this window select the Stack Images Blend Method followed by clicking on Seamless Tones and Colors.  Click “OK” and Photoshop will blend the layers based on the image content.  For both options, further image adjustment may be made using the entire suite of Photoshop CS4 tools available.

Both options allow greater enhancement of your photograph, however the second method offers greater creative control over individual elements.  Photoshop CS4 offers more than just pixel enhancing tools for great digital photography.

Made By:  Adobe
Price:  $699, Upgrade $199
Pros:  Powerful tool to develop high dynamic imagery
Cons:  Requires experience in advanced photography and Photoshop