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The best you can do is try. I have varying results with different images with NeatImage, Nik's Dfine and Topaz DeNoise. You can mask to just the bird if it flattens other areas too much, but it sounds like there isn't detail there anyway. One or all of those can often do an amazing job of removing noise without blurring detail, but they can be most effective before other processing if you use auto settings that rely on camera profiles for ISO.
The image may have been posted only for the noise question, but a couple of thoughts: This is an image that could be treated like the portraits where the top of the head is cut off. You could crop out the distracting stuff at the top and still have the flower be prominent. And it looks like it would be possible to remove the "floating" yellow blossom near the right edge. The crop feels tight on the left, also. You have a nice shot of the bird.
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Thanks Diane. I have downloaded Topaz DeNoise's trial version and if it seems to be worthwhile, I'll buy the package.
Your other comments are valid, thanks. I might just increase the blur to get rid of the distractions at the top.
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The colors and shapes up there are so prominent, I'd be surprised if anything but extreme blur would fix it. You'd have to very carefully mask the flower and bird, and put them on a layer above, but it could probably be done.
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Originally Posted by
Diane Miller
The colors and shapes up there are so prominent, I'd be surprised if anything but extreme blur would fix it. You'd have to very carefully mask the flower and bird, and put them on a layer above, but it could probably be done.
Thanks Diane. The bird is my main concern at this stage. All I can do is try...
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Publisher
Best advice: avoid photographing subjects and scenes with mixed light, i.e., with both sun and shade.....
BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.
BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.
Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,
E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.
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Originally Posted by
Arthur Morris
Best advice: avoid photographing subjects and scenes with mixed light, i.e., with both sun and shade.....
If only that was possible Arthur. It probably is but then I'll have very few pics in my albums.
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Publisher
Perhaps if you spent less time photographing birds in bright sun and in mixed light you could find some in the shade. Do you have many cloudy days where you live? I remember when I started nearly 31 years ago that I thought that sunny with blue skies was good photography weather; it is not except for the first and last two hours of light....
BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.
BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.
Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,
E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.
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Originally Posted by
Arthur Morris
Perhaps if you spent less time photographing birds in bright sun and in mixed light you could find some in the shade. Do you have many cloudy days where you live? I remember when I started nearly 31 years ago that I thought that sunny with blue skies was good photography weather; it is not except for the first and last two hours of light....
From May - August yoiur chances of seeing clouds in Limpopo are very slim, Arthur. One of the reasons this place is called 'Sunny South Africa'. The photo in question was taken at 7h55 am. The sun was only starting to show it's real colours...
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Publisher
In that case you need to strive to work right on sun angle with the sun coming right over the top of your head. And you can choose subjects that are fully lit by the sun rather than partially lit as the bird in the image here. Or not. Shadows on the subject are almost always image wreckers. As here.
BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.
BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.
Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,
E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.
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Just to wrap up: I've played with various sliders in Topaz DeNoise and it did not have the slightest influence on the noise in the bird so I guess it's as good as can be... 
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BPN Member
Your bird is a bit of a ham, Tobie, and quite beautiful. I learned a lot from you, Diane, and Artie. This has been a rich series for me. Thank you.
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Post a Thank You. - 1 Thanks
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BPN Member
Originally Posted by
Tobie Schalkwyk
Never heard that expression before and not sure what it means Jim . . .
Tobie, I think you're referring to " . . . a bit of a ham . . . " Slang for someone who shows off for the camera. Acts to attract attention. I was commenting about the bird's pose, as if bowing.
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Originally Posted by
Jim Keener
Tobie, I think you're referring to " . . . a bit of a ham . . . " Slang for someone who shows off for the camera. Acts to attract attention. I was commenting about the bird's pose, as if bowing.
I guessed as much but was not sure, Jim - thanks for explaining! It shows that one can also pick up a few vocabulary tips on this forum! 
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Learned a lot about light/shadows here. Thanks for the conversations to all.
Tobie Schalkwyk thanked for this post
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