Now the flip side

Earlier this week I talked about various ways to decrease noise in your images.  While preventing and removing noise is something we typically do like to address in our work flow – there is also the flip side where noise or grain can enhance the quality of a print.  All one has to look at for examples where noise can have an impact is in black and white photography.  Grain gives an added sense of detail to black and white photos.  The same can also be said for sepia-toned photos, those with a slightly yellowish, an “old-fashioned”, or “antique” look to them.

To give you an idea of how images can benefit from noise, take a look at the following two shots.  First the color:

Noise in Color

And how the black and white:

Noise in Black and White

See how the grain from the image really accentuates his facial features?  That’s one way in which noise/grain can enhance an image.

So, what about noise in your images?  Do you like it or not?  Got ideas for how noise can enhance your creativity?  Sound off in the comments!  Until tomorrow, happy shooting, and as always, keep watching those apertures!

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