Smoothing out a sky.

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Brandon Mizar
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p.1 #1 · Smoothing out a sky.

I am having an issue with a landscape. When I view each channel they look ok except the red channel. In the sky I am getting a bunch of block distortion and I cannot get it smoothed out.

What do you guys do to smooth out the sky to make it silkier?

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100% crop:

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Red Channel

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Dec 23, 2007 at 05:23 AM

davekone
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p.1 #2 · Smoothing out a sky.

How about this?
Image -> Mode -> 16bit, then Gaussian Blur 50 pixels. Changing it back ot 8bit and posting as a jpeg brings the steps back a little, but do the above and look at it in PS, its pretty clean.

I think when you edit you are doing this do your sky. Pop the sky on its own layer so you do not destroy it (if possible). Work from a raw file in 16bit mode until you are done editing (again if possible). Both of these steps will help stop the stairstep effect.

Edited on Dec 23, 2007 at 10:20 PM

Dec 23, 2007 at 10:15 PM

jerryrock
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p.1 #3 · Smoothing out a sky.

Using Photoshop CS3,Filter/Noise/Reduce Noise/Advanced tab, you can isolate the red channel and reduce some of the nose.

Dec 23, 2007 at 11:56 PM

Arizona
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p.1 #4 · Smoothing out a sky.

I use Noiseware. There are color tabs in one section where you can turn Blue and Cyan up all the way and everything else down all the way. I saved this as a preset called Sky. Noiseware can also be used on one channel if need be.

Also this is fairly common when using 8 bit files but less so when using 16 bit files. Many folks figure this out at a certain stage and that is one big reason for shooting RAW. It can still happen with 16 bit files but it is far less likely.

Edited on Dec 24, 2007 at 02:07 AM

Dec 24, 2007 at 02:04 AM

ecidi
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p.1 #5 · Smoothing out a sky.

Wow! Brandon. Is this a D3 image shot

I hope not!!!! I ran your image in Noiseware Professional and it registered at almost 40%.

effie

Dec 24, 2007 at 11:18 AM

andylaiphoto
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p.1 #6 · Smoothing out a sky.

Here's an article by Ben Wilmore. I haven't had a reason to try it out myself yet but it might work for you. If you do use this method let us know how well it worked out for you.

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By andylaiphoto at 2007-12-24

Dec 24, 2007 at 04:43 PM

Brandon Mizar
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p.1 #7 · Smoothing out a sky.

Thanks for all the tips everyone. I am going to give it a try tonight.

Ecidi, yes that is a D3 shot but I also tweaked the heck out of the sky trying to get it right and I overcooked it. Don't judge the camera based off that.

Dec 24, 2007 at 10:23 PM

ecidi
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p.1 #8 · Smoothing out a sky.

Brandon Mizar wrote:
Thanks for all the tips everyone. I am going to give it a try tonight.

Ecidi, yes that is a D3 shot but I also tweaked the heck out of the sky trying to get it right and I overcooked it. Don't judge the camera based off that.

Not at all Brandon!.. I saw some of your night photos at MMA WEEKLY and they were fantastically clean and no noise at all. I was just wondering why a properly exposed daylight photo taken with a D3 had some noise in the sky because I am thinking of getting a D3 soon.

effie imperio

Dec 25, 2007 at 12:28 PM


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