In my usual way, I've been poking at the uses of various new digital darkrooms
tools.
I though I'd run into something quite interesting and useful. The Topaz AI products are neural networks (?) that are
trained by feeding them lots and lots of bad and good versions of photos, until they learn to convert "bad" to "good".
That means they can be quirky. For example, AI Gigapixel does amazing uprezzing on many images. But occasionally it runs
into something outside its training, and does weird or even awful things to it. Another example, Denoise can do an
awesome job on noise, except in low detail areas next to high detail areas - sometimes.
There can also be an upside. I noticed something happening when I used Denoise AI. Roughly, some base ISO images treated
to modest "Noise Reduction" settings, ZERO "Enhance Sharpness" and "Recover Details" = 5 or 10, had enhanced detail,
sans ringing or artifacts.
I have tried it on quite a number of files now, and find the effect ranges from good to spectacular.
<http://www.moosemystic.net/Gallery/tech/Process/TopazDenoiseAI_sharpen/TzDeNAIshrp.htm>
If you don't have excellent eyesight, you may have to get close to some of
these.
I've intentionally left EXIF out, to focus on the software. There are three different sensor formats and five different
cameras involved. All shot at base ISO - but one ringer at about 2.5 stops higher ISO. Space-time ranges from Bhutan in
Fall 2017 to Berkeley a couple of days ago.
Why mostly flowers? In addition to Georgia O'Keefe's reasons . . . They have lots of really fine details, texture, hues,
and are 3D. Why 3D? You may notice in some that it has not only revealed lots of greater detail at the focal plane, but
also modestly 'sharpened' OoF parts, with the effect diminishing with distance from focal plane; it can be a DoF improver.
Where does all that detail come from? Does the app make it up? If so, how is it so accurate seeming? Does it do what
deconvolution does, only from a completely new direction?
I sure don't know. I do know that for a tele nut who often uses 100% crops of
critters, it's magic!
Sure Shot Moose
--
What if the Hokey Pokey *IS* what it's all about?
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