Once I started using AI Denoise in Lightroom Classic 12.3 (released April, 2023) I was impressed with the quality of the final images. This first version created a new DMG file when denoise had been applied. The current version, beginning with v.14.4 (released June, 2025), now skips creating a DMG file and essentially creates a denoise mask for the existing RAW image.
I do mostly bird photography so I can end up with thousands of images after a shoot (I came back from a three-week birding safari in South Africa with 10,000+ images). During post-processing using the initial AI Denoise version I would sync a denoise setting to multiple images of a bird, and while it was generating the DMG files I would work on other images in the Collection (for example I would go on to the next batch of shots and get them ready to denoise or I would go to a batch of previously denoised images and finish editing them). The key point here is in the initial version of AI Denoise I was able to keep working in Lightroom while the AI Denoise was being applied to a batch of images.
When I upgraded to Lightroom Classic 14.4 I tried using the same workflow, only to find that now it was now impossible to do anything in Lightroom while AI Denoise was being applied. It takes about 25 seconds to apply AI Denoise to one image, so when I applied it to 10 images at once I sat there for 4-5 minutes unable to do anything in Lightroom. If I had 20 images to denoise, then I was twiddling my thumbs for up to 10 minutes. I had to come up with a different workflow to reduce my downtime while AI Denoise is being applied.
I searched the Internet and didn’t find any suggestions, only more people with frustrations like mine, so I came up with my own solution; it doesn’t eliminate the downtime, it simply front-loads it in large batches while I’m not at the computer. Here’s my new workflow:
• I start with a large batch of images (usually 200-600) I want to apply AI Denoise to and do a quick and dirty culling of unusable images. For my bird images I set the Navigator view to 66% and then quickly go through the entire batch either keeping or deleting the images. No cropping or adjustments, just delete the ones I can tell won’t be keepers. If there is any question if the image is usable I don’t delete it. This way I can usually reduce a batch of images by 50%.
• While in Develop mode I click on the first image in the Filmstrip at the bottom of the window and click the Denoise box under Detail (leave the Manual Noise Reduction sliders at 0). A Dialog Box appears saying it will take about 25 seconds to apply denoise to that one image.
• The next step is optional, but I strongly recommend it. After denoise has been applied to the first image, move the Denoise slider down to 1 (the default is 50). This slider controls how much denoise is applied and I like to start at the lowest setting (1) and move it to the right, watching the noise slowly disappear. This way I can apply the minimum amount of noise reduction necessary, rather than having every image automatically set to 50. To view the noise reduction at work it’s best set the magnification in the Navigation module (top of the left panel) to 200-300%.
• Continuing in the Develop module, select the image you just applied denoise to on the Filmstrip across the bottom. Go to Edit/Select All to highlight the rest of the images in the Filmstrip (make sure the images you deleted are hidden or you’ll waste time applying denoise to them).
• Click the Sync button.
• In the Synchronize Settings Dialog Box, click the Check None button so no boxes are checked.
• Then click the Denoise, Raw Details, Super Resolution box to only apply denoise to the selected images. Click the Synchronize button to begin.
• The Updating AI Settings Dialog Box will appear and show about how many minutes it will take to apply the denoise mask to all the images selected. Take note of the time and then walk away.
• I often start this process after dinner when I’m planning on spending time with my wife watching a show or reading. In other words, the time the computer is applying denoise to your images is spent when you’re not at the computer (or doing something other than using Lightroom). This front-loads the Lightroom downtime when applying denoise so you can be doing something else.
• While it’s working, set up your computer so it doesn’t go into sleep mode (I pop in to check on it during the commercial breaks just to make sure it continues to process). Just let it run until it has applied the denoise mask to all the files in your batch. I would suggest trying this with 10-20 files the first time just to get the hang of it..
When it’s done processing you can now go through your images and make any edits you want. If there is a series of images you want to apply the same level of denoise to, highlight them and use the Sync button like you would to apply a Crop to several images at the same time. The computer will apply that denoise level to all the images you’ve highlighted quickly because you’ve already created the Denoise mask for them, so changing the value takes little or no time at all.
Something tells me that a future version of Lightroom will find a way to apply the Denoise mask in the background, but until then this workflow makes sense and will save you downtime. If you have a better workflow to deal with the downtime during the application of AI Denoise or have a suggestion on how to improve this system please email me at mailto:admin@greatbirdpics.com or GreatBirdPics.com members can leave a comment below.
Mike
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