Today’s Question: Is it possible (or advisable) to apply the Denoise feature to a large number of photos in Lightroom Classic all at once? This would be helpful for situations such as when I’ve captured a lot of night photos with very high ISO settings.
Tim’s Quick Answer: Yes, you can apply the Denoise effect in Lightroom Classic to multiple images in batch with any of the techniques that enable you to synchronize adjustments across multiple images.
More Detail: While it has been possible to apply the Denoise feature to multiple images in batch in Lightroom Classic since the feature was first added, in some ways it is easier to do so thanks to a recent update. When the feature was first introduced, a new derivative DNG file would be created for the effect. Now, however, Denoise can be applied to any image without the need to create a DNG file. In other words, Denoise now basically behaves like any of the other many adjustments available in the Develop module.
There are some obvious benefits to having Denoise applied to the existing image rather than creating a new DNG file. One of those benefits is that just like all the other adjustments, you can easily include Denoise when using a batch process to adjust multiple images.
For example, you can select multiple images on the filmstrip, turn on the Auto Sync feature by toggling the switch on the left side of the Sync button at the bottom of the right panel in the Develop module, and then enable Denoise.
You could also save and apply a preset, manually synchronize using the Sync button, or copy and paste the settings, for example. The point is that you can easily apply Denoise in batch in a variety of ways in Lightroom Classic. You could even apply a preset that includes Denoise to all photos at import by selecting an appropriate preset from the Develop Settings popup in the Import dialog.
There are just a couple of caveats to keep in mind. One is that it can take quite a bit of time to apply Denoise to multiple photos. You may therefore want to batch process images in relatively small groups. The other caveat is that while Denoise is processing, you won’t be able to do anything else in Lightroom Classic. So you’ll want to plan accordingly, such as by applying Denoise in batch when you’re ready to walk away from your computer for a little while.
