1885 photo w/ AI Clear

F. Jay Haynes shot this image in 1885 near Billings, Montana depicting cowboys branding cattle. AI Clear and a bit of Photoshopping worked wonders.

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Great to see the before and after displayed side by side. It gives an indication of what can be achieved with an old image; were you working from an original photo? I’d be interested to know how much of the improvement can be accredited to AI Clear and how much to photoshop. Just trying to work out if AI Clear is worth buying.

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JeanieW: I was working from a digital scan available from the Montana Historical Society. The “After” detail and lack of noise can be attributed to AI Clear. I used PS to bring out a bit more detail in the highlights and shadows. I was actually amazed how technically good the image was from the modern-day scan, and am now curious about F. Jay Haynes as a photographer in the late nineteenth century.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to purchase AI Clear as I have passed up many Topaz products seeing that they duplicated other Topaz filters or produced results I could emulate with PS tools, or simply produced results I wasn’t interested in. I downloaded a trial of AI Clear and was immediately sold on the nuanced sharpening and de-noising it produced in auto mode (it’s nicely adjustable). I use it as a finishing touch and am always amazed at the results. One cautionary note: When you open Topaz Studio to access AI Clear make sure there are no other adjustment filters listed in the Adjustments panel on the right side of the screen. The Adjustments panel will reflect your previous use of Topaz Studio and when AI Clear is selected from the Adjustments menu it will add that adjustment into the panel with any previous adjustment filters and can possibly produce hideous results. Since I use Topaz Studio almost strictly for AI Clear it’s always in the Adjustments panel – by itself – and I’m ready to rock some pixels. So to speak.

I know that your style is similar to mine so I would suggest trying it out; and let me know what you think.

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Not sure if you are using a Mac and I’m using the Windows version, but this doesn’t happen for me. The right side adjust panel of Studio is always clear at start up. Of course this is easy to check for someone.

I work in Windows and every time I open Topaz Studio the Adjustments panel is on the right side, and I think that’s because TS opens in the same configuration I last used it.

I don’t have that problem. Every time I open Topaz The Right Panel is clear…

This happens to me also, when I open TS as a PS plug-in, if I’ve used it previously; that day.

Thanks for going to the trouble to give your views on Al Clear James. It sounds promising and I think I will download the trial version when I’ve some free time to test it out.

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