• Photos

  • Level

  • Score

BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: Problems with Images

Photography Question 

whitney morgan 		 

Noise in Pictures shot with Studio Lighting


 
 
Okay, I am at my wits end on this one. I need some help. I shot the majority of my work outside, then I decide I want to start a studio. Oh boy. Well I have a Nikon D50. I am shooting, Large file, fine grain, iso of 200 and WB on flash. My shutter speed is at 125 and my ap is at 5.6 I believe. I am getting so much grain in my pictures they aren't even salvagable most of the time. I have paying clients that expect good work. When I go outside and shoot automatic, its not there. I've had my camera looked at (everything appears to be in working order). The guy at my local camera place seems to thing I am over exposing my pictures. So I did a little experiment this weekend. The grain seems to be more prominate when the picture is darker (which he was telling me should fix it). Then when I took some with a little more light, its still there but looks much better. Any thoughts?? I really need some help. I have included two images, the first being the grainier of the two. please give me your thoughts.


To love this question, log in above
July 28, 2008

 

Alan N. Marcus 		  Hi Whitney,

The examples you provided were difficult to evaluate. My system did not confirm that noise was excessive. However, noise is present in all digital images. All good digital editing software features noise mitigating routines. Likely running a noise reduction routine will do the trick for you.

Digital noise is more prevalent with under exposure. The digital sensor chip that records the image is covered with light sensitive sights that change state when struck by a photon. The chip is disturbed by stray energies that also cause a change in state. This is the noise. These stray energies are competing with the photons. When we under expose we increase the number of sites likely to change state via a smack from a stray charges.

When we bump up the sensitivity by increasing the ISO the number of photo hits per site is decreased. This act also encourages stray energies to compete. You would be wise to maintain the lowest possible ISO setting.

Therefore: Keep ISO low – avoid under exposure – use noise mitigating software.

Alan Marcus (marginal technical gobbledygook)
ammarcus@earthlink.net


To love this comment, log in above
July 28, 2008

 

whitney morgan 		  Thank you for your response. I am using photoshop CS3's noise reducer, on some it does just fine, on others I need something a little more powerful. Do you have any software suggestions? Also if you like I can send you pictures straght to your e-mail so you can zoom. the noise isn't so present upon just looking at the photos but when you zoom in you can tell the severity.


To love this comment, log in above
July 28, 2008

 

Alan N. Marcus 		  Hi Whitney,

Others are better as to what software. I use Paint Shop Pro.

I will be happy to take a look.
ammarcus@earthlink.net


To love this comment, log in above
July 28, 2008

 
- Gregory LaGrange

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Gregory LaGrange
Gregory LaGrange's Gallery 		  Pictures are under exposed, not over.


To love this comment, log in above
July 28, 2008

 

whitney morgan 		  Thats what I thought, but i'm not the expert. Thanks for your imput.


To love this comment, log in above
July 28, 2008

 

Raymond H. Kemp 		  The one tool in digital photography that is rarely discussed (especially here at BP) is the use of the histogram. Absolutely the number one tool to check for exposure issues. I have mine defaulted to on when I look at my images. Other than depth of field issues, chimping images are useless to me without my histogram. And it is very easy to chimp your shot thinking the exposure is okay only to get to post and realize that the exposure is way off.

Never trust your LCD alone to determine good exposure!

If you’re trying to keep the background dark, you may need to move your subject farther away from the backdrop. Depending on your lighting setup, this will reduce unwanted spill to the backdrop and allow you to adjust your lights for optimal subject lighting.

Again, learn your histogram! You’ll be surprised at the results! Google it and you will find tons of great learning guides.

Ray


To love this comment, log in above
July 28, 2008

 

John H. Siskin 		  Hi Whitney,
So what are your lights, strobes or continuous lights? I am going to guess that you are using continuous light. The kind of light is important because continuous lights often aren’t bright enough to make a good file. Fluorescent lights can have color problems, but that is another issue. Check this out: www.betterphoto.com/article.php?id=195.
Thanks, John Siskin


To love this comment, log in above
July 28, 2008

 

whitney morgan 		  Thank you all SOOO much for your help. I have exhausted all of your advise and looked into more options. I have always been told that on a black background it doesn't matter where your subject stands. Wel I think my problem was that in order to black out my background completely it was making my subject WAY to dark and when I tried bringing it back up to correct lighting there was too much noise. On my shots I took on the black with my subject off the background and closer to the light, she was the proper exposer and the background stayed black. I think I was underexposing the entire picture trying to blackout the background. I have another shoot today. We will see how it goes. I will post again tomorrow.


To love this comment, log in above
July 29, 2008

 
This old forum is now archived. Use improved Forum here

Report this Thread