c&c me please!

[jamaican_sole]

one thing that i'm wondering about is why there seems to be a bit of grain (noise) in my pics regardless of the iso that i shot at. And i'm not sure what i can do to get rid of it. noise reduction seems to simply kill alot of the detail that i managed to capture. and i'm not sure what to do to get rid of it.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3092/2703892389_d16e90c06e_b.jpg
Camera:Canon EOS 30D (http://www.flickr.com/cameras/canon/eos_30d/)Exposure:0.017 sec (1/60)Aperture:f/4.5Focal Length:28 mmISO Speed:100Exposure Bias:0/3 EV

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3053/2687069146_bba5f4a17b_b.jpg
Camera:Canon EOS 30D (http://www.flickr.com/cameras/canon/eos_30d/)Exposure:0.017 sec (1/60)Aperture:f/7.1Focal Length:28 mmISO Speed:100Exposure Bias:0/3 EV
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3269/2702044857_5eb6c4a72f_b.jpg
Camera:Canon EOS 30D (http://www.flickr.com/cameras/canon/eos_30d/)Exposure:0.008 sec (1/125)Aperture:f/2.8Focal Length:75 mmISO Speed:100Exposure Bias:0/2 EV

[jamaican_sole]

bump before i head to bed....

[FlyingPhotog]

1-Little too much to camera right that isn't as interesting as the painted wall.
2-Nice mood and it makes me wonder why he wants to be so alone.
3-Best of the three but I'd clone out the light fixture. Draws my eye there.

[LeuceDeuce]

Your shots are really improving. Keep up the good work!

[mrc0w]

weird cropping for the first and second photo, from the door onwards isnt needed. minor details of the model, like the necklace affects the photo too, which IMO isnt right for the shot. lacking of mood from the model too.
the third shot's slightly better.

just my 2 cents.

[jamaican_sole]

thanks alot guys, but what to do about the grainy images. is there something that i should keep in mind when shooting? or is there something that can be done in pp to clear this up.

[Flo]

Your colors have always been your best in the photos you have posted..these are really great examples.
I am not seeing grain or noise?

I agree about the composition in the first.crop out the clutter beyond the wall...


Look forward to more JS!

[griptape]

The last one is really nice. As for the noise, I don't think you'd see it in prints, and the only one who will notice it is probably you. In fact, if these were my shots, there's a good chance I would actually add grain to simulate film with the first and last shot.

[Ook]

I agree with the cropping of the first one. Nice shots all round!

As for noise, at the size we're seeing them on here, I don't notice a lot. I wouldn't even be confident that there hasn't been some added by any compression done by Flickr. If there is too much noise for you in the full-size file, some noise reduction (built-in in PS, or Noise Ninja) may certainly help.

The only thing I can say as for how noise may have gotten there is either high-ISO, or if you had to boost the exposure in PP. See this post (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=490002&postcount=14).

[kjonnnn]

These are really great. Agree with some of the suggestion above. Didnt notice grain

[jamaican_sole]

well of the three that i posted. look at the subjects skin, most notably the right cheek. it just seems a bit grainy to me. i'm a newbie to this, so maybe it might not be such a big deal.

[dkord]

We're not going to see a lot of noise when the image is scaled down to web viewing. You would do best giving a crop at 100% of the noisy areas.
Also look at your RGB historgram, you probably have some blown channels and am incurring noise to control the curves.
Were they shot in jpg or RAW?

[chauncey]

I've got six adopted special needs black children and that grain is a real PITA and I've learned that:
Do not underexpose, never ever.

Nothing produces noise quicker than underexposed images, PP helps but not as much a proper exposure.
Better to over expose half stop than to under expose half stop.

You're doing good, keep it up. ;)

[jamaican_sole]

hmm... now that i put some thought into it. i shoot 99% of time in raw, but i've been noticing that with my 30d i do seem to have to "brighten" almost all of my pics in pp. almost as if the camera, by default puts out slightly underexposed images. is there a way to set the cam up to maybe slightly over expose the image by about 1/2 a stop? do i have to do it manually at the time that i'm taking the shot?, or may switch over to AV mode, and use the wheel to maybe set it a couple of stops brighter. HELP !!


and special thanks go out to Flo, leucedeuce, and chauncey. you guys were there from the first time i posted pics here, and your input and replies are definitely a huge motivating factor in my desire to continue to learn. i can see myself growing, and your constant comments and feedback really do inspire me to work harder at this. thank you guys....

[Ook]

On my 40D, in either P, Tv or Av mode, you can dial in exposure compensation with the wheel on the back of the camera (thumb-wheel). I assume it's the same on the 30D. If it isn't, check the manual for "exposure compensation".

I'd check the histogram during your first couple shots of a subject, and if it's too far to the left, dial in some exposure compensation (in 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments, whichever you have chosen in the menus) and see how that works. Given that your pictures are already good technically, I think it should give them a bit of extra punch!

[Flo]

JS.how is your family! I loved the photos of the little girl...she was adorable.

[LeuceDeuce]

It has been very interesting watching you progress in your photography. You've hit a new level with these latest images.

My only nitpick would be to get rid of the bare wall area in the first shot.

I can't see a disturbing amount of noise in these at all, and I'm sure the subject in the images are thrilled with them :)

[jamaican_sole]

It has been very interesting watching you progress in your photography. You've hit a new level with these latest images.

My only nitpick would be to get rid of the bare wall area in the first shot.

I can't see a disturbing amount of noise in these at all, and I'm sure the subject in the images are thrilled with them :)

they were. they alot more happier with them than i was. i guess that i'm just my own toughest critic. i'll just continue to snap away, and hopefully i'll continue to grow. heres a crop of the noise that i was referring to :http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3078/2721702180_8eda000551_o.jpg

when i look at other people's images, regardless of the cam, they seem to be so silky smoothe, mine however tend to end up like this one. where there's a bit of noise even ISO 100. also this crop is unsharpened from the original RAW and still there is some noticable noise, especially in the darker areas. here's another shot where it seems to be everywhere in the frame, especially in the dark tones: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3121/2522628824_82fc4acdd4_b.jpg

oh and flo, about my niece, she's getting big! it's kinda cool watching someone grow. and the fam is doing great, i'll be taking a trip back home to jamaica in a couple of months, so i'll be sure take a few snaps then.

[LeuceDeuce]

You know what I suggest? I suggest you print off an 8x10 and see if you still see it. I do know what you're feeling/seeing, and it used to bother me too until I started making prints. I was blown away by the difference in the actual print and what I saw on the screen while I was pixel peeping the image.

I guess that's why I don't see it on the screen anymore. I have a greater appreciation for what it will look like on paper.

Try it, it will liberate you :)