Noise issues post processing

I'm editing a recent session and the images coming out of lightroom have a ton of noise. When I zoom in, I can actually see visable pixels. What am I doing wrong?

I shot in RAW @ 15mp... edited with lightroom and exported. This particular image was cropped, so it's esspecially obvious... but it went from a 20mb image, to a 2.2mp one!

ISO is 400, so could have been lower... but it still shouldn't be this bad. Any help or advice is appriciated. Thank you.

It looks over sharpened at this size. What are your jpeg export settings at, as far as quality and size? Did you sharpen, and then have the export dialog sharpen some more?

settings are at 100%, no change in size. I don't sharpen, and it's not set to.

The one thing I see is that it says "export at 240mp per inch"... but that section isn't selected, so not sure if it does anything.

So 100% quality, what color space? No resizing, and nothing in the limit file size?

Output sharpening set to none?

Your image size is 512 x 768- you are at about 0.4 megapixels. The original should be 4752 x 3168- did you have to crop it that much? If so, those are all the pixels you have left. Looking at them on a standard monitor full screen you are looking at around a 200% crop- you are going to see pixels and jagged edges.

sRGB. Nope. Yep, no sharpening.

That was cropped a lot... this one wasn't:

So back to the noise issue. Could you post a 100% crop of an area that is of concern to you? Looking at the two images you posted, I can't see any noise of an alarming nature.

Also, which camera was used?

-alex

rent wrote in post #17285692
So back to the noise issue. Could you post a 100% crop of an area that is of concern to you? Looking at the two images you posted, I can't see any noise of an alarming nature.

Also, which camera was used?

-alex

I would tend to agree with Alex. Are you seeing noise just in the shadow areas or all over? I'm viewing this on a 24" monitor right now and frankly it looks fine to me.

Like here... maybe I'm nitpicking? It just seemed exessive to me, and I was worried about when my clients want to blow it up if that'll show.

If you use a low ISO and underexpose in camera, then have to brighten it in post, the noise will be worse than if you had exposed properly in camera with a higher ISO.

at 100% crop your shot doesn't look very sharp, but the noise level and quality look fantastic to me.

Share your Lightroom detail panel settings.

LeanneC wrote in post #17285475
I'm editing a recent session and the images coming out of lightroom have a ton of noise. When I zoom in, I can actually see visable pixels. What am I doing wrong?

I shot in RAW @ 15mp... edited with lightroom and exported. This particular image was cropped, so it's esspecially obvious... but it went from a 20mb image, to a 2.2mp one!

ISO is 400, so could have been lower... but it still shouldn't be this bad. Any help or advice is appriciated. Thank you.

I think what you're doing wrong is looking at it at 100%. Pixel peeper are the only people who generally complain about noise. I shoot at ISO3200 or sometimes higher if required, in 120+ weddings I've only oncehad a customer comment on or complain about noise - once I explained it they were fine with it (capture existing light to preserve ambience and have noise, vs no noise and no ambience). Just print it out, I doubt you'll see any noise in your print.

LeanneC wrote in post #17285722
Like here... maybe I'm nitpicking? It just seemed exessive to me, and I was worried about when my clients want to blow it up if that'll show.

I'd guess blowing it up to match the size of the closeup of the boy's face would require close to a poster sized print; most people aren't going to want to go that large. Even if they did, that noise doesn't look bad and would probably mostly/totally disappear in a print.

They look pretty good to me, but I am an old tmer who used to push extachrome, you think you have a noise problem. Too much time spent peeping, great shots, have you even printed one?

I hear nothing too. Where is the noise?

I agree with everyone else. Noise not much of an issue here.

In terms of what to work on, I suggest concentrating more on your connection with your subjects. With kids, you need to get Mom and any other helpers lined up behind you or way off to the side with instructions to not attract attention. Then you work on keeping the kids happy and focused on you.