In 'Noise' Hell

Overread · Jan 9, 2009

Gsgary - good point on the depth of field - I know that I prefer to shoot in aperture priority for that very reason, however when push comes to shove and your in a dark environment which do you favour:

Shutter priority - or favouring the shutter speed --- getting the action frozen at the expense of exposure quality and also depth of field

Aperture priority - or favouring the depth of shot - getting the subject exposed in the right depth at a risk of exposure and also motion blur

exposure prioirty - getting the exosure right though possibly losing depth of subject and motion freezing.

I know chances are at the extremes its better to just put the camera down and watch (or watch through the camera if its far off) but when you end up in the questionable lighting where you can get a decent shot but not with each part as you would like where do you place your importance for the shot?

gsgary · Jan 9, 2009

Overread said:
Gsgary - good point on the depth of field - I know that I prefer to shoot in aperture priority for that very reason, however when push comes to shove and your in a dark environment which do you favour:

Shutter priority - or favouring the shutter speed --- getting the action frozen at the expense of exposure quality and also depth of field

Aperture priority - or favouring the depth of shot - getting the subject exposed in the right depth at a risk of exposure and also motion blur

exposure prioirty - getting the exosure right though possibly losing depth of subject and motion freezing.

I know chances are at the extremes its better to just put the camera down and watch (or watch through the camera if its far off) but when you end up in the questionable lighting where you can get a decent shot but not with each part as you would like where do you place your importance for the shot?

Always manual, the only time i use Aperture priority is on my second camera when i'm shooting horses i can pick it up quick and i know it's about right, 1D on manual if i see a white horse coming i will put the speed up a touch if i don't have time to meter, if i'm shooting motorsport my second camera will be on shutter priority

Overread · Jan 9, 2009

I see - but when you pick your settings which (in lower light) do you put at the top of your list - the shutter for motion of the aperture for depth? Granted that range and what lens you are using is going to affect this (I suspect that were you shooting with a 500mm aperture would be less of a worry than if you were shooting at 100mm

dEARlEADER · Jan 9, 2009

Noise comes from either High ISO, or correcting an underexposed image. The D700 is one of the best performers in handling noise. So, you may be underexposing.

A trick that you can comfortably use with a D700.

In manual mode -

-Set your aperture as open as you can (maybe F4)
-Set your shutter at the minimum you can get away with (maybe 1/200)
-Engage the Auto ISO function

This way you can get both the depth of field and freezing action you require. The D700 will adjust the ISO setting to get you the proper exposure.

You may also want to switch out of matrix and use center weighted or spot metering. Sometimes it's handy to assign one your custom front buttons to switch metering methods on the fly.

Village Idiot · Jan 9, 2009

Over expose by about 1/3-2/3 a stop, enough so you're not blowing out any important highlights, but still getting a bright image. Then in ACR or whatever RAW editor you're using, drop the exposure down to an acceptable level. This will kill some noise.

Next if you have a noise reduction program, you can create a new layer and apply the NR as strong as possible. Then, cut the layer's opacity down so you get an acceptable balance of NR without making the subject look like plastic.

Next, keep in mind that printing from a 12-13mp file or resizing it for viewing on the internets will kill some noise. If you look at the pics in the nature section of a few snakes I shot at the National Zoo in DC, you can see the results of slight NR and downsizing from a 21mp file. They were shot between 3200 and 6400 ISO and they look basically noise free.

gsgary · Jan 9, 2009

dEARlEADER said:
Noise comes from either High ISO, or correcting an underexposed image. The D700 is one of the best performers in handling noise. So, you may be underexposing.

A trick that you can comfortably use with a D700.

In manual mode -

-Set your aperture as open as you can (maybe F4)
-Set your shutter at the minimum you can get away with (maybe 1/200)
-Engage the Auto ISO function

This way you can get both the depth of field and freezing action you require. The D700 will adjust the ISO setting to get you the proper exposure.

You may also want to switch out of matrix and use center weighted or spot metering. Sometimes it's handy to assign one your custom front buttons to switch metering methods on the fly.

Neat trick:thumbup:

oOoERYNoOo · Jan 9, 2009

Coming from a fellow horse lover.... SHOW US THE HORSE PICS!!! haha

gsgary · Jan 9, 2009

oOoERYNoOo said:
Coming from a fellow horse lover.... SHOW US THE HORSE PICS!!! haha

If you want some of mine look here http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/photojournalism-sports-gallery/151592-horses-coarses.html

oOoERYNoOo · Jan 9, 2009

gsgary said:
If you want some of mine look here http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/photojournalism-sports-gallery/151592-horses-coarses.html

Excellent and very inspiring photography! Great captures on all the photos I viewed, they were all so crisp and clear. I love the action shots of the horses, it really shows their muscle power!

ANDS! · Jan 9, 2009

At those ISO speeds you are going to get noise. Period. There is no getting around it. The D700 is a capable camera, but at the extremes you are going to see noise artifacts. This isn't a condition of you trying out various exposure tricks - its just simple the way it is for everyone.

On that note, you really need to post a sample if you want real help here.

gsgary · Jan 9, 2009

oOoERYNoOo said:
Excellent and very inspiring photography! Great captures on all the photos I viewed, they were all so crisp and clear. I love the action shots of the horses, it really shows their muscle power!

Thankyou , if you want muscle power look here 2 of my favorite shots
http://gsgary.smugmug.com/photos/94319710_9muMg-L.jpg

http://gsgary.smugmug.com/photos/94319710_9muMg-L.jpg

There are lots more on there to look at
my partners horse
http://gsgary.smugmug.com/photos/159096629_D4fga-L.jpg

Saddlebreds4me · Jan 9, 2009

Wow...thank you everyone for all of the help! I haven't been on here all day but I will go over to my iMac and upload a photo or two so you can see what I'm dealing with.

All amazing stuff - and I'm going to try as soon as I get a chance...I will go find a few photos to post...

Saddlebreds4me · Jan 9, 2009

I'm actually surprised her legs are in as much focus as they are - this photo was shot at 1/125 and usually I've got to be at least 1/200 to stop the action, this was shot at 6400 ISO and is underexposed.

This photo was shot with my D70s - in the Kansas City arena I mentioned early in my thread - ISO was set at 1600 - this was in pretty lousy light.

This photo I realize is obviously underexposed but I like it because of the sunlight coming in on the pony's shoulder. This was shot at 1/200 and 6400 ISO setting. The natural light and artificial light is a challenge for me to get it even close to correct.

I also wanted to address the comment of shooting head on and how it effects DOF - Unless a horse is coming through the in-gate at the horse show I rarely shoot head on in motion - remember too, when shooting saddle horses there is the added "stress" if you will at catching the horse/pony at the very top of his/her stride (the last photo is a pretty good example of what I mean) we also like to have their ears forward as it usually makes for a prettier photo.

C & C away! Thanks again everyone!

It's so noisy in these photos, I can't even think! :wink:

Saddlebreds4me · Jan 9, 2009

gsgary said:
If you want some of mine look here http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/photojournalism-sports-gallery/151592-horses-coarses.html

WOW! Your photos are incredible!! If I could be half as good, I'd be happy! Very happy!!!

Mgw189 · Jan 9, 2009

As much as you like the effect of the natural light coming in on the horses it is a big part of the reason why you are having issues. The light coming in through the window in the door is going to mess with the camera. The shot you have from Kansas City is just shot in the wrong white balance.