Can Someone Save one of these Shots?

[MichaelH]

Okay, so I was at a swim meet Saturday night and brought along my camera. I had illusions of grandeur and getting that olympic style butterfly picture! And I had some success... I generally shot at f/3.5-4 with ISO at 2500-3200 and the shutter speed staying at 1/160. However, my shutter speed was accidentally changed and I didn't notice until going back and editing in post. When I introduce fill light and increase the exposure, the picture gets noticeably grainier. I know this is probably because of the 3200 ISO on a midrange DSLR, but it's noticeably noisier than most other pictures at that ISO. So, can you help me out here? Can you succeed where I failed? Can you make a boring image pleasant and appealing?

This one is ISO 3200 @79mm, 1/320 second and f/8
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6752287599_ed8a4469de_b.jpg

This is the boring one. Shot with the same settings but at 24mm.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6752290123_0e501dd935_b.jpg

For whatever reason, it won't let me embed the images. If you can figure that one out, you have my thanks.

 

[mjhoward]

Hope you shot RAW or they don't have a chance.

 

[480sparky]

Scaled JPEGs aren't the ideal, but here's a shot:

 

[Kerbouchard]

You embed an img by putting img tags around it, like

As far as saving it, it can be brightened and fixed a bit as 480 did, but it's a bit of a stretch.

I wouldn't blame it necessarily on ISO 3200 in a mid-range DSLR, but more on using f/8 and underexposing the image. Next time, when you are in conditions like that, shoot with your aperture wide open, check your histogram on your shots, use the slowest shutter speed you can get away with, and put your ISO where it needs to be to get a histogram that isn't blocked up.

 

[tirediron]

Even with the RAW files, the final images are probably going to be quite noisy. I wouldn't count on the final result being a great image, BUT they're much improvable.

 

[MichaelH]

Hope you shot RAW or they don't have a chance.

That's all I shoot in. TPF wouldn't upload my files for whatever reason.

Even with the RAW files, the final images are probably going to be quite noisy. I wouldn't count on the final result being a great image, BUT they're much improvable.

They were fairly noisy, with at least what I did. They're by no means the best thing ever taken on a camera.

Scaled JPEGs aren't the ideal, but here's a shot:

What'd you end up doing? I'm still learning how to work lightroom.

 

[480sparky]

That's all I shoot in. TPF wouldn't upload my files for whatever reason.

Size restrictions. Try some free on-line file hosting service. There's millions of 'em. Of course, not everyone will be able to work withe your raw format.

What'd you end up doing? I'm still learning how to work lightroom.

Capture NX2, Shadow Protection to +100, then selected the black cap and lightened it until it started to get noisy, than backed down a bit. 20-second fix each.

 

[Ronaldo]

Not sure if this is any better:

 

[MichaelH]

What'd you end up doing? I'm still learning how to work lightroom.

Capture NX2, Shadow Protection to +100, then selected the black cap and lightened it until it started to get noisy, than backed down a bit. 20-second fix each.

Lol, wut? Is that all in the develop module?

 

[480sparky]

Lol, wut? Is that all in the develop module?

Quick Fix.

 

[greybeard]

I used a free program called Photoscape. I ran it through the automatic level, exposure, and contrast and then ran a high noise filter. Not bad.

Swimmer #1 by GREYBEARD12, on Flickr


swimmer #2 by GREYBEARD12, on Flickr

 

[KmH]

Out of focus (OOF) cannot be fixed. 1/160 was to slow a shutter speed.

Few action sports shots can be made at less than 1/250, and I tried real hard to not go below 1/500 when I was shooting action sports.

However, action in a direction perpendicular to the image sensor requires less shutter speed to stop than motion on a diagonal to the image sensor, which is easier to stop than motion parallel to the image sensor.

 

[eddlum25]

Did my best in Lightroom 4. Hope this help