Technique: Noise Reduction Using… Noise?
- At April 07, 2014
- By Jay
- In Post-Processing, Technique, Tutorial
0
Digital camera and sensor manufacturers have made great strides over recent years in reducing image noise. Improved light gathering efficiency and processing has yielded dramatic improvements in high ISO performance to the point where one can use ISO 1600 and below with impunity, and generally ISO 3200 to 6400 with relatively little discomfort. In cases of the pro bodies and full frame sensors you can comfortably shoot in low light at insane levels from ISO 12,800 to 25,600 and expect good results (though you’ll pay a hefty price for this ability in the Nikon D4/D4s and Canon 1Dx). So why on earth would you want to add noise to an image in post? And, more paradoxically, use “artificial” noise to reduce image noise? Having been amazed by this technique for some time and recently working on new images/reprocessing old ones where it came into play it struck me as timely to post another quick tutorial.
Read More»Technique: Tonal Separation
- At December 22, 2013
- By Jay
- In Black & White, Post-Processing, Technique
- 1
Yesterday I had posted about making some prints and, following that, noted I wanted to refine one image further (the Versailles stairwell). Sat down with some coffee this morning to do just that, and figured I would post a quick how-to. Never done this before so in the spirit of giving…
Read More»Another Year, Another Gourd
- At October 30, 2013
- By Jay
- In Technique
- 0
Carved up our annual pumpkins in preparation for Halloween (otherwise known as the Day Before Christmas). Wasn’t planning on it but ended up doing a quick’ish shoot. Simple lights. One Nikon SB-700 inside Jack, full cut of CTO along with dome diffuser. Another pounding through a Lastolite 21″ EzyBox softbox directly overhead, close and canted slightly forward. Both on manual, with inside light set first to get the glow then adding the second to balance. Ambient was a non-issue with 1/250th on the shutter and f/8. Plus I had Scarface on a piece of black Duvetyne that I had forgotten about.
Lighting like this makes me think fondly back to first discovering David Hobby’s Strobist site. And not know WTF was going on.
Cool Tech | BRNO baLens White Balance Tool
- At November 23, 2012
- By Jay
- In Technique, Technology
- 0
White balance. The color of white. Seems so simple but that’s because our eyes are so good at adapting to color changes. Put a white piece of paper under a yellow/orange table lamp, or a sickly green fluorescent light, or oddball magenta sodium vapor in an industrial or gym setting. Our eyes will make that white page look white. Or at least white’ish. But the camera needs to make adjustments to compensate. Either automatically (choosing the AutoWB setting), through a fixed preset (ex. Incendescent or Fluorescent), or via a custom white balance. The latter is not always as easy as it sounds if you don’t have a reliable neutral reference handy. Enter a little gizmo called the baLens white balance lens cap from BRNO.
