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3February2010

Noise And ISO Test On Canon EOS 350d / Digital Rebel XT dSLR

Posted by Rob_Nunn under: articles; reviews.

Let’s face it, of the three pillars that make up exposure in photography, ISO is the boring one, and the one that spoils the party.

Shutter speed is cool. You can freeze time, stopping a droplet of water mid-air as it splashes upward from a glass. You can stretch time with a long shutter speed, blurring clouds, the sea, and even people. If you pan while using a longer shutter speed you can bring a real sense of movement to your images, making the background blur as a race-car speeds past.

Aperture is King. Tighten up your aperture and keep everything in your photograph sharp, for an Ansel Adams like depth of field, letting the viewer marvel at the intricate details they see before them. Or perhaps open up your aperture, forcing everything in your photo blurred, while keeping your main subject in sharp focus. Magical.

ISO however, apparently has little artistic value when you change it. ISO is how sensitive your camera is to light, and in the digital SLR world we can simply increase our ISO so we can shoot in lower light, keeping our shutter speeds up to avoid camera shake or movement blur in our subjects. There is an unfortunate side-effect to this – noise.

In the old days of film if you wanted to shoot with a higher ISO you had to change the film in your camera, and higher ISO film usually had larger grain, and in digital cameras we have a similar problem, noise. As we increase our ISO our photos have more “speckles” in them. Details start to become lost, colours become muted, and the quality of the photograph diminishes rapidly. Or does it?

Let me back-track a little and explain the relationship between Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO when it comes to working out Exposure, or how bright or dark a photo will turn out. To obtain an “acceptable” level of exposure (or brightness) in a photo, we have to let a certain amount of light into our camera. The amount of light that is let in, and hits our digital sensor, is governed by the Shutter Speed, which is how long the camera stays open to let the light in; Aperture, which is how big the hole is in the front of the camera that lets the light in; and ISO, which is how sensitive the camera is to that incoming light.

In all the modes on our cameras except Manual, our camera’s help us obtain that “acceptable” exposure by juggling those three settings, usually with a bit of input from us. Lots of photographers, including myself, enjoy using Aperture Priority Mode, where I choose the size of hole (or f-stop) on the front of the camera. By using this mode I can control the depth-of-field in my photographs, having everything sharp, just my subject, or something in-between. As I change the aperture, my camera adjusts the shutter speed to keep the exposure (brightness of my photo) OK.

The problem comes when I’m shooting hand-held. If it starts getting dark, or I use a small aperture, my camera will choose a shutter speed that is too slow. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve got home to look at photos on my PC only to discover that loads are blurry because I’ve let the shutter speed drop too much – especially when I’ve been using longer focal length lenses and zooms.

(A quick hint here – never, ever, trust the LCD screen on the back of your camera to judge sharpness. That screen makes everything look sharp!)

The answer to this is to increase your ISO as soon as your shutter speeds drops below a certain amount. There’s a simple way to work this out – if your’re shooting hand-held with a 50mm lens, you don’t want your shutter speed to drop below 1/50th of a second. If you’re shooting with your zoom at 200mm (look on the lens barrel) you don’t want to drop below 1/200th of a second. If you’re at 500mm, don’t go below 1/500th. Easy.

(Or of course use a tripod, but that won’t eliminate the blur if your subject is moving).

I’m rubbish at doing this. Maybe its years of reading books and magazines, and listening to Podcasts where the advice is to always shoot at the lowest ISO setting your camera allows. It’s meant to give the best photo image quality, and heck, I’ve even said so myself many times. It’s like I’m locked into believing that I can get sharp shots from a 300mm lens handheld at 1/100th, if I just try harder, but that isn’t ever going to happen, its just an impossible task. I need to bump up my ISO!

In order to free myself of this hang-up I resolved to take some test images with my Canon EOS 350d / Digital Rebel XT, at all the different ISO’s it offers. I wanted a dull, overcast day, because that’s what its like in England most of the time, and its also the occasion when I need those higher ISO’s. I wanted to really get to know what images shot at ISO 800 and 1600 actually looked like, to see if my phobia of those levels was justified or not.

Here’s the result:

Wait a minute! Don’t get disappointed. You can’t see any detail in the above photo, you need to see the original to get an idea about the different qualities of the various ISO’s, and understand what the photo-montage is. What I did was to take a number of shots of the same scene, at various ISOs. When I got home I zoomed into 100% and copied the middle bit out of each photo and created what you see above.

The bottom right part is ISO 1600, but given the Noise Ninja treatment, a piece of software that does its best to reduce noise from inside Photoshop, Elements and I believe Lightroom. (Or you can get it as a stand-alone program too).

So now you know what the above photo is all about, take a look at the original.

Have a scroll around. Look at the ships hull and super-structure, the sky and the background, at the different ISOs. What do you think?

If you want to see the photo’s of the different ISOs in more detail, I’ve uploaded all the originals to this Flickr set.

Other Things That Can Increase Noise In Your Photos

Sadly, ISO isn’t the only thing that can make your photographs noisy. Any sort of post-processing – changing levels, curves or contrast will often amplify noise. HDR is notorious for being a “noisy” technique. Make sure you save, or export to, .jpg files at the highest possible quality setting, or you’ll end up with the even worse “artefacts” which can ruin the cleanest of photographs. Make sure you’ve turned on “Long Exposure Noise Reduction” (in the custom settings on the 350d), or that’ll degrade quality too. Here’s a comprehensive list of the possible pitfalls.

My Conclusion

The higher ISO settings on my 350d / Rebel XT are not as bad as I thought they’d be. OK, I won’t get any images accepted into Istockphoto if I shoot above ISO 200, but they’re good enough for most of my needs. (Plus when printing out photos lots of noise just disappears). I’ll no longer shy away from bumping up my ISO when I need to. I now know more about my camera and feel more confident in getting the most out of it in challenging lighting condtions. My ISO phobia is cured!

Cheers, Rob.

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16January2010

2010 And Beyond: Start With The End In Mind

Posted by Rob_Nunn under: articles; inspiration; photo assignments.

So here we are, new year, new decade…. new start. A time to take stock, reflect, think about the future, and plan for it.

Last year was good. I feel I’ve come a long way with my photography. My 350d and its lenses are becoming as familiar as my old Fujifilm S5700. I’m not having to think about the technical side as much, which frees up the old grey stuff to concentrate on the more artistic aspects of this great pass-time.

Actually “pass-time” isn’t the right word for my photography. you could call it a hobby, but when you consider I’ve got this site, the Flickr group, all the time I spend taking / editing / uploading photos , and the Podcast, it has to be more than that. It’s a passion.

I’ve described this photography blog, and the SCL Podcast, as like a diary, a record of my journey on the process to becoming a better photographer, a place where I can share my experiences and things I learn.

So where are we going next? What do I want to do with this passion on mine? Where do I choose to end up?

Small Victories For 2010

OK, so I need to set some goals for this year. First up, a little on the way I deal with my photos:

In 2010 I’m going to take more care key-wording my photos on Flickr, to make them more visible to searchers, in terms of literal descriptions – its a “banana” but also with terms like “healthy” or “nutrition”. I’m also going to start uploading images to Istockphoto and Bigstockphoto again. Stock photography means creating technically “better” photos (for my 350d that means low ISO’s and using a tripod), but if I can create a nice little pool of images that can’t be a bad thing. I will of course share all my experiences in my Istockphoto diary.

Also on Flickr I’m going to make sure that every photo goes into a set dedicated to the particular lens I used, so those sets in themselves will become a resource for anyone wanting to see what you can do with these different lenses, real-world test images instead of the boring examples you get on lens review sites.

Next up, the Blog, Flickr Group and Podcast:

I’ve got a long list of videos / articles and reviews I want to post on the blog and talk about on the ‘cast, so I shouldn’t be short of material. I’m going to be including more link articles to other photography sites – cool things I hear or read, sometimes I think it’s all a little inward-looking just talking about me most of the time. The list of photo genres we’ve come up with on the Flickr Group are brilliant, people are already submitting great images on all sorts of subjects, so that will be a great source of inspiration and ideas for the year ahead, so thanks to everyone over there, and if you haven’t already, please check it out!

I’d like to pick up a sponsor for the Podcast this year (and maybe the blog too), so I’ll be contacting companies whose products or services I admire to see if we can get something going, so if you know of any organisations that may be interested, drop me a line.

This blog could probably do with a newer theme, but I’m not sure. I had a few problems when I upgraded to Wordpress 2.9, so I don’t want to mess with it anytime soon. I need to do some research to see if I can have two or more themes uploaded at once so that I can flick backwards and forwards between them. Again, if anyone knows about this, send me an email on how to do it.

Projects For 2010:

An easy one first – Coins. I was really pleased with the Macro shot I took of a 50p the other day, so I’m going to work through our currency, then foreign ones too. End result will be a book from the target of 36 photographs.

Next up, a film project. I’m going to get some black and white c41 film, then use it for a specific series of shots. The project will be: “Around Gosport” (Working Title). I want to come up with 24 exposures from around my home town. I’ll be revisiting old locations and I’ll be trying to get the best shots possible. The end result will be a book, complete with descriptions, and some large prints.

Next up, a digital project. “A Fortified Town” (Working Title). Shots from all around Gosport, somehow including the various fortifications that speckle the borough. 36 images, leading to a book and some large prints.

Next, a digital project. “Caught In A Moment” (Working Title). Photographs of people in their environment, taken “street photography” style. 36 images, leading to a book and large prints.

These photos and books will then form my portfolio of images I can show to potential clients.

Technical Stuff:

I want to understand how extension tubes work, and most importantly about colour management. I avoid colour photography not because I don’t like it, but rather because I often get it badly wrong in post. I want to get a real grasp on white balance, colour temperature, calibration, etc, so my colour photographs look real. I also want my colour photos to “pop”, so I need to learn about that too.

Kit:

I’ve got a great collection of M42 manual focus lenses, but my EF lens collections has a few holes. I’ve got the 28mm and 50mm primes, and the 75-300 zoom, but I haven’t been very impressed with 28-80mm zoom, probably because the AF keeps sticking, so I’ll need a replacement for that, I’ll be keeping an eye on eBay!

I need another battery for my 350d. I do have two, but one seems to be running out of steam too quickly. A strong ND filter, with a 52mm thread, for my EF 28mm and 50mm primes, for those silky water and skies shots.

The big piece of kit that I really need is a good photo-printer, preferably one that prints A3, but I’ll have to wait until we get a sponsor on board for that, I just can’t afford the paper and inks.

Marketing

I want to make this blog and the podcast more popular. I’m a bit stuck on this. My usual method is just to keep adding content, writing about what I think is interesting, and then waiting for the Search-Engines to do their magic and send people this way. Reviews are always popular, guides and how-to’s too. I think I need to be more interactive with other blogs – commenting, writing articles for them, that sort of thing. Maybe you’ve got some ideas?

Start With The End In Mind?

So what does that mean? Those of you familiar with Stephen Covey’s work will recognise the phrase. Its a goal setting tool you can use to focus your mind on what you really want. Think about what you want to achieve, say in two years time, and visualise, in your mind, what it would feel like to achieve it, what you would be doing, and what others would think about you.

Here’s what I want to see:

I’m getting up really early, pre dawn. The rest of the family are still asleep, so I make the packed-lunches and bring a cuppa up to my wife so it’ll be there when she wakes. I quietly check my gear then jump in the 4×4, heading to the coast to get some shots of the Sun rising over the South Coasts beaches.

I’m back for breakfast with the family, downloading my images and backing them up. They’re part of a book project I’m working on. Some will go in the book, others for prints for sale, and maybe some for stock too.

I check my emails, comment on some photo’s submitted to the Flickr group, queue up some images at the Stock sites, then head out to drop off some large prints at the local arts store for display, and hopefully, sale.

I missed the post this morning so I go to the sorting office to pick up a package that’s come from the States, some new device for calibrating your monitor, and a smaller parcel from Germany with some different Photo Printing Paper, both that’ll need reviewing on the website this week.

I’ve got an assignment this afternoon, off to Winchester to shoot some interiors for a design magazine, I’ve got to hurry because I need to get my lights and gear loaded and be on the road by 1230.

After the shoot I make a detour to The New Forest to get some photos of twilight in the woods, then it’s home to work on the shots, get them sent off to the editor and write a blog post about today’s work. The photo-news site needs some work, and I need to record a chapter of my “Guide To The Canon 9d” audio guide.

After a nice family evening meal, a little late because of my trip to Winchester, we settle down in front of the TV. It’s time to relax. I’ll check my mail later, but for now I can forget about being a full-time photographer, blogger and podcaster for a couple of hours.

Cheers, Rob.

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12January2010

Pre Photowalk Bag and Camera Checklist – Canon EOS 350d / Digital Rebel XT

Posted by Rob_Nunn under: articles; technique.

W – White Balance. Are you set to AUTO?
I – ISO. Have you returned your camera to its base settings? (Normally 100 / 200).
F – Focus. Is your lens set to auto-focus? Are you using single shot or continuous focusing?
E – Exposure. Are you in the right mode? Are you at an aperture or shutter speed that will be right as soon as you turn your camera on?

Also check that you’re shooting RAW, you’ve formatted your card, your batteries are charged, and you’ve got spares in your bag.

Cheers, Rob.

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28July2009

Light: The Body Language Of Photography

Posted by Rob_Nunn under: articles; tutorials.

The ability to communicate with each other, on many levels, is one of the reasons why humans have come to dominate our planet. Our skill in articulating ideas, concepts, love, hate and emotions has transported us from the Rift Valley in Africa, to the four corners of the world – from the highest peaks of the Himalayas to the deepest oceans. Forty years ago we even broke away from the confines of our comfy sphere and stepped upon a different world, albeit briefly, and we have yet to return, but we will, one day.

Our in-built skill to learn how to talk can be translated into how we learn almost everything in our lives. When we first ride a bike, we are learning how to communicate with the machine, our sense of balance, the feel of the road, and feel of the wind in our hair.

When we first start to use PC’s (and the Internet) we’re learning how to talk with the computer. We learn how to make it understand us, through use of the keyboard and the mouse, and we, in turn, learn how to translate and understand the computers feedback – through the screen, the sounds, the error messages and the syntax. As we learn the “language” of computers we are able to express ourselves better – perhaps through email, writing documents, web-sites or taking part in forums.

Photography is the same. When we first pick up a camera, we don’t know what to do. Maybe we’ll read the manual, to learn the grammar of this little machine. We’ll muddle through with trial and error, perhaps with a little practice. Gradually we learn to express ourselves through the camera and post processing. We’re learning to talk through our images. We’re trying to communicate through our photography.

According to the experts, verbal communication is made up of three main parts, and you’ll be surprised at the relative importance of each one. When we’re having a conversation with someone, how they’re comprehending with us, is made up through the words we’re saying, the tone or way we’re saying them, and finally our body language – how we’re physically expressing ourselves while we talk.

So which of the three is most important? Funnily enough, the least important factor in one-to-one conversations is the words we’re using. Next up is the tone, or way we’re saying the words. By far the most important (perhaps over 50%) factor in any conversation, is our body language – facial expressions, gestures and movements. So when you’re trying to get an idea across, it’s how you’re expressing yourself non-verbally, with your face and body, and how you say it, that’s more important than the words you actually use.

I believe in there’s a parallel with photography here. Think of the subject of our photograph as the words we are using. The subject is the idea. The composition we use is like the tone of how we speak. The most important aspect is the body language of our photography, and I believe this is the light.

This happens to me all the time. I’ll see something that catches my eye – usually a shape in a scene. That’ll be my subject, the words of my visual conversation. Then I’ll decide on the composition – the tone, or how I’m going to say those words. Finally it’s the light, or how I’m expressing myself visually in the photograph.

On many occasions I’ll see something interesting, compose it, shoot it, but then I’ll be disappointed when I get home and look at the photo on my PC because the light was flat. The conversation is boring. The idea is there, but it just hasn’t come alive – there’s no passion or emotion. The photo simply doesn’t engage me when I’m looking at it, like listening to a monotone voice – an announcer at a railway station.

Other times I’ll take a photo of what may be a mundane view or subject, but because the light was great, the scene comes alive and the photo sings. Maybe it’s the shadows, perhaps the colours, the use of flash, hard sun light or soft. Have a look at my flickr photostream – which photo’s do you like, and what was the light like in those images?

Light is the key – whether it be the Sun, Flash or hot-lights. I understand that if the light is poor (as it often is in the UK), I need to work harder to get my ideas across – with more interesting subjects or more dynamic composition, or perhaps use artificial light. I need to learn how to use flash to better effect. I need to take more photographs early in the morning or later in the afternoon.

I want to express my photographic ideas more clearly and passionately through my use of, control of, manipulation of, but most importantly understanding of light.

Light, it’s the body-language of photography, and I want to be fluent.

Cheers, Rob.

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26July2009

The Diagonal Method Of Composition…

Posted by Rob_Nunn under: articles; news.

Ken, over on the Inverted Image Flickr group, has found a really interesting site on the use of the “Diagonal Method” of composition in paintings and photographs.

In the article the author discusses how the “Rule of Thirds” when used with equally sized boxes, doesn’t really work – not like the “Golden Mean” where the centre box is considerably smaller.

He goes on to suggest that the “Points of Interest” in great paintings and photo’s are often found along certain diagonals that can be created when you divide your scene into two equally sized overlapping boxes, and draw diagonals from each corner, thus:

The idea is that perhaps the eyes of your subect, or what’s most important in your photograph, are placed along one of these diagonals, and not simply on the “Rule of Thirds” intersections.

Check out the full article here.

It’s a fascinating study, and another string to our compositional bow – but as ever, remember that there are no rules, only guide-lines.

Cheers, Rob.

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