Photo help

[catshem]

I so learned Macro is yes, but how in the world do you make your photos really good? Currently it's rainy out so I can't depend on nautral light. I just took some photos on Macro and they're too grainy for me to want to use, and I had two lamps on their high setting.

How to I fix the graininess? More light? rearrange where the lights were? (they were to one side together, not on opposite sides) Is this a job for photoshop?

[AlmySidaKay]

A suggestion I just learned myself because I had been complaining about grainy-ness myself. I switched all of the lights in my house from regular yellow to full spectrum lights. http://www.meijer.com/s/ge-reveal-a19-c ... _/R-177791

Though I don't think those prices are correct, because I got a 4 pack at Meijer for $4.00, but they are all light and not just yellow so they tend to help assist in a more clear picture, as well as looking more light sunlight for a natural photo. And since they have the same as sunlight they tend to make you feel a bit better too kind of like those sun lamps for seasonal depression.

[magkelly]

I'm a semi-pro photographer so if I get too technical don't hold it against me, okay? Just tell me. What kind of camera are you using? Can you change iso on it? Open up your lens aperture? The lower the iso the less noise, but if you're taking pics inside most of the time you have to use a higher iso or a really fast lens to get good macro unless you have really good photography lights.

There are noise reduction settings in Camera Raw and in Photoshop, yes, and there are also stand alone programs that you can use, but you can only reduce noise so much and not blur your photo too much. That's how noise reduction works, by doing a subtle blur in the right places. Use it on too high a setting and it can really kill your pic.

If you're using a film SLR you can get low light film too and that helps, but I'm thinking you are using a digital? Is it a point and shoot or a DSLR? I have the appropriate software and I know how to do it well if you want me to take a look.

You want a lower iso and a more open aperture for less noise but lower iso and a more open aperture means you really need a lot of light too. Indoors shots of any kind can be tricky actually unless you have a flash and unfortunately with macro a flash can be rather harsh and it can cause you to lose a lot of detail. Outdoors is usually better unless you have a photo box, photo lights, and a really fast lens.

[catshem]

I'm a semi-pro photographer so if I get too technical don't hold it against me, okay? Just tell me. What kind of camera are you using? Can you change iso on it? Open up your lens aperture? The lower the iso the less noise, but if you're taking pics inside most of the time you have to use a higher iso or a really fast lens to get good macro unless you have really good photography lights.

There are noise reduction settings in Camera Raw and in Photoshop, yes, and there are also stand alone programs that you can use, but you can only reduce noise so much and not blur your photo too much. That's how noise reduction works, by doing a subtle blur in the right places. Use it on too high a setting and it can really kill your pic.

If you're using a film SLR you can get low light film too and that helps, but I'm thinking you are using a digital? Is it a point and shoot or a DSLR? I have the appropriate software and I know how to do it well if you want me to take a look.

You want a lower iso and a more open aperture for less noise but lower iso and a more open aperture means you really need a lot of light too. Indoors shots of any kind can be tricky actually unless you have a flash and unfortunately with macro a flash can be rather harsh and it can cause you to lose a lot of detail. Outdoors is usually better unless you have a photo box, photo lights, and a really fast lens.

Don't worry, I understood everything you were talking about, lol. I'm using a Sony digital camera, I still have to learn it so I'll look into what you said. The thing is old, so I'm not too sure on anything. I was just curious if I was doing something wrong with lighting or whatever. For now I had to leave it on it's simple Picture setting with Macro to take not-grainy photos, I had it on ISO- which I think it's supposed to auto adjust- and I was only getting grainy photos.

I swear, Unless it's a sunny day out and I'm getting good sunlight filttering in, I CAN take good photos. Cloudy days are like "Nope, I'mma give you a hard time!"

[OkamiKodomo]

I second everything that magkelly said. In my case, I have florescent and yellow lights in my living room, in different locations, so I turn all of them on. My camera also has some automatic filters that adjust for indoors lighting, so check if yours does as well. Look for one that's labeled "tungsten", it really helps to balance out the yellow of incandescent lighting. These two pictures were both taken at night, with incandescent overhead lighting, macro setting, no flash, low ISO (80 I believe...might have been 120)
with cooling filter
without filter

Also consider rigging a ghetto light diffuser. Basically, use a white sheet, something to drape it over and pin tight, (a large cardboard box will work, and a desk lamp that has a moveable head, and point it at the diffuser.

And of course, photoshop is a godsend. Judicious use of curves, levels, noise reduction filters and color adjustments can make a world of difference. These pictures were taken with macro, no flash, on a rainy day. Incandescent light from behind the camera, about ten feet away, with cloudy daylight in the window behind the subject. Higher ISO on these pictures, something like 200 or more, hence some of the graininess, but if my indoor lighting had been closer, the ISO could have been lower.
before photoshop
after photoshop

Also remember to use an image editing program to resize your pictures, rather than letting photobucket do it for you. Their compression SUCKS. No really, it's awful.