Shutterstock Photographer Forum :: View topic - Would you tell me which issue is affecting this photo?

elaineb · Joined: 29 Dec 2008 Posts: 158

Hello,

Many of my photos are rejected for one of noise, sharpening, film grain or arifacts. I would appreciate anyone who could help me to know which of these is the problem and how to fix it.

I clean my lens before shooting and blow off dust.

I shoot with light from a window coming from behind me. I use a big Home Depot light and aim it at the ceiling for extra light. I have issues getting enough light and this helps, but inconsistantly.

My photos are still on the dark side and so I use "auto tone " or "Instant Fix" on my Olypus Master program and this often works and photos are accepted.

Is it possible that auto tone or instant fix can add noise, grain, sharpening to a photo?

Thank you,
Elaine

elaineb · Joined: 29 Dec 2008 Posts: 158

Thanks

hhltdave5 · Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:52 pm

If you are editing a jpg image just about anything you do to that image will get some damage or suffer some loss to the quality of the image. That is why I do all my editing in a tiff format which will not degrade. I then convert it over to the jpg when I send it in, saving the tiff as my master.

Try to get the shot as perfect in the camera as you can. Make sure you are using the lowest ISO possible, have the correct exposure and I avoid using settings in my camera that add sharpness or saturation which can effect the image.

knapjames · Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 81 Location: Canada, Calgary

As Dave metioned Tiff will not degrade. I do all of my editing using the RAW file, & save it as Tiff & Jpeg.
SS allows uploads in Tiff format as long as the files are smaller than 30mb.
:)

elaineb · Joined: 29 Dec 2008 Posts: 158

Dear James and Dave,

Thanks for the advise. I don't know what Tiff is.
Is this a program to download?

I download my photos from my Olypus camera onto my Olymus Master program. How does one get the photos from there to Tiff?

I have noticed a raw option on my camera, but does this setting require knowledge for setting all posssible options of ISO , shutter speed, etc ( which I know little about ) . I usually use automatic setting.

Thanks,
Elaine

p.s What I was mostly wondering is if you would tell me which of the issues was primarily affecting my photos. Is it sharpness, noise or ?. I can't tell. When I enlarge my photo I can't see anything wrong with it. Can you?

Elaine

elaineb · Joined: 29 Dec 2008 Posts: 158

p.s Is Tiff like Photo Shop?

digigandalf · Joined: 11 Jun 2005 Posts: 4601 Location: Twinsburg, OH

Tiff is a file format, like jpeg, but unlike jpeg it is not a compressed format. In order to keep the file size smaller, jpeg compresses information, and every time you resave the file it compresses some more info, so that soon you have noticeable degradation (at least at 100% - do it enough times and it'll be seen even at smaller view sizes).

I don't know if Olympus Master has the Tiff format as an option or allows converting from Jpeg to Tiff. Poke around in the preferences or other menus to see. In Photoshop you can save a jpeg file as a tiff the first time you open it and then work on it from there.

But even in the Tiff file, drastic adjustments in levels or other areas can cause artifacts and noise. That's why getting the exposure right in the camera is important. A lot of people shoot RAW, since that format allows for more substantial adjustments without degradation, but even RAW has its limits. The best thing is to get the lighting and exposure as close to the desired result as you can when shooting.

bred · Joined: 13 Jan 2008 Posts: 1591 Location: Scotland

I would use a tripod and slow the shutter speed down to get the images better exposed in camera, thus requiring less alteration on the computer which can cause issues with noise. If you find you need to slow the shutter down quite a lot and the dog is no longer sharp due to movement at such speeds then I would suggest maintaining the faster speed but bouncing a flash off the ceiling for some additional light.

rinder99 · Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:13 pm

bred · Joined: 13 Jan 2008 Posts: 1591 Location: Scotland

lol Laurin.

Elaine, see here about TIFF files (it is a file type which you can save as in programs such as Photoshop): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagged_Image_File_Format

Saving as a TIFF is regarded as a lossless to near lossless compression method but saving as TIFF will create some pretty big file sizes.

jeffbanke · Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 6:35 pm

elaineb · Joined: 29 Dec 2008 Posts: 158

elaineb · Joined: 29 Dec 2008 Posts: 158

elaineb · Joined: 29 Dec 2008 Posts: 158

elaineb · Joined: 29 Dec 2008 Posts: 158

Thanks for all your help.

Still hoping for someone who would be able to tell me for the two photos posted, which of noise, artifacts, sharpening are affecting the photo.