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Photo Forum / Photo Technique / People Photography / September 2003

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Why are my pics so grainy?

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Jasuhn - 17 Aug 2003 20:20 GMT
I've been trying to do a lot of concert photography lately. I use a Nikon
N65 with a Sigma 28-80mm lense with 800 film. A lot of my phots turn out
very grainy. I use either 1/30 or 1/60 shutter speed, and 5.6 f-stop. I try
to only shoot when there's good light on stage / the subjects.
If anyone has any advise, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks,
            Jason
stan - 17 Aug 2003 22:40 GMT
The film would be my first guess. What brand is it?
Stan
Visual Arts Photography

> I've been trying to do a lot of concert photography lately. I use a Nikon
> N65 with a Sigma 28-80mm lense with 800 film. A lot of my phots turn out
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Thanks,
>              Jason
Jasuhn - 18 Aug 2003 01:45 GMT
Kodak Max 800.

The best things I've heard so far is:
Slower film and Push processing in the development.

I've also heard to overdevelop the film, but I'm not sure what that does.

Thanks,
JASON

> The film would be my first guess. What brand is it?
> Stan
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> > Thanks,
> >              Jason
Rusty Wright - 19 Aug 2003 00:47 GMT
Are you looking at the developed negatives or the prints?  If you're
looking at the prints then how do the negatives look?  Perhaps they're
underexposed and the lab is having to use long exposures to make the
prints.  Underexposed negatives make grainy prints.

Also, what is the camera's meter telling you when you take the shots?
zeitgeist - 20 Aug 2003 05:53 GMT
Under exposure reveals grain.  from your suggested exposure info and vague
experience I'd say you are underexposing three stops.

secondly, I'll bet you are sending the film to a consumer lab (and the film
drop at the 'professional camera store does not count as a pro lab, sorry)
and they typically average the exposure of the neg, now most concert images
have a few small areas of subject brightly lighted surrounded by a lot of
black nothing.  well the lab's auto printer is printing to get that black
into a medium gray and since there is nothing but film base there you get
all that hidden grain.

choose a couple images that have promise and pay for a reprint asking them
to print them darker and see if that helps.

while the stage seems brightly lighted, don't forget that you are surrounded
by dark, the stage is really about as bright as a typical office, that would
get you 1/15th at f/2 typically at iso 400. (IIRC)     see if you can get
close to the stage and zoom in on something well lighted, then lock that
expo in.   find a mezzinine view and brace your camera on a rail with a
small sand/bean bag.

> I've been trying to do a lot of concert photography lately. I use a Nikon
> N65 with a Sigma 28-80mm lense with 800 film. A lot of my phots turn out
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Thanks,
>              Jason
Espen Stranger Seland - 20 Aug 2003 08:53 GMT
Jason:
>> I've been trying to do a lot of concert photography lately. I use a Nikon
>> N65 with a Sigma 28-80mm lense with 800 film. A lot of my phots turn out
>> very grainy. I use either 1/30 or 1/60 shutter speed, and 5.6 f-stop. I
> try
>> to only shoot when there's good light on stage / the subjects.
>> If anyone has any advise, I'd really appreciate it.

20. Aug 2003 06.53 -- zeitgeist:
(zip)
> while the stage seems brightly lighted, don't forget that you are surrounded
> by dark, the stage is really about as bright as a typical office, that would
> get you 1/15th at f/2 typically at iso 400. (IIRC)     see if you can get
> close to the stage and zoom in on something well lighted, then lock that
> expo in.   find a mezzinine view and brace your camera on a rail with a
> small sand/bean bag.

Jason,
I would also recommend to use center-weighted metering instead of the
Matrix (I know you don't have a spot meter). Use the meter around a
persons face, and use the auto exposure lock (AE-L).

-espen

Signature

All generalisering er farlig.

John - 03 Sep 2003 06:17 GMT
>Under exposure reveals grain.

    Because the spaces between grains are larger.

Regards

  John S. Douglas, Photographer
    http://www.darkroompro.com
M - 23 Aug 2003 04:33 GMT
> I've been trying to do a lot of concert photography lately. I use a Nikon
> N65 with a Sigma 28-80mm lense with 800 film. A lot of my phots turn out
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Thanks,
>              Jason

use npz 800 film, use 1/60 or faster and buy a real (nikon, canon etc) 2.8
lens.

cocnerts can be tricky, you might as well start out with the right equipment
and film.
Espen Stranger Seland - 26 Aug 2003 11:50 GMT
23. Aug 2003 05.33 -- M:

>> I've been trying to do a lot of concert photography lately. I use a Nikon
>> N65 with a Sigma 28-80mm lense with 800 film. A lot of my phots turn out
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> cocnerts can be tricky, you might as well start out with the right equipment
> and film.

And with a 1.4 or 1.8 lens, you could get by with 400 or only 100 ASA.
But then depth of view could be another problem - but the focus should
be the same place were you spot meter: Right in the face! :-)

-espen

Signature

All generalisering er farlig.

 
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