Moire Pattern In Photos

Here is one of my paintings that have this pattern. No matter how I photograph it, the pattern is there.

It appears to be the pattern of the canvas material. Just out of curiosity have you tried having this one or any of the others scanned to see if it also picks up the details of the material.

Yes! It is not the canvas pattern. Canvas pattern is straight up and down as cloth is. These are wavey lines that I get when photographing my paintings. Gets pretty frustrating dragging easles, paintings, tripod and camera outside over and over to get that result again. It does not happen to all of my photos, just my art! Not always but very often. It is not because of the canvas being cheap, I use good canvas....

There is Moire Reduction under the Adjustment Brush in ACR. Have you tried it to remove the moire patterns?

the cloth you use has those lines, which converge to make the patterns. certain slr's will have something that reduces them. the best you can do is scan it in, and hope that when the site resizes the image it won't create new lines.

the canvas material has nothing to do with it. it's the pattern the canvas makes.

---Mike Savad

Mike, my scanner is broken so I photograph my work. I have noticed that if I take photographs in the shade, it reduces the pattern but then I do not get a clear image as I need.

As far as editing programs, all that I have are picasso and Canon. I just thought that perhaps there was a better setting to photograph art that I had not heard about yet!

Kathleen, What is ACR?

Phyllis, ACR is Adobe Camera Raw.

it's partly how you light it. if your side lighting it will push the highlight and the shadows of the texture. if you diffuse the light or get light from both sides it should minimize it. the shade will only push the iso making it noisier.

however looking at the above image, there isn't anything you can do about it. the system shrinks the image and that a pattern will moire. you'll see it more on dark than light. there should be no issues printing it though.

---Mike Savad

Hi Phyllis -
Beautiful painting!
I sometimes see it in mine also especially when my canvas is smaller and I get closer to it to take the shot. I've noticed on mine that when I use the green magnify it's gone. I just checked yours and I don't see it when I magnify it, unless I am missing something?

--Donna Proctor

That is wonderful if it will print without that pattern on it!!! I thought that it would surely show up when it was printed. Thanks all, you have made my day... ;}

Phyllis, I don't know if you prepare your own canvas or they are store brought. if they are store brought, you should apply a couple more coatings of gesso and sand it between coating ( after it dry) which will help to cover the canvas texture.

Phyllis,

Are these behind glass? Have you tried a polarizer? I don't think they are actually a Moire pattern,usually more circular in shape. How are you lighting these pieces?

Rich

Rich, they are not behind glass, just canvas and oil paint. I am photographing them outside, with a tripod. Camera set on portrait and macro. I sometimes use macro, AV, F7 or F8 and iso @ 100 to 125. Either way, I get these lines. Not always, but VERY often. As far as a polarizer, I have no clue what that even is!

Alfred, I do usually buy them already prepared. Sometimes I apply more gesso and sand but usually not. I always prime again with burnt sienna but that is usually it.

Phyllis,

Have you ever seen this before with that lens? Can you try and duplicate this effect, by setting up a dark board,with a bit of sheen,but ideally, should be something other than canvas,like Gator board.

If it shows up,then it's the lens/sensor problem. Then try a polarizer. Are you using a polarizer now,with this copy?

If it doesn't show up,then porbably the canvas and it could be a manufacturing fault,which I've seen on sheets of glass that I used to buy, that had these rows/lines, just like yours, that were there for moving the glass through the process.Small rubber wheels that rolled the glass to another station,so it wouldn't have to be touched by humans. Could be the same thing.

If so, you might try putting on some more dark/black on one side of the painting and see if the lines disappear or get covered up,

Rich

Rich, It seems to happen more with the dark backgrounds but not always. I tried to take new pictures of a few with light backgrounds and the same thing happened. I never as of yet have seen it on a photograph of a bird or landscape, it seems to be only my art. I know that it is not a canvas pattern so I do not understand why this happens. Right after I snapped and uploaded the art photos and saw this pattern, I went outside and snapped several pictures of my roses and the pattern was not there.

it's when the dark background has highlights, it looks like a zebra stripe up close, and when compressed it does funny things, but up close it looked clean and sharp, just odd on the screen. you might be able to write to tech and ask them to recompress the image and maybe get rid of some of the issues.

---Mike Savad

Phyllis -- I ran into the same 'issue' a while back photographing one of my canvas paintings. In the preview/small screen mode the moire was there. Full frame -- full size, no compression -- no moire. I shoot RAW -- so was viewing full size at 6000 pixels x 4000 or so.

I went in to look at your white tiger -- in full resolution preview using the loupe/green outline selector -- also no moire visible.

The moire's only appearing in the compressed preview/smaller size.

Seems it's the reduced view that's causing that illusion.

So, the moral of the story may well be.... Moire no more. ;)




~ Carmen Hathaway

Phyllis,

Yes, as I mentioned, it's needs to be a dark/black board or painted canvas and the same lighting and see if it shows up again,which I think it will.due to some issue with your sensor and then the compressing of the image down.

You won't be able to see it on light backgrounds or images,like flowers, but might be able to re-create it,shooting a dark sky. If it shows up in the dark sky,then it's a sensor issue, if it doesn't, then more of a quality issue with the original capture and then the compression of that "artifact".

I'd be interested to see if you can re-shoot this painting and use a polarizer and then re-upload it and see if the "moire" pattern is gone,

Rich

Rich, Is there a specific polarizer that I should get or are they the same basically? I know nothing about them but sounds like I should get one.

I get that problem with scanned material - and it would print that way.

Phyllis -- I'm curious if the sample I've posted illustrates the problem you're experiencing.

I scan smaller canvas paintings with no moire issues. Go with 300 - 600 + dpi.



~ Carmen Hathaway

Carmen, I see a vague pattern in your work, could possibly be the same problem. I think that it just shows up clearly in the darker as Rich said. Although, it also happens to lighter paintings sometimes. I do not scan my work, need a new scanner or to repair my ancient one! Right now I am using my camera to photograph my paintings.
Here is another one that has the same issue.

My prairie painting is photographed, not a scan. I use both methods -- depending on the project.

I didn't want to post too large an image of the moire -- it is there, for sure.

Here's a better screen shot of the preview and resulting moire.



The moire on your latest New Orleans image post is only visible in compressed/preview.

Going in with the loupe/full resolution preview viewer shows no moire.

I have sold a greeting card of New Orleans Still Life and did not get a message from FAA about issues, hope that when a big one sells it prints clearly.

Phyllis,

Here is some info on Polarizers: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/polarizers.shtml

So you need a circular polarizer for most new cameras.

I looked at a few of your images and didn't see any moire and am wondering if something changed, new canvas supplier,new paints?

Try and find a polarizer to borrow,before you buy one and then it doesn't solve that problem. Your moire pattern still bothers me,since it's different than most and even Carmen's looks more like a what I would consider a moire pattern to look like, your's is very straight and linear,which most moire patterns are more circular,

Rich

Phyllis -- looked at your New Orleans piece -- all that's visible in close up is the canvas weave with white specks where paint skipped. There
is no moire visible in the full size/detailed view. The default image on the page shows striations -- looks like a compression issue with the FAA display.

As a traditional painter I'm familiar with the nature of canvas textures.

One last kick at the can ;)





~ Carmen Hathaway

Now I see it Carmen, that looks exactly like what I am talking about. Sometimes it is horizontal and sometimes on a slant as yours but that is it! I am sorry that you had to go to such measures so I could see and I certainly appreciate that, the old eyes ain't what they used to be! By the way, that is beautiful work.

You're welcome Phyllis -- my pleasure to help out...

Sometimes it can be a simple 'fix' ;)

Thanks for your appreciation re Prairie Tempest -- full resolution view in my Traditional Paintings portfolio

Let's hear it for being able to photograph originals for prints!



~ Carmen Hathaway