Pixelated Images

Judy,

In the first image link (logged-in version) you posted, it is showing the image in a landscape format it seems, instead of the portrait format it should be.

I'm seeing a lot of evidence of either HDR or the shadow/highlight tool giving it a painterly feel with some noise or grain associated with it via the green box on the FAA version. My silly computer won't give me the green box on the AW side.

Shoot. Greg is right. And it's disorting everything as a result. Even odder, when you click to see the prices, it only gives you half or less of the image.

Funny thing is that it was not like that originally,,,I was checking something else and that image just jumped out at me,,,,Now that I look closer it appears to be a duplicate image...I am going to delete the pixelated one,,I have no idea how this happened, Thanks for your responses!


UPDATE.. Here is the other duplicate image, I think this one is ok,,,

this one is too noisy. i couldn't see the artist version, but i can't imagine it looking different. this site tends to sharpen the previews a little. so if it was a little noisy, its much more now, you can see it in the palm leaves.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Those are two different images

I realize they are two different images but even so the one I deleted was not pixelated in the beginning, Mike, what you are calling noise, I call definition...Is there a difference?

my definition of noise is that sky.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

...and what you call noisy I call colorful...goes to show,,,,,different stokes for different folks,

I think it does not matter what Judy or Mike call it, but it matters what quality control will call it if it gets ordered IMHO, will it print?

True... Here is my definition of noisy http://fineartamerica.com/featured/steampunk-nautilus-coming-out-of-your-shell-mike-savad.html

From http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/N/noise.html

(3) In digital images and digital photography the term noise is used to describe the occurrence of color dots or specks where there should be none. For example, in a digital image of a pool of blue water, you may notice white, grey or other colored specks in the image where it should be blue. In scanning technology, image noise is usually referred to as grain or film grain.

The link to Mike's image is more the definition of not noisy. Sebastian is right though and I would add what the prospective buyer wants. I stand by my first post in response to the OP.

..

what i'm saying is, it probably won't print. the nautilus had no noise

noise has the look of 80 grit sand paper, and is often rainbow. your image, the sky is noisy. they won't print it. its a camera artifact issue. but in any case needs to be blurred in. if it was on wood or stone, they would probably OK it. but for blank skies they are picky.

and if your wondering where the noise came from - did you push the shadow detail at any time? because there is a lot of noise there as well.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

busy is the word you want not noise. noise is a technical term.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_noise


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Joseph, I suppose I knew the technical term for "noise: as it relates to dpi etc,,,but I also think it can relate visually as well,, There are different aspects to noise...Noise can refer to over stimulation of an image...or any element(s) within an image that may tend to overpower it?! I have been experimenting with post editing,,,I guess I need to get back to the drawing board! Es many times I go to photograph and its overcast,hazy or downright drabby out, The photo is going to reflect that,,,that is why I enjoy post editing, It can help nature along and allow a more colorful reality, I didn't mean to "slam" Mike,,,I am a big fan of his and always enjoy his critiques...I just sometimes think a image can not be "noisy" but be busy which to me is about the same!

Mike, I am just now seeing your posts,,,I really don't have that trained eye for noise, obviously,,,I try to zoom in on an image,,,I am using IPHOTO and editing it in that manner, I am not using any other techniques, I am going to get the original image from the camera and upload it again and start over, I kinda like the composition,I do tend to get "carried away!

if the image is dark, don't push the shadows, or you'll get that noise. small cameras make noise, they do weird things with compression as well. always look at it at a 100% (don't fill the screen with the full size, get up close and look at it tightly).

busy typically means more than one object of attention. there is a lot going on in my image but its all on theme. noise is noise.

if you have a dull outside, post won't help much.


overall busy images will print, noisy ones won't. a sky should be a nice smooth color, it shouldn't have dots.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Thanks Mike..I honestly can't spot the dots no matter how I look at it. Yes I did lighten the dark areas that was in the shade..when I use the magnifying tool on faa..the details look crystal clear to me.. also there is a a de-noise function on iPhoto..when I use the slider far right and far left our makes no impact..I assumed it meant there was no noise. I really appreciate and respect your feedback..not what I want to hear but...

The noise is quite apparent in the sky. It is also throughout the image. It is noisey enough to degrade the image. Blue skies are the easiest place to detect noise and it gives an unnatural look. The sky is also the easiest place to use noise control. I denoise all my blue skies even if the noise is almost undetectable.
If the image has a lot of detail the detail is lose if you use a denoiser. As to whether or not it would print I can't tell you. But if it did that does not make it any less noisy. I personally would re-shoot this location.

When using a denoiser view at 100%. Use 200% if you are not used to seeing noise. Allow time for the program to work to see the change. I apply it selectively. The easiest way is to brush it on to a mask heavy on the sky and less on the other areas. Areas that should look smooth should not look like you spilled pepper or salt on them. Detailed area do not tolerate noise reduction well if having the detail is important.

I checked the image again and slid the de-noiser again with the magnification at 100% and I did notice it looked clearer..I will upload it again tomorrow and repost for feedback.I have the original photo on the memory card..if necessary I will start over .I think initially I edited this when I had my other pc them edited again with iPhoto..overkill..I really like the appeal..too bad a little noise gets in the way .ps..My editing software does not allow for selective de-noising..it's slide right or left..I have not invested in aperture software yet.

then there is an issue with your screen, maybe the resolution is wrong and its smoothing the look of it all. if you click the box here you can see it as well.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Mike..I hit submit and now see your post..My monitor is brand new.its the Apple imac..I sometimes think monitor s tend to glamorize photos ..rather than giving a realistic image

it may be that your brightness and contrast are set to high. they want the images to pop. but in reality it washes away detail. so you may over process things. where the shadows might be ok, on that screen where it's pushing the blacks making the darker, you might be increasing that. get a calibrator, it should fix the contrast. unless there is a setting to turn off the fancy mode.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

I have no idea how to adjust the brightness of the monitor..I'll investigate it tomorrow..I have noticed that occasionally when I am on the pc it will suddenly get brighter..could be related to electrical surges.(?) I just know that every device I look at the images look different.. somehow images that are in an editing program such as iPhoto should be displayed as naturally as possible..to enable
Accurate editing,

i would advise, but mac makes things too foo foo friendly to be of any real use. it's probably hidden in a menu some place.

you should get a back up UPS with surge protect - that kind of voltage will totally fry your machine. i think i lost a power supply and a video card like that. i use a cyberpower 1500. it cleans the power - it won't fix your noise issue, but it could save your machine.

the most important thing is to make sure the monitor is set right and your seeing what we are seeing. that link i sent that goes to wiki, they show a noise example, can you see the noise in that? i wonder if mac has some kind of built in noise remover to make the images look nicer on the screen.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Some monitors will adjust automatically to the ambient light. Mine does sometimes. I just let it do its thing. Ideally you would be using a calibrated monitor and the light would always be the same. But in reality who wants to work in artificial light. Yes different devices will look different. Somehow i think a new imac will be pretty close to correct color calibration. I know my ipad is horrible, but that is a known fault. My laptop is not calibrated and the colors look off there. Once you figure out how to adjust your monitor there are free images online to use to adjust brightness.

If you increase the contrast temporarily it may help to see the noise. Or darken it a little. That also brings out sensor spots in the sky, which is something else you have to check for on all images with a sky.

I sure hope they don't..that would be really dumb...the last thing anyone needs is altered reality when editing photos..I saw the noise in the wiki link..it's good to know that I have my original unprocessed photos on the memory card..My next trip to south beach will be a totally different geo location.I want to shoot raw but still struggle understanding why it's better to post edit from raw than from intelligent auto for example..seems to me you have a better starting point..so much to learn so little time

You can shoot in auto modes and still shoot raw format. Raw allows you to change the white balance after the fact and also allows you more room to adjust light and dark, without degrading the image.

Judy, on the iMac the F1 and F2 keys (at the top of your keyboard next to the esc key in the top LH corner) control the brightness of your screen. I use them every day as it is very sunny in the lounge in the morning and gradually gets darker during the day. Sometimes I might also increase it a little when I'm on iPhoto. At some stage I checked and my iMac was correctly colour calibrated.

my tv has a noise cleanup algorithm built in, so your screen might have the same. maybe it's in a theater mode and that's why its doing it.

raw gives you total control. it will look the same or worse than a jpg. but it won't compress it, and add it's own contrast and sharpening and you get way more range in shadow and highlight. i only shoot raw. my jpgs are overly cleaned to the point of being blurry. even if you don't edit now, always shoot in raw for the future.

shooting in raw i saved skies that looked white on the screen. and got detail from the shadow. it has more color information depending on your camera.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Margaret, thx for advising about the screen function keyes, Just hope my eyesight is calibrated, I think I would rather the pc adjust it automatically and maintain a certain equilibrium! I had no idea you could shoot raw in auto mode. Not sure if my particular camera is equipped for this . On cnet the reviews were very hight on this camera,(RX100M2),,but it did state that while the camera will shoot raw it doesnt warrant it. I will try to find that thread and will post it and hopefully someone will understand better than I, Cnet didnt give a great explanation, That is one reason I have not used it, Dumb question but here goes..when shooting raw format...do you just go to the camera and put it in that format and shoot.,,, or do you need to put it in raw format and adjust the settings as usual , either auto, auto intelligent ,smart intelligent , manual etc?

I found that post from cnet" You don't gain much by shooting raw except perhaps retaining a little more detail in the midrange sensitivities and the ability to bring back shadow detail without too much noise. ???

you can gain a lot by using raw, but it probably depends on the camera. jpg are 8bit. i think my camera does 14bit, its like billions of shades of color per pixel. it has a greater range, and more flexibility. and it shouldn't have anything applied to it, like a noise filter. the best thing you can do is try.

the camera, if it has raw, has to be set up in the menu. it will ask - jpg or raw? and then its set. the functions on the top wheel doesn't have a connection with the raw. auto, p, etc is just a mode the camera is in. raw is the format. the image will be larger and the extension is usually proprietary to the camera. you can't just go ahead and post it, you'll have to edit the image before hand.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Thanks for clarifying. I pretty knew how to go to the function to set the camera,,,I was just unsure about any other settings that would have been used in conjunction with that format,
Well, I just uploaded that photo again after adjusting the noise...On the pc it appeared smoother ...just hope that in the process of adjusting noise I didn't throw off other settings. Here is the link ...If you actually check the image on my site in the artistwebsite, not sure if the new image will prevail. Seems like I recall that it takes 24 hours for the new image to appear? or maybe you will need to refresh the browser etc, 'If this fails will try to locate the original photo from my memory card and start over..

yeah the sky is clean now. the close up seems hyper smooth now, it seems to have lost some detail, but it will print now.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Hot dog. I have never really edited at 100 percent magnification,,, Makes a big difference especially as it relates to noise, and the other finite adjustments. Thank you and everyone for the guidance!