I know the picture guru's are going to cringe at the quality of these...

Went out the last night and took some pics...

Here is a sample of the set I took last night between 12-4am.

It's just so discouraging because in the morning I discovered what I got...

For obvious reasons...my shitty camera can't produce the same results as an SLR.

Which someday I'll be able to get.

With that said...I've tried to salvage these in Photoshop CS4.

* Question No. 1

Can anybody please help give me some pointers on a direction to bring out the best in these?

Any plug-ins or filters that can help clean up the "grainy-ness" and gaussian blur effect?

Not sure if it's going to help but I just got Power Retouch Suite 7.5 but haven't used yet.

* Question No. 2

Every time I try and convert a single jpeg to HDR with 3 images (Exp.+1,2 and Exp. -1,-2)

They never come out...I get some weird effects and quality and color are poor.

Like this tunnel shot (No.1)...comes out horrible when I convert to HDR.

Is it because it isn't in RAW because I remember reading you could do it with a jpeg.

I know it's a long-winded question but any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Noah

Originals:

 

P&S? Does it do manual? If so, are you using a tripod? Looking at the exif the shutter speed is long enough for proper exposure.

This is also using the wrong tool for the job, you need a better camera, even it's it's a better P&S.

 

Doesn't do manual from what I know...it's like 7 years old Digi camera.

Yeah...wrong tool for the job.

Just trying to make the most with what I have.

I am using a Kodak tripod with 10 second timer.

 

I really dig the "No Parking" shot. Love the look.

Nikon E4600 eh? Is there a chance your lens is dirty or has some contaminant on the front of it? All the pics look a bit 'hazy'...

 

The last two pics have white balance issues, which you can fix in PP.
The last pic appears to be out of focus.

 

1) all of those shots are going to need a tripod
2) make sure you have a longer shutter and keep the iso down (looks like you have nikon 4600, I'm not sure how much you can adjust)
3) set up the white balance before the shot to get rid of the warm yellowish light on the shot

 

That old! A newer camera $200 or so will take a much better image. That noise that in those images will just about disappear with a newer image and one with manual controls will be SO helpful.

 

No manual controls

 

I love the No parking one...

The color was amazing there...too bad it didn't come out.

I'll check the lens for contaminants.

I tried fixing white balance in PP and I used another free white balance filter.

Very confusing to use but couldn't seem to correct it.

There seemed to be enough light so I am not sure why they came out blurry.

 

reading more about the camera, i'm not sure you are going to have enough controls to get what you want. My guess is you are shooting in the 'night mode' and the camera is jumping up the iso and shutter speed to get enough light and the iso might be messing with the graininess of the photo.

 

White balance is hard to control in a jpeg image

 

Damn...so basically garbage in = garbage out.

Not much I can do to salvage these shots?

My GF has a new Canon SD something Point and Shoot.

Would that have eliminated the "grainy-ness?"

I don't think I can get that tunnel shot again.

That is a very busy area of downtown San Francisco.

 

ISO on those images are 200, but that's a seven year old camera.

 

It will help, it will be a lot better if it has manual controls, what model is it?

 

Damn you shitty camera...

I dream of getting an SLR but don't have the disposable funds.

 

You don't need a SLR right now. A P&S with manual controls is all you need. $300 for a good one.

 

I think it's this one...but not positive.

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/co...&modelid=16347

Guess it has some manual settings built in.

 

these look any better to you?

 

is this the 4600 you have?

http://www.photographyblog.com/news/...4600_unveiled/

 

Yeah I was shooting in night mode.

I don't have enough controls.

My adventure in taking pics of my car has led me on a crazy journey into Photography.

 

Yes they look a lot better...grains in the picture are drastically reduced!!!

Thanks.

How did you do that?



Your edits:





My edits:

 

Yes. That's the little bastard.

At this point...the camera is an embarrassment.

 

Sometimes shooting in what seems to be the appropriate mode is not gonna cut it. You have to experiment with the other modes and see what comes out best. It's going to be hard to see the results on-site (without a computer) but that's what the experimentation is for.

Night modes on P&S's typically bump the ISO to ridiculous levels and that's where you get all that noise. If you want to maximize the results of your camera by enhancing it with tools such as a tripod, then you can use one of the other modes that is lower ISO and get much better results.

As you see above you can also use post-processing to reduce noise.

 

so that was all Adobe Lightroom, i pulled down the exposure, bumped up the blacks and the contrast and also applied some noise reduction. And with the 1st pic I played a little with the white balance, but as jupiter said, white balance changes aren't very easy shooting in jpeg.

you mentioned you had PS CS4, but I'd look into Lightroom for making changes like this.

 

Yeah I noticed the reduced noise.

I got to google what post-screening is.

Is that a technique in Photoshop?

 

Great explanation. Thanks leftride.

I'm going to look into Lightroom.

 

Also...with one jpeg...it's pretty much impossible to convert to HDR.

Is that right?

 

you can get noise ninja for photoshop, i haven't used it much...since lightroom, i dont use photoshop until i need to remove/add something in the image.

 

you're not really going to get any more range just by changing the exposure on a jpeg. best is in camera, second would be with a raw image.

 

Thanks for the suggestion.

I'm going to look into that one too.

 

So that's why they don't come out...

Makes sense.

Too bad I'm in love with those HDR images...

 

i'd step up to a P&S with full manual or even a nikon D40 (which is what I shoot) and you'll have plenty to play with.

but play around with your g/f's camera and see if you can get some better looking shots.

 

Yeah I'm going to look into playing with manual mode.

Better practice for when I get a DSLR.

Probably D40 or Canon from the research I've done.

 

When pictures have blur to them...any suggestions on good plug-ins?

Like the 1st and 4th picture.

I tried using the smart blur...not much success.

Originals:





My edits:

 

Best I could do.. the rest are FUBAR.

 

Looks great. Thanks.

What did you use to white balance and calm down the amber lighting?

Too bad that damn pole was in the way of the shot.

 

now that's what PS is for...clone stamp that thing!

 

Yeah I heard of that...

Never used it before.

 

I have read you can open an image in bridge and mess with it as a RAW file. But I've never tried.

 

Trying to figure out the clone stamp...

Going to look up a tutorial.