Dirt action at night

[Randall Farhy]

One more racing shot, for those who enjoy color :). A couple of hurdles that night action shooters face are low contrast and high noise levels. I've been working on an under painting technique that can enhance sharpness without creating those dreaded halos as well as boost color and contrast. Processed using standard DPP Noise reduction and 2 applications of Topaz; clean and adjust using several blend modes and varying opacities. Definitely not a one size fits all but it shows promise for certain applications. The Bokeh is a combination of out of focus dirt and moisture droplets present at the time of the shot.

Canon 7D ISO 1600 1/250 @F4.

C&C always appreciated.

[Diane Miller]

Wonderful combination of grit and sharpness! I had to smile about the noise -- it has two meanings, I'd bet.

If your technique isn't proprietary, would love to hear about it sometime.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Hi, Randall, I like these tight shots both color and black and white and your technique really does enhance the feel of a racetrack. I really like the bokeh too:S3:

[Anita Bower]

I like the colors and the bokeh. the image has a gritty look. I wish the second car were not there. Keep these coming. They are different from many of the images here.

[gary ellwein]

Randall, I like the vivid color and action. The bokah is a great touch. I,ll second Diane's request for a more detailed discussion.

[Randall Farhy]

Thanks- The general concept involves a base image that's just over the edge in terms of sharpness layered with an image processed primarily for color and contrast. Because of the way topaz can be tweaked to smooth edges, the layering process can be used to "fill in" slight sharpening artifacts. The downside, shown in this version-blacks tend to block up at the edges. Still working on that. I'll try to describe the layering sequence after the weekend. Hope this helps more than confuses.