I love street photography. Getting out into the streets, looking for that unique image that captures a moment, tells a story or gives us an insight into the human spirit can be very challenging. Add to that the need to be quick with the camera and you have the makings of a wonderful photographic event. This past weekend we had the good fortune to be in the presence of a knowledgeable and successful NYC photographer, Mr. Steve Hill. Our group received a first class tour of Hell's Kitchen with someone who has a unique insight into the neighborhood and it's many denizens. Along with the tour came a large dose of photography tricks and tips, suggestions and plenty of inspiration.

Back in the film days, high ISO films were notorious for creating a very grainy image. It was the trade off for having enough sensitivity to light to be able to capture low light situations. In today's digital age we have a similar problem called digital noise or image noise . Image noise is something most serious photographers have to take into account when creating a photo. Specially if a paying client is going to be on the receiving end. No one wants a picture that looks grainy with a lot of imperfections. Casual shooters could probably care less though I find many of them worry about it simply because it's mentioned so often everywhere you read.

I recently went on a trip to Mystic Seaport with Pat Cook's group, Beyond the Photo with HDR*. It was a great day for shooting and capturing images for HDR. Of course there were plenty of opportunities for all kinds of photography and this portrait op landed in my lap. I just had to take it. After posting this photo of Mystic Seaport employee, Sam, to the group I was asked by another member regarding the settings used to get this particular look. I thought I'd share and elaborate on my response.