Whether you are a seasoned photographer, an enthusiast, or a regular user, grainy photos can be an annoyance from time to time.
The common question that we all have is – Why do my pictures look grainy?
But, what is a grainy picture? Grain or noise is a type of image distortion that makes an image look pixelated. A poorly lit subject or incorrect camera settings usually result in grainy images. Sometimes, even a good-quality photo becomes grainy with small dots when zoomed in.
Many new photographers find it challenging to fix grainy photos. This detailed guide helps you learn about the different reasons why your photos become grainy and how you can fix them.
Why do my Pictures Look Grainy?
You might wonder at times that even after having a good DSLR, SLR, or smartphone with the latest optics, your photos look grainy or pixelated. There can be one or more reasons that result in this. Let’s look at some of the common reasons behind the grainy pictures:
- Low light condition – In the absence of proper lighting, you end up clicking grainy pictures. This is due to insufficient light sources & reflective surfaces, poorly lit subjects, or a sudden burst of flash.
- Incorrect ISO Settings – ISO is the camera’s sensitivity to light. The higher the ISO number, the more sensitive the camera sensor will be to light and vice-versa. A higher ISO is often required when shooting in low light or at night. Similarly, a lower ISO number can result in photos being underexposed, which can again result in grainy photos.
- Camera with a small sensor – If tweaking the ISO settings didn’t resolve the grainy photo problem, this means your camera has a small sensor. A smaller camera sensor is not sensitive enough to capture pictures in low light conditions. This is usually the case with point-and-shoot cameras, low-end DSLRs, and smartphone cameras. Hence, if you are looking to click photos in low light, opt for a camera with a full-frame sensor.
How to Fix Grainy Photos?
Coming back to fixing grainy photos, there are several ways to help you fix this issue. Using advanced photo editing software, web plugins, or expert photo repair tools are some of the ways to help you make your grainy photos look better.
Method 1: Repair Grainy Photos using Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is one of the most popular photo editing software that can also help you fix grainy pictures to some extent. Although complete noise removal might not be achievable, the built-in Noise Filter feature can help you reduce the noise in the pictures to a certain degree. Here are the steps to use the Noise Filter in Photoshop –
- Launch Adobe Photoshop on your PC/Mac.
- Open your grainy photo in Photoshop.
- On the top bar, click on Filter > Noise > Reduce Noise.
- In the Reduce Noise window, adjust the three sliders – Strength, Reduce Color Noise, and Sharpen Details until you obtain the required image quality.
- You can view the outcome in the Preview box on the right side by checking the Remove JPEG Artifact box.
- Once you are satisfied with the results, click OK and save the edited image.
Method 2: Fix Grainy Photos with Lightroom
Adobe Lightroom is a photo management and editing tool that is mainly used for creating presets and a database of photo edits. However, it also contains some photo manipulation tools for basic photo editing. You can fix grainy photos using this software’s Photo Noise Reduction feature. Here are the steps to do it:
- Launch Adobe Lightroom Classic on your PC/Mac.
- Click on Import to open the grainy image in Lightroom Classic.
- Select the grainy image and click Import.
- Go to the Develop module of Lightroom.
- On the left pane under Noise Reduction, you will see Luminescence and Color.
- Start with Luminescence and adjust the given noise reduction bars – Detail and Contrast, until your grainy image is corrected. Similarly, adjust the sliders and preview the changes on the right pane.
- Once done, save the edited photo by clicking on Export.
Method 3: Use Plugins to Remove Grains in Photos
If you are already using a photo editing application, you can purchase supported plugins for noise reduction. Plugins offer advanced algorithms that can significantly reduce noise and fix grainy photos. Some commonly used plugins are Noise Reducer Pro, Noise Ninja, Neat Image, etc.
If nothing works, and the image still appears grainy, there might be an issue with either the image container or image metadata. In such a scenario, only a dedicated photo repair software can help. See method 4.
Method 4: Repair Grainy Photos with a Photo Repair Software
A powerful photo repair software like Stellar Repair for Photo can help you fix grainy, distorted, split, or blurred photos by repairing the corrupted image container or its metadata. Irrespective of the image file type, this software can also repair completely unreadable image files with corrupt headers and invalid file structures.
Here is how you can use this software to fix grainy photos –
- Download and install Stellar Repair for Photo on your PC/Mac.
- Launch it.
- Click on Add Files to load corrupted images into the software.
- Once the images are repaired, select the files to Preview them.
- If you are satisfied, click on Save repaired Files and follow the on-screen instructions to save the repaired image files at the desired location.
Tips to Prevent Grainy Photos While Shooting
Although there are several software available to help you fix grains and other image distortions, it will be much easier to avoid unwanted noise in your images by following the tips given below–
1. Use Appropriate Camera Settings
As mentioned earlier, ISO settings in cameras help adjust the amount of light entering the lens (the sensitivity of the sensor). Hence, it’s recommended to keep the ISO as close to 100 as possible. But when you are shooting indoors, set your camera to a higher ISO. In this case, you should change the aperture first, followed by shutter speed (maximum 1/60 without a tripod or wall). This will compensate for a high ISO value. Also, change the exposure according to the settings.
2. Get Artificial Lights and Reflectors
If you find yourself in a low-light setting, using artificial lights, flashlights, and reflectors can help bring out the details of the subject and reduce grain and other types of noise in your photos.
3. Turn off the Noise Reduction
Many new digital cameras have a built-in noise reduction feature that assists in eliminating grains and other noises from the photographs without having to edit them. Each camera has its own method of enabling noise reduction.
We recommend using either a low or medium level of noise reduction. Setting it too high may distort the details in your images. However, this function only works with JPEG photos.
4. Shoot in RAW instead of JPEG
It will be better if you altogether switch off the noise reduction in cameras and utilize the RAW file format. Having the main file in RAW format preserves the details and makes the image more editable.
Still confused? Read our blog on – Which is better, RAW or JPEG?
EndNote
While using tools such as Photoshop and Lightroom, you need to experiment and intelligently play with the settings to remove grains and obtain an acceptable picture quality. Therefore, if you are already using photo editing tools, adding plugins can also help improve the grainy photos.
But, if you are looking to repair some old, corrupt pictures that are grainy or blurred, then an advanced photo repair software like Stellar Repair for Photo can help you repair them in no time.
You may also like to know – How to fix grainy videos?
FAQ
Q. How to stop a photo from being grainy?
A. Make sure that there is ample light while shooting a subject. Use reflective surfaces and appropriate camera settings to ensure sharp images with fewer details.
Q. Are RAW images sharper than JPEG images?
A. RAW images are not as sharp as JPEG images right out of the camera. But, they are very detailed, and hence, can be edited to bring out details and sharpness.
Q. What are the reasons behind photo corruption?
A. Malware, improper file handling, unsupported file formats, and more can lead to photo corruption.
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