How To Deal With Moiré In Your Images

On this video photographer Gavin Hoey takes a look at a known problem called Moiré pattern which is a problem you might encounter when photographing portrait and architecture.

Moiré pattern as Nikon explains it is:

Caused when a fine pattern in the subject (such as the weave in a fabric or very close, parallel lines in architecture) matches the pattern of the imaging chip. When two patterns meet, often a third, new pattern is created. This third pattern is called moiré.

There are a number of ways to avoid this usually unwanted phenomenon and in this video Hoey talks about 3 of them:

Remove the element causing the pattern (for example the shirt with the pattern). This isn’t possible every time though (for example in architectural photography).
Close down the aperture (to about f/11 or slower). This is again not always an option, depending on the lighting conditions, your subject and what you want from the image.
Remove the Moiré (both Lightroom and Photoshop have features which allow you to remove Moiré.

We have looked at how to remove Moiré using Photoshop on a video photographer Mark Wallace a few years back which you are also welcome to check out.

You can check out many more helpful photography tips on ourPhotography tips section and check out some of Gavin Hoey’s other videos here on LensVid.

Iddo Genuth

Iddo Genuth is the founder and chief editor of LensVid.com. He has been a technology reporter working for international publications since the late 1990's and covering photography since 2009. Iddo is also a co-founder of a production company specializing in commercial food and product visual content.