Does anyone have an ingenious solution to a problem I keep running into...

Shooting on location, I prefer to use natural light. Tripods are great for rocks and cactus, but don't accommodate moving models well...

Shooting at high ISO helps freeze motion, and give better sharpness, but then you go into the world of noise and noise reduction, which is especially noxious in the shadows, which are especially prominent in some of the smoky dark looks that I am sometimes shooting for.

Of course it's possible to either use a Nikon D3 (I use a Canon 5D), which is well suited for this, or shoot with bounce flashes, etc., but I'm not overly keen on either of those alternatives.

Any suggestions? Muchas Gracias...

Noise Ninja

I have Noise Ninja, as well as several other plugins, and know how best to use the built in chroma and luminance noise reduction features of Adobe Camera Raw (which are better than their reputation).

But I would like to find something better. I get VERY jealous when I see what the old master painters did with exquisite detail and subtlety in their shadows.

But I'm not ready (or able!) to give up photography and become a painter!