Shot yesterday: ginger

[ginger_55]

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/gallery/737956/1/32478532

I am currently working on some bird photos I took yesterday august 16th at Magnolia Gardens with my 300 Prime lens, plus 1 1/4 extender. These are the ones worked up so far. Some are better than others, I am kind of working backwards in that these were towards the end of the shoot, around 6:30 (I was out of water). They are at 800 ISO in order to keep the shutter speed up.

I am trading my 300 for a 400 so I wanted to just go out and shoot. Comments are welcome, even bad ones, especially constructive as to how to improve the post work in CS. They were shot in RAW.

The first is what I would consider the best. It is an Ibis, and I don't usually like, or shoot Ibis (es), but I do like this one.

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/32478541-L.jpg


This next one is either a young Little Blue Heron (my best guess) or a snowy. I have been thinking these are snowys, but with the light beak, no yellow feet seen, even when I see the feet, I was wondering. Then I read that LBHs when young are white and often confused with Snowys. I think that is what this is.

I also think it is too dark, the bird is, I mean. I was trying to keep away from blowing it at all, but it looks a bit grey to me. If I play with it I run the risk of blowing certain areas. What do you all think? I read a thread this morning on this subject, I would be inclined to lighten it, but am curious as to others thoughts.

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/32478520-L.jpg


Next is a more mature Little Blue Heron. As a photograph, I think it is just alright. It is cropped more than most. I do not usually crop my photographs, but the trees bothered me. Maybe I should just toss this one. I kind of liked the color on the bird.

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/32478575-L.jpg


This next shot is blurry, but I did the post on it, as I liked the motion and the feather detail. Did it work? I took a chance as the eye of the bird appeared to be less blurred than the grass, say, and I thought I might have showed the motion as I wanted. I called it, The Landing.

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/32478527-L.jpg


Just walking past I noticed a "bunch" of ducks resting on an aligator "bed". I "snapped" the photo as a silhouette. I worked it up in black and white. I am not proficient at working things up in black and white. I used the channel mixer and selective color with a hint of black? Suggestions on the blk white workup? I think I used curves a bit, etc. Anything I work up in blk/white, I try to get the color right first, there was not a lot of color to work with here, and the sun made for contrast on the water.

http://gingerSnap.smugmug.com/photos/32503081-L.jpg


There is no reason you would need to comment on each of these photos, unless you want to. I am just trying to follow a suggestion I saw last night.
On the second to the last photo, I think I would burn in the grass at the bottom if I were to do it over: just want to mention what I do see myself.

Thank you for looking,

ginger

[Harryb]

Hey Ginger,

The ibis shot is very good. :clap The B&W conversion on the ducks is effective. That bird is a juvenile Blue Heron. They are white and will usually begin moltong into adult plummage in their first spring.

[ginger_55]

Thank you, Harry

Also for the info on the blue heron. You mean a Little Blue, don't you? As opposed to a great blue?

Thanks again for the look see and the response,

ginger

[johno]

I G... Long time no write. Of course you know I have been out of town.

I like the pics... Numero Uno of course. The "blue" is quite grainy. What would it look like if you made it a duotone with black and blue highlighs? Might be fun to try.

And the ducks. The only thing that distracts me is the the duck fourth from the top. There is a little black spot on its eye... It really distracts me. Like a flaw of some kind. Anyhow, I like the b/w grain effect.

The bird in motion is nice... Its good to see that these birds are alive. However, I think the angle of the shot could be better... To shoot the bird from the front and not the back. Of course that is something you have no control over. Just wait and hope...

Well, it's good to be back.

peace.
johno~

[Osprey Whisperer]

Hi Ginger. Some tough shooting conditions by the looks/sounds of it. There is a good bit of effects from the ISO 800...and perhaps AF issues? Did you use the AF on your camera? Low light situations seems to give the 20D some trouble at times (that is what you use..correct?..me to).

I know this camera has a usable ISO of 800/1600..and some cases 3200..but I try and stay at ISO 400 if I can. Sure..sometimes this is impossible..but I'll at least try some at the 400 speed..and lower shutter speed just a bit..and pan ..bracing the camera firmly with both arms..against my chest..and pan at the waits. It works sometimes. :D I really try and avoid the higher ISO..too much noise/grain.etc. I think you are seeing the effects with these images.
I am not sure exactly how I'd go about improving these in PP/PS..but it seems they need some more "pop" ..and contrast?? They look a bit soft/fuzzy/washed out to me. I like the Ibis...and think that's probably the best? It's always subjective as you know. Nice effort on them all. Look forward to seeing the rest of them.

Curious what 300mm lens you have..and what you will trade it for? Is it a CAnon? "L" glass? What's the aperture on it? **being nozzzzy**

Nice job

BMP

[johno]

Don't kill me!

This is the first time I have ever tried to take someones pic and messed with it in ps. Ginger, I hope you know me well enough to know I was trying some fun stuff. So here it is.

http://johno.smugmug.com/photos/32494757-L.jpg

I know it's less of a photo and more ps fun.

However, if you notice, I cropped the pic and blurred the background and took out some of the "distracting" shades of the background with the stamp tool.

anyhow, it was fun. Hope you don't mind.

peace.
johno~

[ginger_55]

I love it, Johno!

I have never used the stamp tool. And how did you get it all blue?

I didn't really like that shot that well, actually am kind of sick of all the little blues all over, but just had that marked to work up, so work horse that I am, I did. And put it on here.

But you made it into art??

I wish you would kind of give complete instructions, I can crop it to your specifications, but that is about all??? Did you do a duotone? I have CS, but have never successfully done a duotone???

I have other photos to work on, if and when I get to them. I think I got a good night heron and a so/so green heron. I was specifically looking for those birds, shot others while looking. I had gone off down the rd to try to find some, left my backpack by the side of the rd, no one comes there. Except a tour bus did, picked up my backpack, and I had to walk about a mile to get it. Scared the beejeesus out of me. All I had still was my camera with the 300 and TC on it.

It is a 300L Canon, the one I am trading. I kept thinking that at least I could still trade.............but my billfold, my cell and all my other stuff were in the backpack, along with all my camera stuff, lenses, cards, et al.

So, what did I do while walking, I chimped some stuff off as I saw a Night Heron, got his photo.................walked my mile or so, found my backpack on the tour thing, walked back. It was after that I took these.

I didn't see the focus problems here, looked clear to me??? Perhaps too little contrast. Bird man, I never have the kind of focus sharpness you do, I think it is a post thing. I am afraid of over sharpening...........I may under sharpen.

Yes, it would be nice to be able to walk around say the bird in flight. He was already halfway to nowhere, spooked and went to nowhere. The way the place is set up, the birds do have areas where they can feel totally safe as no one can get to them. So..........yes, out of my control there.

After walking to the main area, then back, then opposite to my car, well, I was wiped last night to the extreme, and I did run out of water. If I had had water I would have stayed later. Actually the light wasn't that bad, but I was watching the shutter speed, and I was mostly photographing dark things. The night heron, the blue heron, the green heron. Then if I forgot to change the EC, I chimped off all of the white birds. I had enough sense to adjust for the dark birds half way through the green heron, or night heron, but not enough sense to adjust much for the white birds, I had not gone to shoot them. I kept forgetting. I even used the flash as fill a bit on the night heron. Will be curious.

The Ibis was towards the beginning, I think. I do like it myself, but don't usually like those birds. I like that perch. And I like the feather detail.

ginger

thanks for looking
and commenting,

and fixing that shot, Johno..
I love it, but it needs to be big enough, so
I probably need to do it, unless you used the original.

[johno]

OK... I didn't save the history on this but I will try to remember what I did only a few hours ago... :D

I thought I would make the shot a duotone... However, The shot didn't look right to me... Sooooo, here is what I tried.

PS
Step 1
Image/Adjustments/Variations
Darkend the Image/More Blue/ More Green/ More Red
(I did this until I got the look I wanted. Sorry, you will have to play with this yourself)
Step 2
Blur tool on tool pallet and blurred entire background
(You will notice the Blue really begins to stand out)
Step 3
Sharpen tool on the tool pallet and sharpen the eye only
(just enough to make it pop a bit)
Step 4
Stamp Tool Stamp a point and bring even out the background
(I took out the dark spot center right and used the right center background area for the stamp and brought it all the way down to the tree bottom... I repeated the step and used the center background - between the birds legs- and brought it down the the tree, and the same for the left center background... You may also notice I took the stamp tool and went up the right side a bit too)
Step 5
Filter/Diffuse Glow
(You might be careful here and not over do it... Just a bit of grain and adjust the glow until you like what you see)

I think that's it.
Let me know.

peace.
johno~

[ginger_55]

Thanks, Johno, I appreciate your writing all of that out.

I just put a hot dog in to cook, before that I looked at the silhouette of the ducks on CS.

I could barely see that 4th duck, I certainly couldn't see a dark spot. You must have one heck of a monitor! Mine is turned all the way up.

I used levels to lighten it, saw the spot. Sat and thought a minute as to how to get rid of a spot I couldn't see on the photo. By enlarging that part a whole bunch, I found it, got rid of it, found one more on the first duck I think it was.

I have dust on my sensor. No money can go out of this house, for say sensor cleaning stuff, until I find out how much to send that lens. Then there is a list of priorities. I would guess that it was dust, so if you see more, please let me know. You have to have a heck of a monitor, mine is a 17", about 3yrs old, from Dell, and it is turned all the way up.

Thanks again, I will work on it. I do want to see that night heron, too. The green heron is very grainy................hope neat ninja works. and the bird is hiding in grass.

The birds were fewer last night. Just as the sun goes down, they come flying in in huge flocks. I have not been able to get the effect. I was going to stay last night and try the 70-200 lens. (Scary as it is out there as night comes on, and walking back is scarier) But not without water.

ginger