Pick This One Apart

[GREAPER]

This is a bird I shot yesterday along with the rest. I have done some heavy PS work (a weak spot) to it. Tell me whats wrong with it.

http://dehmphoto.smugmug.com/photos/15037340-L.jpg

[Sam]

This is a bird I shot yesterday along with the rest. I have done some heavy PS work (a weak spot) to it. Tell me whats wrong with it.

http://dehmphoto.smugmug.com/photos/15037340-L.jpgThe eyes are all black. There is a shinny spot on the nose. She is wearing feathers, maybe from an endangered species. Very artificial pose. The bacground is all blurry. The feet are cut off. :D

Other than that, it's a great shot!

Sam

[pathfinder]

The eyes are all black. There is a shinny spot on the nose. She is wearing feathers, maybe from an endangered species. Very artificial pose. The bacground is all blurry. The feet are cut off. :D

Other than that, it's a great shot!

Sam

Sam - you devil. Tell us what you really think. :rofl :rofl :rofl

I think it is very nice Greaper. I would like to see a little more detail in the eyes if possible. The tonality is very nice and the image seems crisp. Nice work. I don't mind that you did not include his feet.

What distance were you shooting from?

[wxwax]

I think it's excellent in every way save one. It may be my eyes, but it looks just a touch soft. :dunno

[GREAPER]

Sam - you devil. Tell us what you really think. :rofl :rofl :rofl

I think it is very nice Greaper. I would like to see a little more detail in the eyes if possible. The tonality is very nice and the image seems crisp. Nice work. I don't mind that you did not include his feet.

What distance were you shooting from?


18 inches....

[GREAPER]

I think it's excellent in every way save one. It may be my eyes, but it looks just a touch soft. :dunno

Hmmm, maybe a touch, the DOF was pretty shallow on the Layer the bird is on. I think the sharpest focus in on the right (his left) eye. It may need a bit of sharpening.

Can you tell the background has been changed?

[wxwax]

Now that you mention it, the light on the bird is different than the light on the background. When I first saw the shot I was vaguely aware that the bg was somehow distracting, and I thought perhaps it was because it was too busy, but since it was nicely soft, I dismissed the thought. Maybe it was the lighting that I was responding to. :dunno But you've done a nice job, I don't think it's an issue.

[Nir]

Tell me whats wrong with it.


What's wrong with it? Are you kidding? Fantastic!

[pathfinder]

Can you tell the background has been changed?

I had not noticed until you asked. The light on the bird is from the left with shadows on the right. The shadows on the grass are on the left for some strands and on the right for the others - the sun was overhead for the grass perhaps?
The selection of the bird and the border between the bird and background seem very well done to my appraisal. Nicely done.
Shooting from 18 inches - what a treat!!! I've been shooting from 30 feet and overcast most days. Did you have sun in Ohio yesterday too?

[fish]

I think it's a great image. The only downside is that you cut off the poor bird's feet.

[LouBuonomo]

Brian,

Nice job.. I would like some more fill and the feet but he was on a glove I imagine. I would have probably gone for a 3/4 crop.

Colors are wonderful

Lou

[GREAPER]

Well, Here's what I started with...

Shot indoors, bird perched on the finger of a handler, white glossy wall behind, from 18" 80mm lens.

http://dehmphoto.smugmug.com/photos/15059262-L.jpg

I selected the bird out of this background and went looking for a background in my files.

I tried a couple I didn't like before I found this one.

http://dehmphoto.smugmug.com/photos/15059264-L.jpg

I thought the colors complimented the bird and looked like an environment where you might find him.

I pasted in the background and blurred it a good bit.

Then I did some erasing and blurring to clean up the edge of the selection.

I thought the original bird shot was a throw away. I think it looks alright like this, I dunno.

[pathfinder]

Well, Here's what I started with...

Shot indoors, bird perched on the finger of a handler, white glossy wall behind, from 18" 80mm lens.

http://dehmphoto.smugmug.com/photos/15059262-S.jpg

I selected the bird out of this background and went looking for a background in my files.

I tried a couple I didn't like before I found this one.

http://dehmphoto.smugmug.com/photos/15059264-S.jpg

I thought the colors complimented the bird and looked like an environment where you might find him.

I pasted in the background and blurred it a good bit.

Then I did some erasing and blurring to clean up the edge of the selection.

I thought the original bird shot was a throw away. I think it looks alright like this, I dunno.


Very interesting Greaps. I like the image you finished with.

One thing I do notice is that you seem to have less detail in the birds left eye in the final image and seem to have more in the original. I think you may have used an S-shaped curve to increase the contrast on the mid tones in the bird, and in doing so lost some contrast in the darker tones in the birds eye. I think that some of the eye detail could be painted back in with the art history brush. Or you could have deslected the eyes before writing the Levels curve. Just a guess.

I think this has been a very educational thread. Thank you. Shooting from 18 Inches WoW!! Is this place open to the public for photography or do you have to have an invite??

[GREAPER]

Very interesting Greaps. I like the image you finished with.

One thing I do notice is that you seem to have less detail in the birds left eye in the final image and seem to have more in the original. I think you may have used an S-shaped curve to increase the contrast on the mid tones in the bird, and in doing so lost some contrast in the darker tones in the birds eye. I think that some of the eye detail could be painted back in with the art history brush. Or you could have deslected the eyes before writing the Levels curve. Just a guess.

I think this has been a very educational thread. Thank you. Shooting from 18 Inches WoW!! Is this place open to the public for photography or do you have to have an invite??

You have to have an invite, They do this photo shoot twice a year with a max of 10 photogs. This is my second time to do it. The first time was very early in my hobby and the number of "keepers" was LOW.

The outing fills up fast. Very Fast.

I know Art Weber and he lets me know about stuff before it's public
:D

If you would like, the next time it comes around I will let you know if you are willing to make the drive. I could sign us both up.

I will have to look at they eye detail. Sometimes my posts on Dgrin look a touch darker than they do in PS so I am never sure when I post.

[nickphoto123]

Hello Greaper and All,

Fantastic PS work to save the moment of your original capture.

My 2 cents:

All of your work leads to a very good image, one not taken under the best of conditions.

The only thing I would suggest is to pull some of the bird's color out of the image and put it into the viewer's eyes along with the bird:

Regards, Nicholas

[GREAPER]

I like that border color. I am going to have to play with that as well...

Thanks.