Swan

[dkoyanagi]

I was going to post this for challenge 32, but then I remembered a)this wasn't taken during the challenge period and b) it's been edited with PSP. Oh well, at least I can post it here. I took this one a few weeks back when we still had snow on the ground.

http://dkoyanagi.smugmug.com/photos/15525422-L-1.jpg

[phyfer1]

[QUOTE=dkoyanagi]I was going to post this for challenge 32, but then I remembered a)this wasn't taken during the challenge period and b) it's been edited with PSP. Oh well, at least I can post it here. I took this one a few weeks back when we still had snow on the ground.

http://dkoyanagi.smugmug.com/photos/15525422-L-1.jpg

Dan

That is a beautiful shot. The detail is sharp.

Tina

[Bryan]

http://dkoyanagi.smugmug.com/photos/15525422-L-1.jpg
IMHO a shot like this will win CH 32. Wonderful shot, great detail, I love it! I want to reach our and pet her.

[wxwax]

Goodness, that certainly is fine exposure control. Nice workl!

[rutt]

I love your swan. What a great composition. The curve of his neck is so beautiful and the white on white theme is great.

Still, it was just too tempting to see if I could improve on near perfection, if only a little.

How about this:

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/15598238-L.jpg

I did this by using LAB curves to bring out the detail in the white highlights, deepen the shadow, and increase the saturation of his beak.

Here are the curves I used:

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/15598245-S.gifhttp://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/15598240-S.gifhttp://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/15598243-S.gif

What do you think?

[dkoyanagi]

Dan

That is a beautiful shot. The detail is sharp.

Tina Thanks Tina!

[dkoyanagi]

IMHO a shot like this will win CH 32. Wonderful shot, great detail, I love it! I want to reach our and pet her. Thanks, Bryan

[dkoyanagi]

Goodness, that certainly is fine exposure control. Nice workl! Thanks, Sid!

[dkoyanagi]

I love your swan. What a great composition. The curve of his neck is so beautiful and the white on white theme is great.

Still, it was just too tempting to see if I could improve on near perfection, if only a little.

How about this:

I did this by using LAB curves to bring out the detail in the white highlights, deepen the shadow, and increase the saturation of his beak.

Here are the curves I used:

What do you think? Thanks rutt. I like the effect it had on the beak. However, I think the background snow might have gotten blown out.

[4labs]

I was shooting the same thing today but your swan in the snow blows what I came out with today.. Great shot!

[rutt]

Thanks rutt. I like the effect it had on the beak. However, I think the background snow might have gotten blown out.
Actually, I think the reverse is true. Look at the detail in the snow lower left and to the right of the swan. My L curve brought this detail out. You'll notice that the left hand side of that curve is flattened. This does have the effect of blowing extreme highlights for the sake of creating a true highlight and using making the curve steep and the detail pop through the highlights. I might have overdone this a tad, but all the background I could find is beyond this point.

Maybe your monitor is a little bright. That will make stuff look blown that isn't.

[Steve Cavigliano]

Bee-you-tiff-full Dan :thumb :thumb

I like Rutt's edit too, but the original is just fine. Nice detail and a super tough exposure. Good job :clap


Steve

[jp_w]

Wow, great job! :clap

Not easy to expose that scene. What a beautiful shot.

[rutt]

Bee-you-tiff-full Dan :thumb :thumb

I like Rutt's edit too, but the original is just fine. Nice detail and a super tough exposure. Good job :clap


Steve
Yeah, as I said originally, I love the shot. I wouldn't have bothered with it if I didn't think it was a big challange to improve on it, if only a little. All my agonizing about the color of snow has made me very sensitive to highlight details. It will matter if you want to make really great prints of it, but not otherwise.

[pathfinder]

Thanks rutt. I like the effect it had on the beak. However, I think the background snow might have gotten blown out.


When I measure the pixel values there are none that exceed 245, 245, 250 in the background of John's redition of your image. He was very careful to avoid blowing out the detail in the background.

Whether the background is better or worse I think is an artistic decision not a technical one. Not sure yet which I prefer, probably the original as it is less distracting from the main subject. Of course, if the curve was done on an adjustment layer you could paint out the effect on the background and retain it in the beak and head area....

[dkoyanagi]

Actually, I think the reverse is true. Look at the detail in the snow lower left and to the right of the swan. My L curve brought this detail out. You'll notice that the left hand side of that curve is flattened. This does have the effect of blowing extreme highlights for the sake of creating a true highlight and using making the curve steep and the detail pop through the highlights. I might have overdone this a tad, but all the background I could find is beyond this point.

Maybe your monitor is a little bright. That will make stuff look blown that isn't. When I re-adjusted the brightness of my monitor I can see what you did. Your adjustments are excellent! :clap

[dkoyanagi]

Thanks, Steve and JP!