Show your Bird Portraits
- Thread starter 1982chris911
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Hi Folks.
Lots of great shots, makes me wonder about posting mine, but I think I'm improving and would like to know what you folks think please.
Stopped in Mayflower park Southampton on the way home and caught some shots, thought I'd share a few. Quite heavy crops with the 5D and 24-105 f4L, couldn't get any closer due to the slippery nature of the slipway, one more step and I might have joined the swan in Southampton water!
Can I get some feedback on my PP please, have I overdone the sharpening?
IMG_1090_DxO by Graham Stretch, on Flickr
IMG_1089_DxO by Graham Stretch, on Flickr
IMG_1092_DxO by Graham Stretch, on Flickr
IMG_1085_DxO by Graham Stretch, on Flickr
Cheers, Graham.
Lots of great shots, makes me wonder about posting mine, but I think I'm improving and would like to know what you folks think please.
Stopped in Mayflower park Southampton on the way home and caught some shots, thought I'd share a few. Quite heavy crops with the 5D and 24-105 f4L, couldn't get any closer due to the slippery nature of the slipway, one more step and I might have joined the swan in Southampton water!
Can I get some feedback on my PP please, have I overdone the sharpening?
IMG_1090_DxO by Graham Stretch, on FlickrIMG_1089_DxO by Graham Stretch, on FlickrIMG_1092_DxO by Graham Stretch, on FlickrIMG_1085_DxO by Graham Stretch, on FlickrCheers, Graham.
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Graham, what PP are you using. If it's DPP for sharpening I could relate via the numbers I tend to use. I've seen posted shots, not too recently, that definitely were over sharpened to my eyes but yours don't come across like that.
Jack
Jack
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Valvebounce said:
Graham
I have to disagree with Jack over this. There are harsh white halos around the non-white parts of the heads and beaks (and water dripping off), which is the tell-tale sign of over-sharpening. You never want to see any such transitions. Parts of the water have been so over-sharpened they look gritty. The texture of the plumage looks unnatural.
I personally use as little sharpening as possible. With the 7DII, my standard settings are no more than 0.9px/100% for USM or 0.3px/100% for smarten sharpen in PS. With the 5Ds R, I haven't been using any sharpening at all - the images are more than sharp enough and there is less noise.
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+1 to the comment from AlanF. Too much sharpening.AlanF said:
I want to add a little bit about technique:
Depending on the background and the slipway/ground you were standing on I would have tried to achieve a lower shooting position.
I like the "all water and ripples" BG. So if this could have achieved in this position only, then okay.
Except from that I really like the second pic (IMG_1089_DxO) for the timing and composition. Beautiful.
Maybe a little bit less foreground, slipway
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Hi Jack, AlanF, Maximillian.
This is exactly my reasoning for asking, PP is such a subjective thing. I had a notion it was too much after viewing the processed pictures I posted to Flickr on my iPad.
Alan, I was using the 5D, not the 7DII, I guess this would change the numbers you might use, also as I am using DxO 10.?.? I don't know how it would relate to settings from the software you have given. Plus as I said they were harsh crops from the 12Mpix of the sensor, approx 4Mpixel each.
I was also using a pretty mediocre laptop screen whilst trying to be sociable with the misses instead of going and using my desktop (with a better but still not perfect, read less mediocre, monitor) in another room!
I will try again with less sharpening using my better PC.
I was using a bit of +micro contrast, a bit extra lens correction general sharpness, a bit extra lens correction detail sharpness above the preset levels, (both under the same tab) plus some extra unsharp over the preset levels.
The composition was from a slipway, the tide was about half in (or out) leaving me quite high up the slope, I did kneel down to lower the perspective but this was not a planned photo expedition and I was in reasonably smart clothes.
The more distant background is cluttered with decaying pier structure which whilst interesting in itself is not conducive to the improvement of a swan picture!
I will try cutting a bit more foreground off, (but you can see from this how slippery it was!).
Thank you all for your input, I welcome constructive criticism for without it how can we progress.
Cheers, Graham.
This is exactly my reasoning for asking, PP is such a subjective thing. I had a notion it was too much after viewing the processed pictures I posted to Flickr on my iPad.
Alan, I was using the 5D, not the 7DII, I guess this would change the numbers you might use, also as I am using DxO 10.?.? I don't know how it would relate to settings from the software you have given. Plus as I said they were harsh crops from the 12Mpix of the sensor, approx 4Mpixel each.
I was also using a pretty mediocre laptop screen whilst trying to be sociable with the misses instead of going and using my desktop (with a better but still not perfect, read less mediocre, monitor) in another room!
I will try again with less sharpening using my better PC.
I was using a bit of +micro contrast, a bit extra lens correction general sharpness, a bit extra lens correction detail sharpness above the preset levels, (both under the same tab) plus some extra unsharp over the preset levels.
The composition was from a slipway, the tide was about half in (or out) leaving me quite high up the slope, I did kneel down to lower the perspective but this was not a planned photo expedition and I was in reasonably smart clothes.
The more distant background is cluttered with decaying pier structure which whilst interesting in itself is not conducive to the improvement of a swan picture!
I will try cutting a bit more foreground off, (but you can see from this how slippery it was!).
Thank you all for your input, I welcome constructive criticism for without it how can we progress.
Cheers, Graham.
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Thank you for this information.Valvebounce said:...
The composition was from a slipway, the tide was about half in (or out) leaving me quite high up the slope, I did kneel down to lower the perspective but this was not a planned photo expedition and I was in reasonably smart clothes.
The more distant background is cluttered with decaying pier structure which whilst interesting in itself is not conducive to the improvement of a swan picture!
I will try cutting a bit more foreground off, (but you can see from this how slippery it was!).
...
I was expecting something like that but not sure about it. So therefore, for this conditions and compromises, the results are fine
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Hi jprusa.
Cool shot, I'm curious, is this one of those shots you could wait a lifetime and never see repeated or does it happen quite often, like the birds that tick pick on water buffalo and hippopotamus?
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Graham.
Cool shot, I'm curious, is this one of those shots you could wait a lifetime and never see repeated or does it happen quite often, like the birds that tick pick on water buffalo and hippopotamus?
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Graham.
jprusa said:
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Valvebounce said:
It is very common behaviour, indeed the seagulls are such a pest to the pelicans that they actually leave their 'homes' for less congested areas when seagull season comes upon us.
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