Show your Bird Portraits

tron

CR Pro
Nov 8, 2011
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OK, after to much words - some photos: I found recently I'm missing in my collection +/_ good shots of juveniles Java Sparrow. After several days of rain and very high winds (up to 60mph according the forecast) it got nicely sunny and almost (almost!) no wind. From tomorrow it is getting back to the
previous pattern. The only difference is that the rain could be heavy at time (hmmm - down from "normal":))! The last shot is an adult (I posted it before, it's an older photo) - for comparison.

View attachment 187885View attachment 187886View attachment 187887View attachment 187888
ISV they are very nice! Can I order some? I promice to feed them :)
 
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Jan 29, 2011
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Privatebydesign, my intend was not to be rude but on second reading I found it to be!
I apologize for this!
Here we use to say what is working better for us without making it a big science. When I read here some advise I use to check it if interested and if it doesn't work for me - I ignore it. The main problem is that many people don't say from where they are coming from and what exactly they are comparing!
Hi ISv, I took no offense nor detected any rudeness in your reply. I don’t find people having an opposing opinion rude, indeed you made a very valid point, but I find the problem with that suggestion is it relies on experience to get the best results and it is far easier to take a constant that has had a skilled (or person who extols the efficacy of the subject under dIscussion) application than fumble around with an unfamiliar program and workflow with a ‘free trial’ that you normally have to sign up for, create an account etc etc. and then compare that result to your current best processing. Also, we don’t all have the perfect shot on hand to illustrate the benefits.

I have downloaded the example before and after images from the DxO site and have run the before through Lightroom, I can’t see a decent difference. But would love somebody without an agenda (most forum participants as opposed to most ‘reviewers’) to post an actual RAW file and an after so anybody could compare their personal results. I have looked at reviews that have been suggested but none showed alternate Lightroom processing.

I do have an interest in these specifics because it seems to me modern post processing techniques applied skillfully can produce dramatically higher quality images at a fraction of the cost of hardware investments, a plugin might cost a hundred dollars, a new camera several thousand. I am also looking very closely at resizing software as I find my current 20mp limiting on occasions, Keith over at Northlight Images has a very detailed review of several resizing plugins and he has Adobe comparisons, so I personally have all the information I could look for in resizing options prior to a trial, I haven’t found the same with noise reduction and don’t feel it is much to ask from very active forum members who specifically extol the virtues of a particular piece of software particularly when they have posted many images in the past.

Either way, seasons greetings to you and all the other members, posters and visitors alike. May you get the shots you want next year :)
 
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Jack Douglas

CR for the Humour
Apr 10, 2013
6,980
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Alberta, Canada
Merry Christmas! I took this two years ago, of an owl who came down to check out the Christmas lighting.

View attachment 187889

I guess it's just because it's an owl but I love the "expression". Now if that were my Gray parrot, he'd be electrocuted because his first instinct would be to rip it to shreds - his goal in life is to destroy the world. Hmm, just like some people.;)

Jack
 
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RGB49

5DSR
CR Pro
Mar 31, 2019
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Hi ISv, I took no offense nor detected any rudeness in your reply. I don’t find people having an opposing opinion rude, indeed you made a very valid point, but I find the problem with that suggestion is it relies on experience to get the best results and it is far easier to take a constant that has had a skilled (or person who extols the efficacy of the subject under dIscussion) application than fumble around with an unfamiliar program and workflow with a ‘free trial’ that you normally have to sign up for, create an account etc etc. and then compare that result to your current best processing. Also, we don’t all have the perfect shot on hand to illustrate the benefits.

I have downloaded the example before and after images from the DxO site and have run the before through Lightroom, I can’t see a decent difference. But would love somebody without an agenda (most forum participants as opposed to most ‘reviewers’) to post an actual RAW file and an after so anybody could compare their personal results. I have looked at reviews that have been suggested but none showed alternate Lightroom processing.

I do have an interest in these specifics because it seems to me modern post processing techniques applied skillfully can produce dramatically higher quality images at a fraction of the cost of hardware investments, a plugin might cost a hundred dollars, a new camera several thousand. I am also looking very closely at resizing software as I find my current 20mp limiting on occasions, Keith over at Northlight Images has a very detailed review of several resizing plugins and he has Adobe comparisons, so I personally have all the information I could look for in resizing options prior to a trial, I haven’t found the same with noise reduction and don’t feel it is much to ask from very active forum members who specifically extol the virtues of a particular piece of software particularly when they have posted many images in the past.

Either way, seasons greetings to you and all the other members, posters and visitors alike. May you get the shots you want next year :)
Re comparisons the post processing software I use is Capture 1 for Raw processing/cropping with default Noise reduction and sharpening turned off. I then export to Topaz labs to use Denoise AI or AI clear and then return the file to C1 to for any lighting or colour temp alterations.
In this screen grab it shows the original Raw image after import to C1 with only shadows lifted as it was underexposed by approx. two stops.
Merry Christmas to all at CR and thanks for the great images posted, they are an inspiration
Comparison topaz.jpg
 
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Re comparisons the post processing software I use is Capture 1 for Raw processing/cropping with default Noise reduction and sharpening turned off. I then export to Topaz labs to use Denoise AI or AI clear and then return the file to C1 to for any lighting or colour temp alterations.
In this screen grab it shows the original Raw image after import to C1 with only shadows lifted as it was underexposed by approx. two stops.
Merry Christmas to all at CR and thanks for the great images posted, they are an inspiration
View attachment 187903
I get the same results with DeNoise AI, love it!!!!
I'm going back years to re-edit some of my favorite RAW Files/photos, to clean them up and make them look amazingly better.
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
CR Pro
Aug 16, 2012
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A Robin taken at iso 2000 with the 90D, 100-400mm II at f/5.6 1/250s. Top is the uncorrected jpeg from the RAW; next RAW corrected in DPP, then RAW in PS, finally DxO PL3 with PRIME and luminance at 90. I've seen images where someone has worked wonders in noise suppression in PS using complex procedures involving filtering different channels etc, using layers and so on. But, what I like about DxO is that one can use a simple adjustment of the luminance slider in PRIME and not touching the standard sharpening from the lens sharpening module. The DPP and PS outputs I used could possibly be improved by fiddling with sharpening, thresholds, lum and chrom sliders etc. And, I am sure Topaz, Nik and other programs or plugins would give acceptable results. But DxO simply gives me the best compromise of noise and sharpness with minimal effort. A further example that shows the 90D gives clean results above iso 800.

IMG_4244_Robin_uncoirrected.jpg
IMG_4244_DxO_Robin_uncorrected.jpgIMG_4244_Robin_DPP_L14.JPGIMG_4244_PS.jpgIMG_4244_DxO_Robin_90_Lum.jpgdard
 
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Jul 29, 2012
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Beautiful. Merry Christmas Alan.
d034.gif
 
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ISv

"The equipment that matters, is you"
CR Pro
Apr 30, 2017
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ISV they are very nice! Can I order some? I promice to feed them :)
Nope! I'm not supporting such a trade/ideas - what was once an Island full from see level to the top of the mountains with endemic birds is now an island where you have to climb to the top to see some of them (only 3 species on this Island - just the leftovers from the previous diversity and numbers - many are dead forever... because of the introduced birds and animals)! It may happen everywhere, not just here!
And Yes! I understand you are joking but if you know what happen here back in the time I'm sure you hardly will accept this even as a joke:cry:!
On other hand - Java Sparrows most probably will not survive the winters in the temperate parts of the world (at least for now)...
But if you want I can send you a full size photo or two! And no need to feed them:LOL:!!!!
 
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ISv

"The equipment that matters, is you"
CR Pro
Apr 30, 2017
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I get the same results with DeNoise AI, love it!!!!
I'm going back years to re-edit some of my favorite RAW Files/photos, to clean them up and make them look amazingly better.
Good luck with this - I started the same with DxO PL 1 and now I have the PL 3 Prime... They improve the software faster than I learn how to use it:LOL:... but one day I will retire and I may catch up:ROFLMAO:!!!! Privatebydesign is very right here - the software is improving much faster than the hardware - much faster!
 
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tron

CR Pro
Nov 8, 2011
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Nope! I'm not supporting such a trade/ideas - what was once an Island full from see level to the top of the mountains with endemic birds is now an island where you have to climb to the top to see some of them (only 3 species on this Island - just the leftovers from the previous diversity and numbers - many are dead forever... because of the introduced birds and animals)! It may happen everywhere, not just here!
And Yes! I understand you are joking but if you know what happen here back in the time I'm sure you hardly will accept this even as a joke:cry:!
On other hand - Java Sparrows most probably will not survive the winters in the temperate parts of the world (at least for now)...
But if you want I can send you a full size photo or two! And no need to feed them:LOL:!!!!
Of course I was joking and even so by ordering I didn't mean as captives in cages. Only free happy flying. So they would have to have a flying ticket and a passport! :) It is very sad that something bad happened back in time.

P.S Is this a tropical island ?
 
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ISv

"The equipment that matters, is you"
CR Pro
Apr 30, 2017
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7,451
Of course I was joking and even so by ordering I didn't mean as captives in cages. Only free happy flying. So they would have to have a flying ticket and a passport! :) It is very sad that something bad happened back in time.

P.S Is this a tropical island ?
We don't have here Robins - sorry!
But here is my "Merry Christmas" card - Hawaiian style (;) and you have your question answered right now). This is (may be:unsure:?!) my last edition of that RAW file. Red-Tailed Tropic Bird - adult.

P.S. " So they would have to have a flying ticket and a passport! " -:): yeah, we have such a birds here (many actually), some of them even have a GPS antennas on them (plus few rings on the legs). Like the Bristle-thighed Curlew and some others...
Some birds like the Red-Tailed Tropic bird on my Xmas card are ringed too... but so far I haven't seen GPS antennas on them!

DSC_7323_DxO-3.jpg
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
CR Pro
Aug 16, 2012
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Had a great Christmas day so far, a two and half hour walk with the kids and grandkids on a really sunny day with the D500+500mm/5.6 PF slung over my shoulder for a test drive. The first is another Robin, 11.2m away, side-lit and against a bright sky. The bad news is that the D500 is an absolute pig when comes to storing settings and retrieving them rapidly. I would normally compensate for the lighting by having +1.7ev stored in setting C2 or C3 on a 5DSR or 90D and flicking the mode dial. The good news is that the sensor and noise are so good that pushing through 1.7 ev is a doddle. The detail with the 500mm lens at 11.2m is nearly as good as the 100-400mm II on the 90D at 5.6m in my previous posting. I came across a heron not too far away and got a supersharp shot of it. The good news is that it is really sharp. The bad news is that it is the first time I have seen Moire on a heron. My take home lessons so far are that the Canons are far easier to use and that the 90D is going to be more reliable for closer shots where there is the danger of Moire. But, it's looking like the Nikon is going to be better for squeezing out detail from far off targets. So far, it's AF is really good.
Back to another bird - cooking the turkey.
They are 100% crops, as usual.

DSC_0263_DxO_Robin+1.7_S&H.jpgDSC_0266_DxO_Robin_+1.7s&H.jpgDSC_0236_DxO_Heron_Moire.jpg
 
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