Crow in the snow

[Paul Keeble]

My first posting.

I took this on a pretty grey day after a heavy snow-fall and my main question is really, was it worth taking?
In exposing for a black subject is a pure white background too plain a setting?
I must admit I do like the composition.

7D & EF400 5.6
Taken hand held @ 1/800, f5.6, ISO 1600

PP...

Converted to 16 bit TIFF in DPP (Snowy background was blown but fence and bird good)
Opened in CS6
Levels adjustment
Topaz Detail 3 to bring out a little shadow detail in the bird.
Topaz Denoise 5
Duplicate layer - masked off bird - added vibrance to BG/fence
Reduced Saturation on bird (he was little purple)
Burned the eye a smidgen
Reduced & USM'd

Any honest comments very gratefully received.

[John Chardine]

Hi Paul- Big welcome to BPN.

You did a nice job here. Crows are not easy subjects and look best in soft light like you have. Also you did a great job with exposure- it's very easy to get it wrong with a black bird against a white BG! And nice touch with the eye. Regarding composition there might have been another approach. Imagine the bird positioned up and to the left, looking into the image instead of out of it, and with the fence post tops and wires providing a "leading line" towards the subject. Also I would have tried not to cut off any posts on the sides of the image.

[Paul Keeble]

Thanks loads for the welcome and the comments John :S3:

Regarding composition, I totally see your point but unfortunately there was only one more post than you see in front of the bird, then the fence turned left. (Why do they never sit where they're supposed to?)
To me it looks like he's worked his way along the posts towards the viewer, which is semi-true (he skipped a few)

In the original RAW there is a little space to the right of the near post so I could have cropped slightly wider there.
In the field I guess I should have changed the AF point so that there was a little more space left of the further post too.
Living and learning.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Paul, I would second Johns warm welcome, however I'm straying over the wall into this Forum. :w3 Nice to see a few more UK faces.

John has raised some very good points and I would certain agree on the positioning of the bird up and to the left. I like this because for me it's a different approach and the scene setting.

Regarding the image, one thing I would check is you setting for web, as the image an untagged profile, not an sRGB one, so it may not be displayed to it's best, it's probably an unchecked box. I would also look at the LH slider in Levels and crank it back right to meet the histogram. Adding a midtone layer, dropping the Cyan & Blue in Saturation, and giving a curves adjust to both darken & lighten in places I think will give you the depth/richness in the plumage. Then I would suggest just applying a bit more selective USM to the subject. I also desaturated the colour in the post just to add more prominence to the subject again. Hope you don't mine me RP to illustrate my point and it helps you move on.

Sorry John if I have gone overboard with my feedback. :w3

TFS
Steve

[Paul Keeble]

Wow thanks Steve - that's a great effort with not much to play with!
Maybe I was trying to get detail from over-brightening the shadows at the expense of dynamic range?
I'm also a bit wary of over-sharpening but your example shows it could indeed take a little more.

You are correct re: the colour profile I had sRGB selected but not checked to embed.

I will have another play with the TIFF as per your suggestions.

Thanks again guys.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Paul, IMHO getting the right exposure for the subject is the way to go and worry about the BKG later, but try to avoid blowing it. It's easier to darken an image rather than to lighten it for obvious reasons ie NOISE!

Applying a certain amount of sharpening at the end of the RAW stage, then you need to apply some more once you have finalised your image and cropped to the final output size, so you are sharpening at the end point, and it's fit for purpose. Some images may need more or less. I am only making some observations and therefore you need to distill from all that you receive in order to progress, if required your image. Good luck, as there is a wealth of knowledge and advice on here, and the more you participate in replies and posting will only increase your understanding to create better images for all to share. :cheers:

[Jeannean Ryman]

Welcome Paul! You've already gotten some great advice and a really nice repost of your original. Nice job!

[John Chardine]

No walls in BPN Steve. All are welcome including Mods from other forums!!!!

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Paul,

I did not read the prior comments, not wanting to be influenced because the picture really caught my eye. I absolutely love the composition! I attended a workshop with the world famous photographer Jay Masiel,..we spent five days looking for three things to frame a picture. He thinks an image must have: form, gesture or color,..his message was unique composition rules,.moreover, different angles, different perspectives. He actually likes to shoot pictures through fences adding perspective and making the image different. Maybe it is his influence ,but this picture really caught my attention!

There are some fine tuning post processing opportunities here, lighten the eye, sharpen the subject and play with mid-tones. This image tells a story, simple elements always do.

Masiel also taught me the paper on the monitor trick. Take a sheet of note book paper and place it over the monitor until you find the subject placement that tells your story and crop accordingly. Nice one my friend, you have a great eye,..lets see some more!

[Paul Keeble]

Thanks for the +1 on the composition Jeff and the other advice too.

Here's my best effort now, taking all comments into consideration.
I must admit I do still like this composition. I did try other crops which placed the bird looking more into the frame than out, but the fence posts just made the scene look flat and dull.
I think leaving the near post fully in the frame does look better than cut off so thanks for that suggestion.

I think the bird's colour and plumage looks better now too, more natural.

Thanks all for your contributions.:cheers:

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Paul, it's a big step in the right direct, how far you push the blacks, depth & detail is personal choice now. Looking back at the OP, I prefer where you cut into the post, at both ends (sides) of the frame, seems to finish and give the fence an ending IMHO, if that makes sense?

[John Chardine]

Well done Paul. I like this one.