feeding Great Blue Heron

[WillieHall]

Canon 7D 100-400 IS 4-5.6 L lens
Manfrotto tripod,
1/3200, ISO 1600, F9,
PP with DPP and cropped off 30%.
I packed my tripod with me to this lagoon while visiting Santa Barbara as I really want to improve IQ of my images. I seem to have improved some and see the value of tripod. Still not satisfied tho, is it the crop? Had to use 1600 ISO to get speed on partially foggy day. Looking forward to comments

[Jon Pugmire]

I don't think you need 1/3200 for this, I think 1/1000 would have been sufficient? It does look a tad soft but not much, was there any NR applied in DPP? Background is a little noisy. Maybe pull up the shadows just slightly?

[WillieHall]

thanks Jon, I did not apply NR in DPP. Don't know layers yet and did not want to soften with NR to the whole image. any tips on applying NR in DPP? I did see images I shot with this bird at 1/2000 and it moves so fast when spearing fish that those images where even softer, that is why I moved ISO up....if I evaluated everything correctly. I even have one at 1/4000 and the fish is still blurry cause it wiggled so much!

[Jon Pugmire]

thanks Jon, I did not apply NR in DPP. Don't know layers yet and did not want to soften with NR to the whole image. any tips on applying NR in DPP? I did see images I shot with this bird at 1/2000 and it moves so fast when spearing fish that those images where even softer, that is why I moved ISO up....if I evaluated everything correctly. I even have one at 1/4000 and the fish is still blurry cause it wiggled so much!

I use LR for conversion, can't help with DPP. I used to do selective sharpening and NR in LR, but found that PS does a better job with the quick select tool at separating subject from background. Using the adjustment brush in LR works, but it can be tedious to get the boundary just right.

Here's a quick edit of the jpeg in LR/PS, even better is possible with the RAW image. Sharpened the heron on its own layer, NR and surface blur on the background layer. It may be just on the crunchy side with the sharpening. I selectively lightened some of the shadowed areas on the bird, and reduced exposure on a few spots also using the adjustment brush in LR.

[WillieHall]

Jon thanks for the effort you made, very enlightening....need to improve my PP, good winter project

[Charleen Ratcliff]

I like the composition, colouring and the fact that he had some lunch!:bg3: I don't think I am qualified to offer much in the way of pro feedback, but wondering where your focus point was? Agree that perhaps your SS was a bit too high, but overall, a lovely shot

[WillieHall]

Charleen, thanks for your input. I usually try to set focus on the eye and then move to compose the shot. Tried to cover that by using f/9 for this large bird since I was fairly close to it.

[Jon Pugmire]

Jon thanks for the effort you made, very enlightening....need to improve my PP, good winter project

Was there any sharpening done on the original in DPP? The original posted image looks soft, was does the RAW look like at 100%? The jpeg sharpened up nicely, so I assume the RAW is good and you should be able to get better results.

LR defaults to a 25% sharpening value as a default which I usually raise a bit depending on the image, all RAW images must have some sharpening applied or they look soft because of the AA filter in the camera. From what I understand there is some conversion sharpening that should be done when converting the RAW to TIFF (for use in PS, or otherwise it might be straight to jpeg) that should not be overdone (avoid halos when viewed at 100%). Then when creating the final image one or more rounds of sharpening might be applied (I do some targeted sharpening in PS) especially when resizing the final jpeg (this I do in LR).

In some earlier threads, Diane Miller mentioned using LR's default export sharpening for the final round, and I have found that sufficient since I started learning to properly process my images (from what I've learned here). In the export in LR I set the size and quality of jpeg I want, then set a couple of parameters for export (web/print, high/medium/low sharpening) and let it do it's thing. If it needs more/less sharpening, I adjust the H/M/L parameter accordingly and try again.

[Diane Miller]

I'm late here -- my interruption got interrupted. The original is a very pleasing capture -- great moment and lovely color palette. It's just a very little bit soft but that may be the processing. The 100% view in the raw processor is the way to know, but I don't use DPP so don't know if it has some default NR that doesn't show the actual capture. I can say that my Canon in-camera JPEGs, in the few instances I have tried raw + JPEG, have been overly smoothed from noise-reduction, even with the JPEG defaults set at everything zeroed. Sometimes sharpening the JPEG helps, as Jon did, but there is no substitute for a sharp original file. I can't criticize your shooting specs, though, in terms that might affect sharpness.

Where did you crop? If there is more of the reflection without distracting FG elements, I'd love to see it.

The crop factor of 7D combined with that 100-400 focal length range is sounding very tempting to me for spontaneity and hand-holding, although tripods are hard to beat.

[WillieHall]

Jon, I have DPP set to 3 for sharpening, as Arthur and Arash suggest, and then add a little at the end if I feel i can get by without IQ destruction. The RAW is not very sharp at 100%. I need to learn more what I can do with DPP for sharpening, I am really just learning the PP stuff.
Dianne, thanks for the comments, I have been traveling a lot this fall and just getting home to catch up with bpn. I always convert RAW to jpeg in DPP, send to iPhoto and then crop the jpeg there. Should I be doing something else for cropping? I do have more room for the reflection but is not that great looking. I do hand hold my kit when good light (or with monopod), but I am trying the tripod more when possible. I just got the 7D Mark II this week so anxious to get out with it when weather clears!

[Diane Miller]

I would be very careful with sharpening at the raw stage -- only do enough to compensate for the anti-alias filter on the sensor, which softens things a little. Problem is, you can't see IQ damage until it's too late - after resizing for output. But it's there. Final sharpening should be done on an output file after re-sizing for output.

If a raw isn't sharp at 100%, look to the camera and lens and technique. Nothing can make it better, you can only give the appearance of sharpness.

Do you have any options besides iPhoto? PS Elements would give you a LOT more capability, and it's about a lot more than cropping. Lots of tutorials online. And it has its own serviceable raw converter that would be worth comparing with DPP.

You'll LOVE the 7D II! Even though I have the 5D2 and 5D3 and will probably get the 1DX II when it comes out, I got one, largely for the AF improvements and the crop factor, so I can hand hold more easily with smaller lenses. It may live with the 100-400 II on it.

[WillieHall]

Diane here is a smaller crop with reflection and a little more sharpening with DPP applied.

[WillieHall]

I do have PS Elements 6 and 12, but they are sometimes unstable on my iMac. Tho restricted, DPP operates perfectly on the iMac. You are CORRECT about camera, lens and technique for real sharpness. this winter I am going to apply myself to learning more about PP. I just spend so much time outdoors with good weather, I have not applied myself yet this year to PP skills.

[Diane Miller]

I like the added reflection. Now I'd suggest a slight CCW rotation to level the stirred up ripples. I'd clone or crop the bright spot at the top edge, and try for even more reflection if it's decent. It's always wonderful if a reflection can come to an end before the edge of a frame.

[WillieHall]

thanks Diane, I had cloned the bright spots and leveled the original, forgot on the repost :(. I hear you about the reflection, I was unsure about leaving the whole bird in the upper third of the frame since the reflection was not so obvious a feature. I post here to hear these ideas.....thanks again

[WillieHall]

thanks Diane, I had cloned the bright spots and leveled the original, forgot on the repost :(. I hear you about the reflection, I was unsure about leaving the whole bird in the upper third of the frame since the reflection was not so obvious a feature. I post here to hear these ideas.....thanks again