Calliope hummingbird

[Ben Egbert]

My bird season is winter for bald eagles and spring for most others. My primary interest here is to get solid on post processing in addition to field technique for the next outing. So I have been re-processing my stock of birds to present here for critique. So far I have had color casts, blown yellows, excess saturation.

Back when I shot this, I was fighting noise on the 50D. Hence the low ISO. Still not comfortable above ISO400, but I am going higher ISO and lower aperture these days. Most work is from a tripod, Wimberly Sidekick as was this one. I don’t do much BIF other than bald eagles.

50d, 500f4+1.4x at f7.1 ISO200 1/400 sec

http://www.pbase.com/roserus/image/117455894/original.jpg

[Kyle Marie Barcelos]

I really like the pose and the comp. Nice HA and sharp eye, the only thing that is bothering me is the top of the head and body look out of focus, it could just be because he is fluffing his feather, I'm no expert w/ the technical stuff. Beautiful shot :)

[Ben Egbert]

I really like the pose and the comp. Nice HA and sharp eye, the only thing that is bothering me is the top of the head and body look out of focus, it could just be because he is fluffing his feather, I'm no expert w/ the technical stuff. Beautiful shot :)

That could be. I use center focus, but for such a small bird, the back may have grabbed the focus and allowed the head to be past the dof. Before I started coming here, I thought this was sharp. Getting retrained is part of my ambition.

[Lance Peters]

Hi Ben - I agree with Kyle - does look like the focus is not on the head/eye area. Some additional sharpening to the eye will help.
Like the pose and the fluffed up look. Not sure the perch coming diagonally out of the bottom corner works - might just tone down some of the perch.
TFS

[Ben Egbert]

Hi Ben - I agree with Kyle - does look like the focus is not on the head/eye area. Some additional sharpening to the eye will help.
Like the pose and the fluffed up look. Not sure the perch coming diagonally out of the bottom corner works - might just tone down some of the perch.
TFS

Thanks Lance. I will take this advice, mostly to be more careful with focus. As I look back, this was f7.1 and a heavy crop, so it is not real likely a DOF issue on such a tiny subject. Front focus is a possibility though as the perch is pretty sharp. It might also be subject motion. Sometimes a sharp body and a soft head is because the head was in motion.

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Well done- but shooting 1/400 shutter thru 700MM F/L. Tripod is the compensation, but I would have opened up aperture and ISO to gain more shutter - speed is key with high end telephotos.

Try 400 ISO, the 50 can handle it easy, that's part its technology.

Are you shooting Al Servo/One Shot (recommend former), hard to nail a Hummer's head, center sensor for a tiny BIF with a tripod at that distance.

[Ben Egbert]

Well done- but shooting 1/400 shutter thru 700MM F/L. Tripod is the compensation, but I would have opened up aperture and ISO to gain more shutter - speed is key with high end telephotos.

Try 400 ISO, the 50 can handle it easy, that's part its technology.

Are you shooting Al Servo/One Shot (recommend former), hard to nail a Hummer's head, center sensor for a tiny BIF with a tripod at that distance.


I shoot AI servo, burst and then select the best, even stationary. But if given time, I also shoot some one at a time where I work hard to catch a pose, and to nail focus.

I probably need to get some noise reduction help. I use neat image, and usually mask the bird, but starting at ISO400, even the bird needs some NR. Sometimes I give do the entire image on a layer and fade, then do just the background at full strength. It all depends on how much crop is required. Lots of crop means more nR required.

[Jeff Cashdollar]

I use topaz and hit the entire image if the noise is not bad. Otherwise, I will use layering.

Generally speaking I use ISO 200/400 for bird photography and have read it is among the most popular Canon selection (in non-Pro bodes),...e.g., 40 & 50 line.

I use Al-Servo 95% of the time, all birds move even when they seem at rest.

If you use One-Shot, brace yourself well. Artie published an article about One-Shot vs. Al-Servo and concluded that best to brace well with One Shot by holding on to something and steady the body. As I said, Al Servo is my standard setting.

Nice work, I read a lot and enter info into a database. If you have any questions check out the education forum or drop me a line anytime. Post production starts with a defined workflow and NR is one of the first steps.

[Gus Cobos]

HI Ben,
Very good advise given, and the techs. covered...the first thing that grabs my eye is the branch coming out of the intersecting corner of the frame, you need to move it out a tad. The colors on your bird need to be adjusted a little to make them pop, perhaps a little more saturation and contrast adjustment...just keep them coming...looking forward to your next one...:cool:

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Ben

Processing looks good, fine from my end !!! .... about all else I can contribute is checking your sun angle, the left side under the beak is in shadow ! Do like the image as presented, very appealing !!!

[Ben Egbert]

HI Ben,
Very good advise given, and the techs. covered...the first thing that grabs my eye is the branch coming out of the intersecting corner of the frame, you need to move it out a tad. The colors on your bird need to be adjusted a little to make them pop, perhaps a little more saturation and contrast adjustment...just keep them coming...looking forward to your next one...:cool:

Thanks, and you are the first to suggest I add saturation, I usually get the opostite, so this is toned down. I have to laugh on the corner placement of the branch, I was careful to line it up. This is because I was told this is a good lead in and I followed it blindly. But I can put it anywhere with so much to crop.

I am sure there is more to lead-in than just starting in the corner, perhaps off the exact corner a bit? Any guidlines here? Would you start from the side or the bottom?

[Ben Egbert]

Hi Ben

Processing looks good, fine from my end !!! .... about all else I can contribute is checking your sun angle, the left side under the beak is in shadow ! Do like the image as presented, very appealing !!!

Thanks, I appreciate your encouragement and comments. It was mid morning and this was the only clear shot. I also have one with the gorget expanded, but with a branch in the way. I was trying to get around that branch, then he flew.

[Ben Egbert]

Here is a new version with comments considered. New crop, sharpened, add saturation.

I was ready to post yesterday but Pbase was down, trying this from Flickr.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3420/3954025874_7a51d7258b_o.jpg