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Bill Dix
12-29-2009, 12:49 PM
D90; 80-400 VR @ 360mm; ISO 640. F/7.1 @ 1/3200; Matrix metering @ -0.7 EV. Aperture priority, Auto WB, AF-A. HH.

One of many RT images from Blind Pass about a month ago. Cleaned out a few OOF shells and wavelets. The sun was still fairly low in the morning but pretty far to my left as the shadow shows. Cropped about 30%. Decided to rotate and had to re-crop after I had already cropped once, so it's tighter than I originally intended. Does he need more space on the left? C&C appreciated.
Anita Rakestraw
12-29-2009, 02:26 PM
This guy looks great, Bill! I think he's positioned just right in the frame; he gave you a good head turn, and I love that you can see the grains of sand on his feet. He's really struttin' along, which adds to the image!! Good detail, lovely colors and good exposure, IMO. An area starting just behind and below his eye and extending over the brown breast patch looks softer than the rest; but everything else looks fine. Very nice!
Bill Dix
12-29-2009, 02:42 PM
Thank you Anita. I can't explain why that area appears soft, but I've tried to selectively sharpen it, and I think it helped some although it didn't completely resolve it. Here's the repost. I appreciate your pointing that out.
Anita Rakestraw
12-29-2009, 03:20 PM
Does look better, Bill! Part of it is probably too far off the sensor plane....you don't have a smudge on your lens, do you? :eek:
Bill Dix
12-29-2009, 03:44 PM
Nope. No smudges. I think you're right that it's a DOF issue.
Lance Peters
12-29-2009, 04:19 PM
Love the low shooting angle -sweet image.
Anita has the techs covered :)
Gus Cobos
12-29-2009, 05:21 PM
This one is superb Bill, I like the ultra low capture angle. The color rendition and feather details are right on the money...I like the head angle and sharp eye contact...well done Sir...:cool:
Arthur Morris
12-29-2009, 05:44 PM
Very nicely done. I am fine with the COMP and love the running pose. I think that the feathers on the lower half of the face are just softer and less defined than the rest of the feathers...
Bill Dix
12-29-2009, 06:28 PM
Thank you Lance, Gus and Artie for the kind words. Artie - I think you're right about the lower face feathers. Here's another image of the same fellow taken 5 minutes later, showing essentially the same issue. (Focus point on this one is a bit off, and some motion blue on the raised foot.)
Arthur Morris
12-29-2009, 06:35 PM
That one is a sweet pose but looks a bit over-sharpened. And you over-did something as there is a pretty severe light ghosting around the head and bill.

Motion blue or motion blur? :)
Bill Dix
12-29-2009, 06:49 PM
That one is a sweet pose but looks a bit over-sharpened. And you over-did something as there is a pretty severe light ghosting around the head and bill.

Motion blue or motion blur? :)

Sorry for the typo. Yes, I think I oversharpened around the eye, at least, trying to correct for the fact that the focus point was not where I wanted it to be. And I see the ghosting. Maybe due to the S/H tool?
Arthur Morris
12-29-2009, 07:25 PM
Sorry for the typo. Yes, I think I oversharpened around the eye, at least, trying to correct for the fact that the focus point was not where I wanted it to be. And I see the ghosting. Maybe due to the S/H tool?

I was just joshing you on the typo; I amke plenty of them myself :)

Yes, the ghosting is likely due to SH/H. Curves is far more effective once you learn to pin the curve and work only on the tonalities that you want.