Just another junco in the snow

[Jean Chang]

I wish I could get something more exciting, but these little birds seem to be the only ones visiting me lately. I took this yesterday during our very gray, gloomy afternoon. Taken on the back deck.

I was going to remove the pine needle twig on the lower left, but decided maybe it added a more realistic feel to the photo.

Cropped, curves, and sharpening in PhotoShop.

Nikon D300
300mm f/4 lens
AP, matrix metering, 1/250, f/4, 2/3 EV, ISO 560, no flash

http://www.jeanachang.com/photos/767687526_JBNGX-XL.jpg

[Fabs Forns]

Very nice capture with soft diffused light and great eye contact. I like your composition and BG and may darken the snow a little bit. Is he fluffed up or just breast endowed????

[Jean Chang]

Very nice capture with soft diffused light and great eye contact. I like your composition and BG and may darken the snow a little bit. Is he fluffed up or just breast endowed????

Yeah, what a physique, huh? Ha ha. I think he was cold and really puffed up.

I had darkened the snow, but I guess not enough? I was afraid it would look too gray if I darkened it further. but here's my try at it. I'm not sure if it looks better or worse. There wasn't a whole lot of detail to recover:

http://jeanchang.smugmug.com/photos/768610787_BUZqc-XL.jpg


Thanks for looking and commenting.

Jean

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Like your repost Jean. Well done. If you are OK, I would suggest removing the two little twigs.
:)

[Jean Chang]

Hi Akos,

Is this better?

Thanks for the tip!

http://jeanchang.smugmug.com/photos/768985482_AWkKe-XL.jpg

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Yes Jean,
Much better. There is however what appears to be a droplet of water and it's kind of obvious. I just patched it and carefully cloned the twigs on the merge of snow and BG. A 30-second job at most. I also increased mid-tones slightly and used selective color blacks and neutrals (black channel in both) to add some contrast. All this (I think) is in digital basics from Arthur Morris.

[Jean Chang]

Akos,

That looks great! The water droplet was actually a lump of snow that I left because I thought it would look more realistic, but I think your version is much better.

Quote: >>I also increased mid-tones slightly and used selective color blacks and neutrals (black channel in both) to add some contrast.<<
Exactly how did you do this? Did you use CMYK mode? That's the only place I see a black channel. Whatever you did, it looks wonderful. Gee, once you finish with it, you'd almost think I was a photographer. lol

Thanks so much!

Jean