something to change

[Lance Peters]

One from a while back - looking at the techs - what should I have done??

D3S
Sigmonster @ 750mm
F8
1/80th
800 ISO
SB900 Manual @ 1/8th
Matrix Metering
AWB
Tripod

Comments welcome.
:)

[Don Hamilton Jr.]

Hello, perhaps more DOF is needed here, however 1/80th is getting slow(motion blurr), so i would have bumped up the iso, and gone for a f10 or greater, at least form this monitor looks like focus is dropping off as you move out in the plane of the bird!
Don

[Jeroen Wijnands]

yeah.. you could have stopped down just a bit more. Personally I'd apply a bit more contrast and be very happy wth this.

[Ken Lassman]

Hi Lance,
Probably could have solved this with ISO or stopping down if you had a few shots before he ran away. I like the fact that the area beneath the subject is focused and the foreground and background are blurred. I think that reducing the brightness and a contrast would solve this and make the darks and feather details pop.

[Mark Hardymon]

I actually really like the limited depth of field. The way focus moves from blurred foreground to short focus area then back to blur is quite nice. I agree with others that just a bit more contrast will make the subject pop a bit more. Otherwise, I like this very much.

[Harold Davis]

personally, with that camera, it would have been an ISO increase to increase shutter speed. i'm wondering if you could have upped the flash also to get even more shutter speed. but then again, i dont like the look of overly flashed birds.

i agree with mark. the dof seems fine to me. the eye is tack sharp. that's what counts. i would bump the contrast just a little, but that's purely taste. nice job with the slow shutter speed, lance......as usual.:)

[Troy Lim]

I like the overall of the image. I have no issue with 1/80 if you are good enough to get a sharp photo. I know with that camera, he could have gone higher on ISO to get faster speed. It is a great shot and love the use of flash. Something I got to learn how to do soon, need to get my bracket first. haha.
Right leg has halo here. Can anyone else confirm that?

[Julie Brown]

Hi Lance. Your question is regarding the techs only-not PP? I happen to like the blurred BG, so I see no problem with the DOF. I think this is a nice image, especially at 1/80th sec. With a moving subject, what SS do you like to shoot at with this lens on a tripod?

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Lance,

Greetings. I don't know flash so I won't comment on that part, but aside from the ss/dof choices mentioned above, might you not increase EV, maybe a 1/3rd to pick up a little more contrast?

Cheers,

-Michael-

[David Thomasson]

I like it, Lance. If you set white and black points, that'll boost contrast and also deepen the color a bit. I did some
selective sharpening on the areas that are in focus. Also used a curves adj. layer to darken everything a bit, then
knocked that out selectively with a mask like this (so the black areas retained original brightness):

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/4003/maskn.jpg

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/1392/changey.gif

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/9991/changev.jpg

[Tom Graham]

Nice work David.
As for original, I would have more DOF, shoot f11. The shallow DOF isolation look on the sand almost bothers me. Would I think like it to have a more gradual defocus-focus-defocus look.
Tom

[Harold Davis]

Nice work David.
I would have more DOF, shoot f11. The shallow DOF isolation look on the sand almost bothers me. Would I think like it to have a more gradual defocus-focus-defocus look.
Tom

have you ever photographed shorebirds on a beach at eye level?

[Alfred Forns]

Killer re post David ... sure do enjoy every time you do one and I pay close attention !!! Thanks !!

PEOPLE .... the most obvious thing about this image is the aperture !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! being able to have one more stop of shutter speed is the thing to do, 1/80th is dangerous ground !!! Raising the ISO si another option particularly when you have a D3s

Dof wise these images look just fine shot wide open, could stoop down one or two if you had the shutter speed .. but would not sacrifice for dof !! .... get the eye sharp and the rest will look well !

Michael giving the image 1/3 more light would not have worked and most likely blown the whites, you are obsesed with contrast :) Look closely at the re post and how it got there, slight curves adjustment ... no complicated edge contrast, histograms etc. Simple is better and show me results !!!

I think sometimes we get raped up in tech stuff and forget the image, you make a good image in camera with good light, settings etc and very little work is needed .. no heroics to save !!! This is a good example of a good in camera and PS tweaks !!!!

btw great thread and discussion !!! I like everyone giving opinions, we discuss and the you take what you feel is best to work with !!

... btw Lance mighty fine holding that lens steady and getting such a sharp image !!!

[David Thomasson]

... btw Lance mighty fine holding that lens steady and getting such a sharp image !!!

Indeed! Hands like a brain surgeon. :cool:

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Alfred,

Greetings. I like David's work as well... You write:



Michael giving the image 1/3 more light would not have worked and most likely blown the whites, you are obsesed with contrast :) Look closely at the re post and how it got there, slight curves adjustment ... no complicated edge contrast, histograms etc. Simple is better and show me results !!!

Lance did ask for suggestions about techs (and David's repost was largely contrast work), but here is the simple adjustment to exposure in LR (not the same as in camera, but to give an idea) by +1/3 with a black point adjust (very slight +6 to blacks) and a slight curve (contrast in the lights).

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/yamo/images/AccessibleImages/improve-2.jpg

The whites were just up to the right & not overexposed... the +1/3 in camera I think would have gotten it a bit better. ymmv

Cheers,

-Michael-

[Alfred Forns]

Michael Just look at your re post and the one David posted !!!

The difference is in the processing, the third stop over is irrelevant !!!!

[Lance Peters]

Hi Guys - David your repost rocks - pretty darn close to what I have ready to print.

I should have upped the ISO to give me more safety margin with the shutter speed - Im lazy - knew I could get it sharp at 1/80th so just went with the flow.
DOF was always going to be limited at this focal length and distance to subject (about 25 feet) so with that in mind I could have opened up to 5.6 with little influence on the DOF and gained some safety with the shutter speed.

I did ask for suggestions about the techs - but dont ever let that stop you from seeing something else - its the ability to see outside of the box when confronted with a generic question that fosters creativity.

AL'S points are right on the money!!!!!! Get something pretty close right out of the camera and you really dont have to spend much time on it at all - I like the KISS principle!!
Davids workflow here is right on the Money - IMHO.

[Ray Rozema]

Hi Lance

The DOF is OK for me. I like the pose and eye contact. the tweeks by Dave make it pop.
Thanks to everyone for sharing comments and enhancing the learning

Ray Rozema