Dovekie (Little Auk) for Artie

[Krijn Trimbos]

Artie asked me to post one of the Little Auk or Dovkie shots from my Spitsbergen trip this year. This is one I liked due to the nice pose. As this a contrasty looking bird I used FF to get a better exposure overal.

Hope you like it,

Canon EOS 7D 1/200 f8
ISO 400
Canon 500mm L IS USM F4.0 + 1.4 Converter
FF --> Speedlite 580 -1 2/3

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Thanks for posting this, I'm a big alcid fan, too. Very good exposure control, rock with lichen and BG. I would raise the color temperature a bit, the whites have a slight blue cast.

[Krijn Trimbos]

Thanks for posting this, I'm a big alcid fan, too. Very good exposure control, rock with lichen and BG. I would raise the color temperature a bit, the whites have a slight blue cast.

Thanks Axel!

I will see what it looks like with colour temperature uped a bit. Although I think it represents the colours quite nicely, as we had very poor light to work with. Will do a repost later.

Cheers,

Krijn

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Krijn, loved the soft light, perch, comp and the exposure. What a bird!

[arash_hazeghi]

nice BG and perch, good exposure for blacks. I also see the blue cast on the whites most likely from flash and wish the head was slightly more parallel to the back of camera. TFS

[Krijn Trimbos]

nice BG and perch, good exposure for blacks. I also see the blue cast on the whites most likely from flash and wish the head was slightly more parallel to the back of camera. TFS

Thanks people for the comments.

Arash,

Just to clarify I am also seeing a slight blue colourcast on the whites of the bird and surely when I increase the saturation by 100% it will show a blue colour on the whites. The wheater I was photographing in was highly overcast with sometimes rain, not the most sunny conditions.....As such I feel, having witnessed the scene there and then that this was the right representation of the colours at that moment. You don't want a warm looking individual when in fact the photo's were made under overcast conditions, at least I wouldn't. At the other side of the spectrum, if you would take a picture of a bird in warm light with a yellow/red cast on the whites as a result would you level the whites out so that you would get the 'theoretically perfect' white colour or would you want the whites to represent a bit of the light you were photographing in? For me the slight blue cast on the whites was a consious choice rather than a postprocessing mistake :) I have reworked the image with slightly more yellow in it and like that one as well, although to me the original still represents the scene best for me. Here is that repost.

Again thanks for the comments,

Krijn

[John Chardine]

Original post whites were running A = 0, B = -9 to -10 in LAB colour. I corrected here in LAB using Curves. Whites are now 0,0 more or less.

Due to our ability to adapt, our eyes and perceptual system are hugely unreliable at gauging colour temperature.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Interesting to compare the different versions. John's looks good to me, the whites are still a bit on the cooler side, which is good considering the available light. But then, only Krijn was there and should know best. :)

[Krijn Trimbos]

Original post whites were running A = 0, B = -9 to -10 in LAB colour. I corrected here in LAB using Curves. Whites are now 0,0 more or less.

Due to our ability to adapt, our eyes and perceptual system are hugely unreliable at gauging colour temperature.


Thanks John I really apprieciate that you took the time to repost an image,

However, to me the whites and especially the blacks + BG look way too yellow now and don't depict the scene the way it was. They might be 'white' now, but to me the scene looks much to warm now.

Just a question for you guys does John's repost look like a photo made under heavy overcast conditions?

I did another repost myself, and selectively upped the yellow in the whites now leaving the rest of the scene the way it was.

Maybe this is better?

Cheers,

Krijn

[arash_hazeghi]

Krijn,
I don't think clouds cause a blue cast on the whites as long as white balance is correct, I photograph white birds in overcast conditions too :) but if you feel the blue tint adds to the story or it is closer to the original scene sure go with it, it is a matter of taste and there is no one answer, pick the one you like best. For my taste I prefer #7.

best

[Bill Dix]

Beautiful little Dovekie, well captured. I'm no expert -- but I can easily imagine that the cooler image is more evocative of what the photographer saw and was trying to capture. Handsome either way you look at it.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

In overcast conditions I set the color temperature to neutral whites (RGB pretty much the same value in all three channels and no cast) but agree that one could go either way to give the image the desired effect.

[Fabs Forns]

I rather like the cooler version better, just because I know that was probably the kind of light you had. Great looking bird and EPX handled very well. I may not have used flash, rather go the natural way, but yours looks good. Way to go!

[Gal Shon]

Leaving the color issue aside (for a second), this is a stunning image! Rock, HA and Comp looks great.
I think I would prefer colors between #6 and #7

[Arthur Morris]

Kill me why don't you? What a wonderful image; great that you got a distant BKGR. I like all of them but prefer the original post. Not sure why.

Do you have a Skype account? I would like to talk to you about this joint :)

Thanks for posting it for me!

[Michael Lotito]

Wow that is some shot and bird!

[Sid Garige]

excellent image as presented. HA is not an issue for me.

[Kiran Poonacha]

The last repost works best for me, loved the expo, nice details, I love the ways the feet are show (angle) and I am in love with that bird.. its beautiful..

[Bonnie Block]

I prefer the original posting--but like the others as well. What a cool bird. The sharpness and eye contact make this very special indeed.

[James Salywoda]

Gorgeous bird excellent detail and great bg really nicely captured.

[Stu Bowie]

Super pose, and good job with the contrasty exposure on the whites and blacks. You did well with your repost in post #9 Well done.