Processing raw image exercise for April 2012: clipped wings

[Roger Clark]

Something a little different in raw processing this month: a beautiful diving eagle image but clipped wing tips, contributed by Gail Bison. This image has a lot of possibilities for how it is processed. What would you do? Post your results to this thread. Instructions for obtaining the raw image will be posted in my next post to this thread.

So show us your best on what you can do with this image. As with all images, BPN guidelines apply, so you will need to process the image and create a jpeg not more than 1024 pixel wide to show your work. The photographer retains all rights, so this exercise is only for posting on BPN unless you get written permission from the photographer for other uses. All posted examples need an explanation of what you did. The more detail you can give, the better, as it can help others understand better the processing steps. Examples are in the other raw processing threads (to which you may still contribute):
http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/forumdisplay.php/186-Monthly-Raw-Processing-Exercises

Roger

[Roger Clark]

The raw image can be downloaded here:

http://www.clarkvision.com/bpnraw/eagle_gail_bisson_55b7790.dng

Roger

[Hazel Grant]

Fun to work on.... From a copy of the original, I cloned out the bird to create a total sky on a larger canvas, then used that as the BKG for the bird. Copied the tip of one of the feathers and, using rotation of that tip, pasted it on the cut off feathers. Cloned some sky with small tip into those tips to create feather shagginess.

[Dan Brown]

A great image, Gail! Here's my try. I added canvas, I used content aware fill on pieces at a time and then cloned to cleanup. This seems to have maintained the gradation of tones in the bg sky. I selected the eagle and placed it on a seperate layer from the bg. For the wing tips, I used quick masks to create selections, then free transformed them to position them, used clone tool, eraser tool and smudge tool to create the feather splits blend them and then used liquify filter to mold them further, to get a nice sweep. I darkened and lightened the eagle in selective areas (head, eye, etc) using a soft light layer and a 20% brush. I used Noiseware Pro on the bg, mainly to blend my cloning, and then sharpened the eagle using usm and a John Shaw technique, 20-60-0, which adds some sharpening and contrast.

P.S. I see that I missed a little bit of cloning on the bottom edge:c3:

[gail bisson]

Hi Dan and Hazel,
you both did an awesome job! I could not achieve the right color match when I pasted the wing tips on. how did you do it? I am away on vacation without a computer and only my ipad until May 2 so cannot upload my attempt until I get home,
Gail

[Dan Brown]

Hi Dan and Hazel,
you both did an awesome job! I could not achieve the right color match when I pasted the wing tips on. how did you do it? I am away on vacation without a computer and only my ipad until May 2 so cannot upload my attempt until I get home,
GailHi Gail. I cloned and smudged a little to blend the tips at the point of attachment.

[David Kettings]

Hello Roger and members\readers. I was wondering if I was allowed to download the example and give it a go on processing. I am not that experienced with processing so would like a couple of days to work through my attempt.

Many thanks

David Kettings
New Zealand

[Hazel Grant]

I eyedropped the wing color and then used that as a brush at about 60% opacity on the darker part of the tip and lesser on the lighter part. Blur tool helps them blend, too.

[Tom Graham]

What a weird body/head/wing posture!!! Well at least for me personally, but easy for eagles :S3:
I did not want add wing tips. So how about some cropping??
Cropped to vertical framing to emphasize vertical dynamics. For same reason rotated about 15 degrees clockwise for stronger diagonal of body across frame.
Added sky. That's hard part, getting no "ring" around eagle, this ok but could be better.
A bit of contrast with slight S curve. Sharpen simply with sharpen command.

111917

Tom

[David Kettings]

That works for me. Nicely done. I also like the way you have done the sky, emphasizing the bird more.

[Tom Graham]

Thanks Dave. The sky is actually my very own photo!!! I have a folder of "sky and clouds".
Tom

[Hazel Grant]

You know, normally, I'd think, where are the wings? But this really works, emphasizing the intensity and focus of the bird. Well thought out.

[Tom Graham]

YEAH BABY!!! Instead of sky put an American Flag. In one claw a rocket and a lightning bolt in other. Underneath words -
"BE ONE. US AIR FORCE"
Tom

[Roger Clark]

Great response so far! I've been off the grid for a week, so happy to see things are going well (and that my server is still up).

Tom, your crop is just what I was thinking. I would not add wing tips unless perhaps the frame before included the wings so I could do a mosaic. That would leave a tight crop, and I like your choice. But I also would not add a different sky, but keep the image true to the original (even though I do like your sky). But adding a flag is also a cool idea for special event PR.

Roger

[Tom Graham]

Thanks Roger. For me a BIF requires a sky (or other background).
I was surprised how well the bird sharpness held after such large crop. And after my super simple one-button sharpen.
Another thing I'd try, but haven't tried it, is to select the head area and enlarge by 10%-20% to emphasize the eye and beak more.
Tom
ps - always good to come home and find your house and server both up!!
I still have -not- put together any DVD from the 2011 TZ safari. I must do that, some interesting stuff worth the memories and sharing.

[Hazel Grant]

And yet another view????? Not a version of the original, but I wanted to share this. The week I was at the Paducah Quilt Show in Paducah, KY, considered the top quilt show in the country by most. Well, I saw this and was reminded of the eagle we're working on this month...