Just purchased a 810 and loving it taken more photos in a week than in the last 3 months this taken zoom 200mm and 250th sec f7.1 iso 400 did a small crop and some clean up
Question is the background to bright if so best way to darken and any other comments. or would you add a texture
Grahame
11-18-2014, 05:46 PM
Nancy Bell
This is an engaging moment with the adult starling feeding the youngster, and nice that we can see both birds so well. Since you want the foreground to be visually separate from the bkgd I would not darken the bkgd. I like all those circles of light! And, no I would not add any texture since this bkgd is texture enough. I do see a couple of artifacts from cloning I suspect. Along the top edge I see two short vertical lines, one to the right of the tree branch and the other about a third of the way in towards that vertical tree branch, from the left edge. Easy fixes with another round of careful cloning. In the upper right corner the shapes appear to be repeating, another artifact of cloning that can easily be minimized. You could lighten just a bit around the eye of the adult bird, so it is more easily seen. Also you could add a very small blush of saturation to the iridescent colors in the adult. Glad your new camera has reawakened your interest!
11-18-2014, 07:27 PM
Diane Miller
Great catch, and good points by Nancy. I would be tempted to try darkening the yellows just a little in Hue-Sat, or back in raw conversion. (There is a lot of yellow on the birds and branches so some masking will be needed.) Maybe a subtle gradient burn from the top edge (with a masked Curve or Levels). Might be possible to bring up a little more detail in the darks, too. Hard to know what will be the best balance without trying.
11-19-2014, 11:47 AM
gary ellwein
Well done getting both subjects in the same plane of focus with good techs. . I agree with Nancy's suggestion of lightening the eye area of the adult. To my eye the bright busy bg is distracting. Have you considered replacing it with some thing my subdued?
11-20-2014, 03:22 AM
Grahame Hamblin
Thank you all. Taken onboard will work on it. Thought I had posted reply but it disappeared.
grahame
11-20-2014, 06:03 AM
Anita Bower
I agree with Nancy. I like the bg as it is. Great shot--you caught a moment that tells a story and shows bird activity. Plus, the feeding of the young touches my heart. Lovely detail in the birds.
11-20-2014, 10:13 AM
Cheryl Slechta
Hi, Grahame, I love the moment you've captured and I love all of the background bokeh. I'd lighten the adult eye just a bit. Nice shot - thanks for sharing and congratulations on your purchase:S3:
11-21-2014, 10:22 PM
Grahame Hamblin
Don't no what I am doing wrong but have posted several thank yous ( try again) thanks for all your help willputninto practice.
Grahame
11-22-2014, 07:39 AM
Jackie Schuknecht
I agree, the bg is super. The bokeh is terrific. I think lightening the adult eye would improve it, and I wish the beak of the adult wasn't intersecting with the vertical branch. Have a blast with your new camera! Looking forward to more!
11-22-2014, 01:30 PM
Grahame Hamblin
Thanks Jackie I have done the eye an cleaned up around the upper branch. I was a bit rough there when I cloned in the upper area. Sent it to daughter and called it Mother and daughter. ( not impressed (granddaughter) ).
Grahame