The Face Off

Canon 7D Canon 500mm f4 L IS ISO 400 -0.3 1/320 sec f7.1
I took this image from a hide in the back garden, it turned out to be a bit of Photoshop exercise, I would be grateful for any comments you might have and how I might improve in terms of technique. I won't tell you what I did here, but I will post the original file in the next pane, I think perhaps this way it helps maintain a less biased viewpoint.
I hope I have posted this in the correct forum - if not I apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Here is the original file, I removed the feeder using the clone and patch tool and I also brightened the eye of the great tit (on the right). I applied NR to the background and sharpened the subject. I then applied an addition round of sharpening on the great tit's head.

Looking at the way you have done this it must have taken you quite a while. I think considering the tools you have used in PS you did a rather good job but think it would be much easier if you would use "quick-masking" for this task. There is a great .pdf reader available about quick masking made by Robert O'Toole and i think Arthur Morris has also done some work about quick masking. As for the image i think it would be nicer to have these small birds on a smaller perch and perhaps have the Great Tit looking in our way a tad more.
It's all a matter of learning and i think that posting your work out here on BP is a great way to learn about these things.

Greetings,

Jeroen Stel

Hey Jon, thats some cloning you did there, and its turned out for the better. Great to have two birds in the frame, although the fellow on the left looks like he's falling off, looking at his pose - sort of just hanging on.:w3 The colours on both species look natural, and the overall image is sharp, and well exposed. I also feel you have a good DOF throughout the image. In a perfect world, a central placement would have worked better.

Nice image Jonathan! I really like the perch but find it to big for these little guys. Good job on the PP.

That was a big item to clone out! An OK job, but I do think there is a bit of refinement to finish it off nively...especially the LLC as there is some evidence of processing there. I agree the perch is a bit large and find the large wilted myshroom distracting. Good interaction though, and especially nice that it is between two different species.

Maybe because I'm fairly new too but I think you did a great job of cloning and I can't see any sign of it. I like everything about the image personally. If you think there is "too much space" try a pano crop. I like to use them on wide horizontals like this.

I think you did a good job on the cloning. I wish the birds were more central and had better HA. My biggest bugaboo though is the mushroom on the perch. I find my eye drifts there everytime I look at the image. It that a juv great tit with an adult?
Gail

Thanks to everyone for the C&C, I am always grateful.
Gail, the larger bird is the great tit (Parus major)and the smaller is the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)

Jon

Thats a chunk of cloning and you only left the tiniest of traces, pretty impressive the way you did it.
Ever looked at the Topaz prog? Can get on 30 day trial
most people dont notice what brilliantly colored birds we have in the UK, YOUR IMAGES SHOW THEM WELL

I really like this shot . You did a very good job on clonening out that feeder. Great timing and I really like that background.
Well done.

If you dont mind me asking what type of blind do you use?

Robert I have two permanent hides in the garden. I made them out of garden trellis material and I have grown shrubs and honeysuckle into the hides. One faces approx north looking down the lawn to a raised bed of ferns and shrubs and flowers, the other eastward across the garden pond. I have also recently had a summer house built and I have a window from which I can point the camera. I also have a portable hide it is an Ameristep Doghouse Blind.
When in the hide I do not use a tripod, I have a strong ledges running the width of the hides and I have drilled holes in it so the tripod head can be positioned where required, I find this more flexible than a bean bag. If I am using two cameras (for small and larger birds) then I would rest one on the tripod head and the other on a bean bag. You may be wondering why so many hides - it is because the neighbours trees are so high and becasue the direction of the light changes.