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Thread: Green heron, with a difference

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    Default Green heron, with a difference

    Greetings, folks! I posted a few shots on this fine forum a while back, and I hope you'll welcome this post. I was more than delighted to get this close to a green heron (I was at about 216mm on this shot) but there was nothing much I could do about the background. I liked everything underneath him but was none too pleased about the brambly branches above him. What I'm presenting here is a sort of work-in-progress. I'd love to hear your opinions, particularly on the top part of the picture...I was considering a gaussian blur on the top part, although I was having a trouble selecting just the bird and making the thing look even remotely natural. Not that this really looks too natural either! Anyhow, many thanks in advance for your time and consideration...
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    To explain further...what you see above is a silly attempt at something, I'm not sure what. Here's the original photo. I'll welcome your ideas for improvement of image's top. I'll take anything! O please! Help me if you can, you clever out-of-box thinkers!
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    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Jack,

    I'n not sure this is what you are looking for but I took a quick stab at what I would do. Your original has green in the background - looks like more water so I just took out the branches and lightened it up a little. I masked the bird and his perch then used the clone stamp at about 30% to remove the branches. I didn't do a good job of cleaning up the edges and did not look for cloning mistakes and there are probably some. I also sharpened the bird which I think may be to much - not used to working with small jpegs. I don't like gaussian blurs so never use it.

    Laurie
    Last edited by Arthur Morris; 09-04-2012 at 08:43 PM.

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    Jack, I think that Laurie offered the perfect fix! Nice job Laurie! It's nice to see you posting here Jack and we enjoy seeing what you have to share!

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Hey Jack, Great repost by Laurie--the upper BKGR in the ORIG post did look pretty lumpy .
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    Arthur, lumpy is a kind and benevolent way of putting it. I do agree that Laurie's on the money here...bring out those greens...

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    Yes, Laurie's work is a good direction to go. Gives focus to the bird itself. I think I'd crop a bit from the top. Also, that drop of water between the legs looks a bit odd....maybe soften it so it isn't so obvious. Really nice shot of the bird....sharp....congrats. And good work so far in finding ways to clean it up.

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    Many thanks! I was playing with this one for a long time...I'm not sure why this happened, but it seemed to feel right to me...still a work-in-progress. A wise man would leave well enough alone and go find some new green herons to photograph, but it's 1 in the morning now and they're probably sleeping. And anyhow, it's dark outside!
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    like the colored one much better!

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    Landscapes Moderator Andrew McLachlan's Avatar
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    Hi Jack, Laurie's repost is the way I would go. The green works better and as a more natural feel to it.

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    Jack, I love to see you posting here in OOTB. I think Laurie's post is the way to go. Great image of the heron
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    Thanks folks, the weirdbeard black-and-white was just for fun. In the end, I've decided to leave the photo the way it is, as seen in panel #2 of this thread, with the messy habitat and all. All due respect to Laurie, whose work I like very much, as she well knows. Right, Laurie? Anyhow, I took a whole series of habitat shots of this excellent bird. They are what they are, and I'll leave them be. But thanks to your encouraging comments, I'll be sure to post again in this forum. I just need to wait until I have something worthwhile.

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