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Thread: Crossing the Athabasca

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    Default Crossing the Athabasca

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    This elk was escorting his cows to the other side of the river early one morning.

    I went to Canada with the plan to take environmental photos of elk - this was my first opportunity on my first day and is probably my best photo from the trip. I'm not sure I have the colors correct - the background trees on the far hill were a little blue and I tried to correct them, also my web sized photo does not look sharp to me - I've had this problem before but do not know how to fix it.

    Nikon D800, 70-200 2.8 lens
    ISO 800, f2.8, 1/640 sec
    Manual Exposure

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    BPN Viewer Tom Graham's Avatar
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    Lot to like about it.
    Are you using Photoshop (for post processing, PP)? Or?

    Tom

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    Tom,

    I have PS5 and used Curves White Balance to correct the color. I have Topaz and I used it to mask the elk and reduce the noise on the background then sharpened the elk. Tiny crop on the bottom and right because of blurry rocks on the bottom.

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    BPN Member dankearl's Avatar
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    Lovely photo Laurie.
    IQ and environment is terrific.
    Looks like the D800 is working better for you.
    Dan Kearl

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    BPN Viewer Tom Graham's Avatar
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    PS5 - Photoshop 5?
    Come on Laurie, you're not that old

    Tom
    ps - you mean PS-CS5??
    yes, there was a PS5, i.e., PS 1-7 then CS1, etc.
    uh-oh, now I'm going to get scolded for going off-topic :)
    Last edited by Tom Graham; 10-03-2012 at 10:39 PM.

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    Tom,

    Sorry it is CS5

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    Looks pretty sharp to me Laurie. Do you use the option 'save images for web' in CS5? You could also maybe run additional selective sharpening as well before you post.

    As for the blue cast. The tree covered mountains here in BC do tend to have a slight blue cast, especially the haze. In my mind it's a good thing. The rest of the colours look good to me and this is a nice environmental image. Nice to see the fall colours poking through.

    Jamie

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    Jamie,

    I do use save for web option in CS5, I also resharpen after I downsize. Thanks for your support on the color of the mountains in the background. They always look a little blue to me and I try to get them to green but am not always successful.

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    Despite your misgivings Laurie, I think this is a fine environmental portrait. It clearly shows the type of landscape the elk lives in and the composition is good. I like the splashing water and the one coloured tree balances the elk nicely. Looks pretty sharp to me.

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Hi Hilary,
    like this elkscape shot, with nicely positioned subject.Contrast overall look good, maybe the blacks are a bit chocked on the elk.You are right i think the subject could be a tad sharper.
    Like the layered FG to BG with various tones and colors.
    Colors not really possible to judge.You need to upload the image with an embedded color profile, think we had that already.
    Besides that i like the image.
    TFS Andreas

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    BPN Viewer Tom Graham's Avatar
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    Sorta funny about the blue BG mountains. When I first looked at the image I thought it was the sky, with nice thin unusual clouds!!!
    For kicks tonight took image in PS and tried to take out some of that blue. Masked off those BG mountains so color adjustments would apply only there. After much playing got a blue/gray tone I kind of liked. Also tried sharpening some of the BG from water up. (But not elk). Anyway, here's something for possibilities -

    Name:  5504a copy.jpg
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    Tom

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Hi Laurie - a very majestic scene and I really like the placement of the elk in the scene. I agree with Andreas that the blacks on the elk are a little choked (most evident in the legs). Andreas is also correct that there is no embedded profile in the op. I think Tom's repost has gone a little too far in the color adjustments. I think it is actually the cyan that is the problem more than the blue. If you play a bit with small adjustments to the blue but a greater adjustment to the cyan then I think you'll be able to come up with something closer to what you remember. Definitely an image worth taking the time to make the adjustments. I've found that the sharpening for web/resizing actions posted by Morkel in a sticky at the top of the forum work pretty well. Give them a try and adjust the opacity to taste.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Here is a repost. This time I masked the trees that were blue and reduced the cyan and blue. If I do this to the total photo it takes the blue out of the water so I did not think that was a good idea. My first attempt at correcting the color balance (through Curves) in the original post left some blue and also darkened the elk. In this repost there is a lot less contrast which keeps the elk's lighter legs but I don't think I like it as well as the first post.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Laurie, the RP has certainly lost lot of the original character & qualities contained within it and my initial thought was towards Tom's RP and your OP. Now the image is sRGB which is great, I think you have just lightened everything and perhaps you may have been correct originally, but not having the correct profile has swayed everything?

    All I did Laurie was take your repost, apply some Tonal detail, a couple of rounds of Curves and dropped the Gamma in both BKG & FG but masking the Elk and narrow strip of water, then just adjusted the Red & Yellow in Selective colour, this again is not ideal but hope it is then moving in the right direction I hope. In your RP you have now retained more detain in the Elk that wasn't there/evident in the OP. I really like this image as the setting is great, although not wild about the road (?) was this in Jasper?

    I think Laurie you can make this work and do justice to your hard work in taking the shot.

    Hope this helps.

    All the best
    Steve
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    BPN Viewer Tom Graham's Avatar
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    Laurie - your repost, the mid-ground tree color , all of it, I don't like it, doesn't seem natural. Some even look purple - to me.
    It is that group of trees in mid left that caused me the most questions on my repost.
    Name:  5504a s copy.jpg
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Size:  51.3 KB

    If I made the BG trees green, then it raises the question why those tress are blue?
    BTW, what did you think of the sharpening I did? I think it removes the feeling of a heavy fuzziness in the mid-ground?

    Tom
    ps - just noticed Steve's after composing mine here. I like Steve's color, saturation etc a lot. Still think some sharpening of top two-third is nice.
    Last edited by Tom Graham; 10-04-2012 at 02:12 PM.

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    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
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    Steve - think you have kind of magic hands, i am many times surprised what you are able to get,nice job.

    Lift my hat

    Cheers Andreas

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    Thanks for all of the ideas, I am overwhelmed with options and new terms but will give it another try. Both my original and repost are sRGB. The repost was not lightened, that is the way I took it but agree that it needs to be darker. Yes this is at Jasper, just past the bridge with the road in the background.

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    Laurie, Steve took this up a notch but I would keep the blue cast in the trees. IMO go with the FG as presented by Steve and keep the blue cast in the tree line area. I see this blue cast in the mountians all the time so don't loose it.

    Jamie

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    I stole a view of the thread yesterday but didn't have time to reply .
    I see a whole bunch of posts have been added.

    My 2c. Love the comp and scene and moment.
    I like Laurie's OP much more than the RP - more contrast, tonality and mood
    I like Steve's repost as well!
    And I agree with Jamie that Steve's FG with the OP BG would work well for my tastes.

    I am eager to see more from this trip, Laurie. The Canadian wilderness is one of my dream-destinations.
    Morkel Erasmus

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