I took this at Bombay Hook De. If anyone knows the ID on this gull I would appreciate knowing, Any suggestions for bringing more detail into the forward wing ?? I have tried recovery and shadows /highlights already
Comments welcome!
Hi Bob. Ring-billed gull. The amount of detail able to be extracted will depend on how well exposed the image was . Clipped highlights, as was likely on the left wing/upper surface, offer little ability to recover detail. This image was captured under high contrast light (also called "harsh"). This may be somewhat difficult to ascertain, since extensive use of the shadow /highlight tool was used, but it was the case. The blacks are blocked (R=0, G=0,B=0) and the whites were clipped. This is the definition of high contrast light. In high contrast light the dynamic range of the scene is greater than the DR the sensor can record. Though you might reduce the exposure in post so the RGB numbers are not all 255 (clipping point), they are flatlined. For example R=252, G=252, B=252, which indicates highlight clipping in all channels at one point.
Consquently, recovery of detail is unlikey with this image.
What are methods to recover detail if the image was taken under more favorable light? Several methods in photoshop; The best is burning; create a new layer (shift/ctrl/alt). With the open dialog box select; mode-overlay or soft light/select fill with Overlay neutral color/then use use a low opacity (>10%) black brush over the area. Flatten the layers.
It is also possible to use Nik Colorefex or Topaz Detail. In the former you can brush something like "detail extracter" directly on the offending area, or with Topaz Detail, select the area (quick mask tool, etc.) and apply one of the detail presets.
I also might mention that IMO the shadow/highlight tool creates too many artifacts, such as the halo evident in this image. It is far better to use tone curves in a RAW converter, such as ACR. regards~Bill
Last edited by WIlliam Maroldo; 01-18-2013 at 08:20 PM.
I assume you are shooting RAW on that nice D800. If so, you are recording a tonne of information in the file which can be used in RAW processing. In terms of dynamic range (DR) there are at least three places you can manage the issue:
1. At exposure by (a) using a lower ISO that gives you higher DR, (b) shooting in soft light- overcast, morning and evening, winter at higher latitudes, snow covered ground (c) making sure you expose properly so that you are not clipping the highlights.
2. RAW processing by using (in Adobe Camera Raw) Exposure, highlight, shadows, whites and blacks sliders. With a RAW file, if you clip in one or two of the three (RGB) colour channels ACR will attempt to reconstruct clipped channels based on the one or two that aren't clipped. It is worth seeing how far you can push this sometime. Massively over-expose an image in RAW and see if you can recover the clipped highlights. You will be amazed! Native RAW processors like Canon's Digital Photo Professional or the equivalent Nikon product likely do an even better job than ACR in this regard.
3. In post-processing as Bill suggests.
This list is in a particular order of efficacy so dealing with high dynamic range images in post-processing is your third and least effective choice. Best to get it right in the camera (1), or deal with it in RAW processing (2).
I love the BG in the image. The subject looks a little noisy- big crop? There's also a sharpening halo around the subject. Capturing any bird in flight is an accomplishment so well done on that!
Gull in flight closeup
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