What To Do About the Shadow?

[Arthur Morris]

This Piping Plover was created with the Canon 600mm f/4L IS II with the 2X III TC and the EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/13. Central Sensor Surround/AI Servo Rear Focus active at the moment of exposure. If you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial click here.

I am at a loss as to how to handle the shadow.... Any suggestions would be welcome.

As for the image, don't be shy; all comments welcome.

Nickerson Beach on the afternoon of 5?20/13. See four more recent Nickerson images and learn how I screwed up big time in the blog post http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2013/...g-attractions/.

[Karl Egressy]

Shadow is natural and it doesn't look bad on the sand. I would leave it as is.
Beautiful image, perfect HA and eye contact. Perfect exposere and nice feather details.
I would have had a little more canvas on the left, as I find that the tip of the tail is too close to the edge of the frame.

[James Shadle]

Beautiful subject!
In this case I personally prefer a looser crop that included the full shadow.

[Arthur Morris]

Shadow is natural and it doesn't look bad on the sand. I would leave it as is. Beautiful image, perfect HA and eye contact. Perfect exposere and nice feather details. I would have had a little more canvas on the left, as I find that the tip of the tail is too close to the edge of the frame.

Funny thing is that I have another similar frame with the bird more forward in the frame. I deleted it. What bug me is that the shadow is cut....

[Arthur Morris]

Beautiful subject! In this case I personally prefer a looser crop that included the full shadow.

Me too! But these birds are both extremely skittish and fast moving.... And, I was seated. And, I do not think that there are any zoom lenses that get out to 1200mm :). Great to see you here :)

[Grace Scalzo]

I assume that the shadow is cut in the original frame? And that you had no time to swap out teleconverters? It is tight for my tastes, especially on the left. I'm left a bit empty by the lack of habitat, and think that having the entire shadow would have added significantly to the frame. (And James is here, not hear, and I love seeing him too....)

[Clyde Hopper]

My opinion.... I would add some canvas to the left , Remove some canvas on the right making the shadow even smaller (It's cut already) and Dodge the remaining shadow to minimize the amount of contrast from whitish bird and blackish shadow . Just the 0.02 of a noob Please tell me why this would not be the best way....I'm here to learn!
Ps. With the shadow removed ,wouldn't there, then be too much dead space on the right ?

[Arthur Morris]

I assume that the shadow is cut in the original frame? And that you had no time to swap out teleconverters? It is tight for my tastes, especially on the left. I'm left a bit empty by the lack of habitat, and think that having the entire shadow would have added significantly to the frame. (And James is here, not hear, and I love seeing him too....)

Yes the shadow is cut in the original frame or I would not be asking the question :). No time is correct. Come on, Grace, you have photographed these guys; they do not park.... As I said, I agree on having the whole shadow.....

[Arthur Morris]

My opinion.... I would add some canvas to the left , Remove some canvas on the right making the shadow even smaller (It's cut already) and Dodge the remaining shadow to minimize the amount of contrast from whitish bird and blackish shadow . Just the 0.02 of a noob Please tell me why this would not be the best way....I'm here to learn! Ps. With the shadow removed ,wouldn't there, then be too much dead space on the right ?

Hi Clyde, I grabbed the frame with more room behind the bird so adding canvas there will be a snap. I thought about a crop from the right and lightening the shadow. I would not even consider removing the shadow.

Tanks!

[Satish Ranadive]

Arthur Sir,
Excellent image of plover.Wonderful lights,beautiful colors,superb details in whites and plumage.
Love the frame. I agree with Karl about some more space on the LHS. I have just added some space and it looks superb.
I don't, but I have a feeling that it needs CW rotation.

Regards,
Satish.

[Satish Ranadive]

By the way,Arthur Sir, I will keep the shadow as it is.

Regards,
Satish.

[Grace Scalzo]

Well then I'd simply add a bit to the left and be happy with it. No way would I trim from the right or attempt to remove what you've got of the shadow. They don't park, but they do pause, usually with a rhythm. (run, run, run, run, pause. Repeat) So I try to set up with a chosen focal length and then get into their rhythm, trying to catch a frame that includes my desired elements or behavior. Not saying that it's easy with these fast moving little birds. But you know all this.

Question...why not ISO800, ss 1000? And you obviously have enough IQ to make a second image out of this, a portrait.

[David Salem]

Hi Artie. I like all the suggestions. I tried removing the shadow and adding to the left. Looks better to me. What do you think. Hope you dont mind.

[Arthur Morris]

Here is one for Grace showing more of the bird's natural habitat, the predator exclosure :).

[Grace Scalzo]

Now this, I like! Exactly what I was talking about.

[Arthur Morris]

I m glad that you liked the more artistic version. Here's my question: if a photographer looks at a Piping Plover they are a criminal. But the plover lays the eggs, the researchers drive up in their truck, unload the predator exclosure, walk up to the nest and set the monstrosity up over the eggs. I know that it is likely all for the good but surely the bird is more stressed than if you sit down and wait for a plover to come to you....

[Arthur Morris]

Whaddya think?

[Gabriela Plesea]

Err...I like the shadow...as it is...I would darken it a bit though...Or I might "thin" it a little from the top, and make it end just about where the image ends...I am afraid to start my own version of it because my partner Andre tells me I will not make it to work tomorrow...What a beautiful image, by the way!

Kind regards

Gabriela

[Loi Nguyen]

I love the RP with the complete shadow! Looks very real to my eye. Well done, Artie.

[Lyle Gruby]

I like the full shadow, but it looks like you have a bit of in focus sand in the OOF sand. Great job with the head and beak.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Lyle. Where? Please be specific.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Artie, I have to say I like both...the cut shadow does not bother me at all. the close crop brings out the details and beauty. The shot with the shadow added( marvelous job) also looks nice.

David also did an amazing job at the shadow removal but one can tell the sun is out and the lack of shadow looks very odd.

beautiful shot. the whites, the DOF, BG..awesome stuff.

[Lyle Gruby]

Just to the right of the beak/neck shadow.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks. If I am understanding you correctly please note that d-o-f falls of naturally and quickly with super-telephotos. Things look pretty much as they should to me :).

[Clyde Hopper]

The repost is Awesome !

[Tim King]

I like the first post as is. I'm just impressed you got a shot of these "red light, green light" birds, especially at 1200mm. Fine job.

[Lyle Gruby]

Thanks. If I am understanding you correctly please note that d-o-f falls of naturally and quickly with super-telephotos. Things look pretty much as they should to me :).

I understand that. It looks to me like the area I circled is in focus when in fact it is not on the focus plane. I understand how the low angle is affecting your DOF; however, the spot I circled is well beyond the plane of focus and it appears to have defined sand pebbles. Maybe I need some new glasses??

[vishaljadhav]

Interesting one here, was out for a week and i am here looking at the original and the repost with the complete shadow in it.
Arthur Bhai i liked the original however the repost with the shadow does enhance it more.
When i look at the repost there are just 2 things that come to my mind, one is the beak and head area are more well defined in the added shadow then the original version just for the missing part ( i guess i confused myself with this too)
secondly there is a area of focus on the sand just after the shadow beak which is after a area of OOF sand which may just be due to recreation of the area .
hope i am not more confused then i originally was
still learning to see things

[Arthur Morris]

I understand that. It looks to me like the area I circled is in focus when in fact it is not on the focus plane. I understand how the low angle is affecting your DOF; however, the spot I circled is well beyond the plane of focus and it appears to have defined sand pebbles. Maybe I need some new glasses??

No new glasses for you.... You have amazingly sharp eyes. I blew the image up to about 300% and clearly saw the area that your referred to. So I am the one who needs glasses (but for the fact that I already wear glasses).Yikes!

IAC, let me know how the repost looks.

[Arthur Morris]

Interesting one here, was out for a week and i am here looking at the original and the repost with the complete shadow in it.
Arthur Bhai i liked the original however the repost with the shadow does enhance it more.
When i look at the repost there are just 2 things that come to my mind, one is the beak and head area are more well defined in the added shadow then the original version just for the missing part ( i guess i confused myself with this too)
secondly there is a area of focus on the sand just after the shadow beak which is after a area of OOF sand which may just be due to recreation of the area .
hope i am not more confused then i originally was
still learning to see things

Vishal, Thanks. Please note that in the original post that the part of the shadow that was included in the image did not include the shadow of the head and the bill. After expanding canvas I needed to add the shadow of the head and the bill. While doing so I looked carefully at other photos of this species with the complete shadows in the frame. Please, as Lyle did, be specific as to the "area of focus on the sand just after the shadow beak which is after a area of OOF sand" as I am not quite understanding you. See also my second repost in Pane 27. :)

[Grace Scalzo]

Artie, I like the complete shadow. The part that you added looks sharper (Maybe not the right word....how about "too defined") as compared to the rest of the shadow. I'd try using the smudge tool at a low strength to loosen it up a bit. Of course, all of us who are following this thread know what you did and are examining this work with extreme scrutiny. I doubt if anyone seeing this for the first time would pick up on this.

[Arthur Morris]

Excellent point on the extra scrutiny.....

[Robert Holguin]

Very nice shot.
Excellent pose and details.
Love the low shooting angle and exposed very well.
All the repost look very good, but to me the one with the complete shadow is the best one.
Well done.

[Shawn Zierman]

I love piping plovers. I also love the OP and pane #29. Clean, simple, effective image design on both panes.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Shawn. See two more sweet piping images in "Before the Mayhem Started--Surf Strategies" here.