Hi Nigel and a warm welcome to the wildlife part of the Forum.
As I mentioned to you earlier, you can post bigger which is great for both contributor & reader, as we can then appreciate the image more, plus I would suggest you check your 'Save for web' workflow, as the image has an untagged profile and this may not display your image to their full potential. In addition, it's also at times, quite nice to add a little intro to the image, as it gives a better understanding/background to the shot.
Regarding the image, I assume this was taken in the garden, so moving position isn't an issue, as these guys get quite brazen at times allowing you to get incredibly close at times. The reason I say that is I think either moving the frame more to the left putting the subject off centre, or changing format to a portrait one, emphasises the pose and is more in keeping with the subject. These guys can prove to be very entertaining when it comes to photographic them, however they are still not as nice as the 'reds' IMHO, but still provide a good photographic source. The image does have a strong cast to it (green & yellow), so I might back off on any Saturation applied, which may bolster this cast, your best to get the WB right before you do any further PP (Post production) work to your image, this is you platform basis for everything. Also, just be aware of any distracting objects that may appear in the BKG, just take one shot and have a look on the LCD, this will help you, ie the brighter twigs near the set-up, likewise the bush in the BKG. At ISO 3200 you may also like to look at running some Noise Reduction (NR) to the BKG to to help things, but avoid everything you want to be sharp, ie the subject. I feel you are just on the edge with shutter speed (SS), however is the image hand held or did you use a tripod?
Nigel, if you balance the image to avoid any casts, just lookout for any distracting elements and adds some more sharpening to the subject I think you will be on the right track. The RP is justhere to hopefully illustrate my points. In addition to this part of the Forum, I see you have also posted elsewhere, if you haven't already, you might also like to swing by 'Eager to learn' as well. Here, they may also add some additional points we may not cover to help you progress in your skill set.
TFS
Steve
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
Thank you for your kind remarks the image was taken in a park and was hand held , I like what you have done with the image and I have taken on board your comments , I have only been taking pictures since April this year so I have much to learn
Hi Nigel, wow only since April, ok then I think a quiet time looking through the Forum will help tremendously. You may also like to go to Digital Workflow have read of the various threads there too which may help.
Are you shooting Raw, if so what software are you using to convert & process your images? Sorry don't want to sound rude or condescending, just trying to ascertain where you are and also your level with PC/Mac as there might be certain things I could suggest, but do not want to swamp you, just trying to gauge things.
Cheers
Steve
Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.
Hi Steve , I do shoot in RAW and I use PS CS6 and Lightroom 5 also Nikon Capture NX2 . I have a understanding of these programs but have a lot to learn in the implementations of the various settings .
Hi Nigel - another warm welcome to BPN and the Wildlife Forum. Steve has covered the major issues in his critique. For me, the biggest issues, as he said, was that this image would be better in a portrait format with a bit more room above and below the squirrel and feeder and the color cast. I'm impressed that you just started photography in April and jumped in right away shooting raw and using CS to pp. Good for you and I look forward to seeing more of your images. TFS, Rachel
Welcome to BPN, Nigel! I too look forward to more images from you and I think it's great that you invested in good software-you will certainly reap the rewards very soon!
Grey Squirrel
[/IMG]
Nigel Kibble thanked for this post
Reply With Quote
