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Thread: We're All Ears!!!

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    Default We're All Ears!!!

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    A few months ago, I posted this wild dog image when I first got back from Africa, but it was not a good image. There wasn't much room at the top and the tail of the dog on the LHS was clipped. I have learned a lot about PP recently from all of you, but especially Steve, Morkel, and Rachel so would like to try a re-post here.

    1DX
    500f4 II
    1/160
    f8
    ISO-800
    Bean Bag on Ground (yes, I was flat on my belly facing a pack of wild dogs and shooting thru the bottom of the Land Cruiser)

    Added canvas on top
    Repaired the clipped tail by stitching with another frame with the tail intact
    Cloned out an OOF elephant dunk at the leg of the dog on the LHS. I really didn't see it.

    There was a strong blue cast on the dogs, so I used Hue/Sat to reduce the Blue (thanks to Anette)

    Hope you like it better than previous posting of wild dogs from me.

    Thank you

    Loi

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    HI Loi - You have certainly done all the hard work putting in the time and effort to improve your pp and participating here. This looks very good. Nice that all 3 are looking in the same direction. Color looks good and you've got nice detail. Adding canvas, stitching and cloning are all personal choices so do what you feel comfortable doing (so long as disclose same) and it's good to have the tools in your arsenal. There's a little repetition where the canvas was added, more apparent on the top right. If it were mine I would do another round of NR on the bg.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Hi Loi

    I like this image a lot, with very good detail on the blacks

    Other than comments from Rachel i would look at cloning out the white spots by the eye of the left dog. It seems to draw my attention to it.

    I would try, but not sure if it would work, to brighten the iris of the middle and the RHS dog as they seem to get lost within the black of the surrounding fur.

    Good effort and I am learning a lot from your reposts and PP

    Thanks

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Loi, putting the time in is the way to go, not only in shooting but in PP too, they work 'hand in hand', so top marks in your perseverance and commitment, a great attitude. The whole 'learning curve' will set you up for the next trip.

    Taking the image into account I know you were finding your feet overall & the new camera, but trusting the Histogram for Exposure is priceless and so cranking up that ISO2000, 2500 + to get SS and or DOF is not issue. A3 prints are stunning and likewise the IQ, just keep trying and experimenting, knowing the limitation is the only way. All last week was ISO2000 and now I'm back the images look good, far better than the MKIV at those ISO's.

    The composition on this is much better than the previous one, but the POV is for me, what nails the image. Not sure about the LH dog, right ear as viewed, looks like another ear, looks odd? Something I never do on my images, but re the BKG, just blurring a fraction, there are a many options/choices in PS6, this is just one of their newer ones, it may help any 'repeat' patterns, but keep it looking more like DOF. Or you could try as Rachel suggested a little more NR. Personally I would also clone out the two highlights in the BKG. Adding a blend % Lumo adjustment does help the dogs, likewise adding a tweak of the blacks in Selective as I showed you does help this particular image I feel, just brings up a tad more richness. I know I went the other way on the last image, but I feel this has perhaps gone a little too far the other way, just a fraction and again, just my interpretation.

    The RP is in your in box.

    TFS
    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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    Loi, I really like this! Awesome POV, great to see all of them looking in your direction, ears all attentive! Good colour, and comp. Steve & Rachel have pointed out the rest. Well done.

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    Hi Everyone, I'm so glad that you like this image! It was the best image I had of the wild dogs, but I couldn't get the comp or the colors to work. The past few months have been a great learning experience for me and I think it will set me up for the next trip. Here is a RP. Hope you will like it.

    Rachel, you are certainly right about the repetitive pattern on the added canvas. I took Steve's advice to apply some blur to the BG.

    Steve, the ears of the LHS do look funny because there was a fourth dog behind him! I also took out the highlights in the BG as you suggested.

    Shane, I debated whether to give the LHS dog a "face wash" and decided agaisnt it. But you are right, as long as I cloned out some other things, I may as well do a clean up on the face here. I also darkened the noses of the dogs a little, which took away the blue cast and gave more contrast to the eyes.

    Thanks again everyone.

    Loi

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Love the POV and poses here! Agree with Steve, you need to trust the higher ISO's more. This just looks underexposed on the whole, blacks on the dogs too dark, BG very dark - a few tweaks (even more than your RP) and it would rock. Should be able to lift the shadows nicely at ISO-800 even with underexposure...

    It also looks like you added some blur to the background. I've got a pet peeve with this cause most people who do it, do it so that it's obvious and not subtle.
    I would like to see the out of camera file?
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Hi Morkel, I will post the out of camera image when I get home today. Regarding the BG, it is too busy and so I darkened it. I didn't do the blur on the OP, only on the RP. If you would like, I can also shoot you the RAW file as I value your suggestions very much. Thanks. Loi

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    Hi Morkel, please see the Out of camera image here. I used DPP and the default sharpness setting to export to JPEG. thanks Loi

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    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
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    You've made a lot from this image - especially having seen the original. good work. I would also not blur the background - it never looks natural and detracts from an otherwise good image. love the glow in the dogs' eyes.
    Ed

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