Results 1 to 20 of 20

Thread: Family Portrait

  1. #1
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Thousand Oaks, California, United States
    Posts
    3,023
    Threads
    416
    Thank You Posts

    Default Family Portrait

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Reworked one of the images taken last Summer. The sky was a dull grey, so added a Cooling filter. Used Curves to lighten the face of the baby.

    1DX
    500f4 II
    1/800
    f8
    ISO-400
    Handheld

    UMS 100/0.3/0 for the elies in the front
    UMS 80/0.7/0 for the ones in back

    Do they look too crunchy?

    Can't believe how fast time flies. in 2 1/2 months we will be back in Africa - Botswana this time.

    Have no Wildlife here that I can shoot in SoCal.

    Thank you and wish everyone a productive 2014

    Loi

  2. #2
    BPN Member William Dickson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Fife, Scotland
    Posts
    7,773
    Threads
    1,093
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Coolio, luv it

  3. #3
    BPN Member Douglas Bolt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Beltsville, MD USA
    Posts
    567
    Threads
    114
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I don't think they are too crunchy. Who likes smooth elephant skin! I like the composition. Well balanced with just the right amount of space around the animals.
    Douglas Bolt
    DougBoltPhotography.com

  4. #4
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in the world
    Posts
    20,551
    Threads
    1,285
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Loi, nice heard of elephants, always difficult to get clear heads in the back of a group like this.

    Not sure about the blue, is this a carry over from the kite? Looks like you got more tonal range in this image compared to the previous ones, and good to see there is detail & tone in the tusks. I don't mind the crop as presented, but if it is a crop then perhaps having a little more room all round might be nice? Perhaps a little more IDSO, but again, since this was taken you have come a long way. Nice touch having the egrets, just adds that little bit of extra, to the image. Personally I wouldn't have split the sharpening and I might have left the rear ones, but I do wonder if a tad more USM wouldn't hurt, WDYT? Keep that middle figure to 0.3.

    To me, there appears to be a very slight halo running along the back of the elephants where it touches the sky, perhaps have a look when you have a minute.

    You will love Botswana, especially where you are going, just make sure you say hi to Lizzie for me.

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

  5. #5
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Loi - I was about to post about the selection halo where the eles meet the sky but Steve beat me to it. It's a nice grouping and the tones/curves adjustments look good. It doesn't look crunchy to me at all. It's often worth going back to old files and applying newly learned pp. This one is no exception. I'm sure you'll love Botswana.

    TFS,
    Rachel

  6. #6
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Thousand Oaks, California, United States
    Posts
    3,023
    Threads
    416
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Kaluski View Post
    Hi Loi, nice heard of elephants, always difficult to get clear heads in the back of a group like this.

    Not sure about the blue, is this a carry over from the kite? Looks like you got more tonal range in this image compared to the previous ones, and good to see there is detail & tone in the tusks. I don't mind the crop as presented, but if it is a crop then perhaps having a little more room all round might be nice? Perhaps a little more IDSO, but again, since this was taken you have come a long way. Nice touch having the egrets, just adds that little bit of extra, to the image. Personally I wouldn't have split the sharpening and I might have left the rear ones, but I do wonder if a tad more USM wouldn't hurt, WDYT? Keep that middle figure to 0.3.

    To me, there appears to be a very slight halo running along the back of the elephants where it touches the sky, perhaps have a look when you have a minute.

    You will love Botswana, especially where you are going, just make sure you say hi to Lizzie for me.

    TFS
    Steve
    Steve, I converted the image in LR5 "as shot" at 5500 and the "auto" at 5650, so pretty close. No neutral grey here. Tried to find a neutral grey in CS6, but not findign one and I ended up adding too much Red. So I just reduced the blue a little using Saturation. don't see much difference here.

    You were right about not bothering with spliting the sharpening. Here is a RP with the same 100/0.3.0 for all.

    I have a little more room on the LHS and top, but not RHS, thus cropping the left to make it a little more equi distanct especially the eles were walking from left to right.

    Halo: I resharpened the image here, hopefully addressing the halo issue.

    Thank you again for your help. Will say hello to Lizzie for you.

    Loi

  7. #7
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    14,858
    Threads
    1,235
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nice scene Loi. Always tricky to get good positioning from all the members of the herd.
    I would darken midtones a tad, especially on the elephants. Ditto on the halo.
    I personally don't mind the blue sky here, but might darken it a tad?
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


  8. #8
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Loi - the halo is still there in the rp. I don't think it is a sharpening halo, rather it is from the selection.

  9. #9
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in the world
    Posts
    20,551
    Threads
    1,285
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Tried to find a neutral grey in CS6, but not findign one and I ended up adding too much Red.
    To do it in PS is simple, but a little complicated, you need to create a layer and a Threshold layer etc, once I remember I will let you know.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  10. #10
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Thousand Oaks, California, United States
    Posts
    3,023
    Threads
    416
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Rachel Hollander View Post
    Loi - the halo is still there in the rp. I don't think it is a sharpening halo, rather it is from the selection.
    Rachel, the halo is probably from the application of the Photo Filter to the sky. I was being careful, but not enough. No selection was used here.

    Morkel, I increased the exposure by 1/3 EV, so I reduced the exposure by 1/6, not worth reposting though.

    Thank you

  11. #11
    Forum Participant edwardselfe's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    South Luangwa, Zambia
    Posts
    701
    Threads
    26
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I like this a lot. Nice arrangement of the elephants and dof and cattle egrets. Hard lighting conditions as the overcast sky hasn't helped to bring out the detail on the elephants, but your processing has done well to maintain the textures. I would also be tempted to look at this as a B&W. The composition's great, and the sharpness excellent, but the colour's perhaps the weakest part (as you have found yourself with trying to find a WB point). Just an idea.
    Ed

  12. #12
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in the world
    Posts
    20,551
    Threads
    1,285
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I would also be tempted to look at this as a B&W.
    Great call Ed, Loi this could work really well and you could perhaps take advantage of the tonal range?
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  13. #13
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Dortmund / Germany
    Posts
    10,906
    Threads
    1,196
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hey folks how to get the neutral mid point in PS ???

    Ask the master of disaster , me.

    Open color image in PS .
    New empty layer , fill it with 50 % grey, set blend mode to `Difference`.
    New threshold layer, move the slider all the way to the left, then start moving the slider to the right , the first black solid patches are representing the tonal mid tones in the image….
    Take the eyedropper and set the point to whatever area in the image is just black…. at this stage.
    Now you have a tonal mid point.

    hope that helps.

    Cheers Andreas

  14. #14
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Dortmund / Germany
    Posts
    10,906
    Threads
    1,196
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Loi,
    lovely family scene of the elephants with a nice inclusion of the egrets . Good details in the whole frame , which is nice.
    I personally would like to see more tonal depth in the image and a slightly cooler look, too yellow for my taste , specially in the elephants.
    I am fine with the blue sky , but not sure about the hue…
    The crop is slightly too tight for my liking.

    Just think about my thoughts, or leave as you did. All is good.
    TFS Andrea

  15. #15
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in the world
    Posts
    20,551
    Threads
    1,285
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Andreas, I think that was what I was trying to remember, cheers. Did I send that to you, I know the girls had the recipe from me, but as I rarely use it, I tend to forget, old age.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  16. #16
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Dortmund / Germany
    Posts
    10,906
    Threads
    1,196
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    No Steve, i cannot remember that you have ever sent me any kind of practical help……… you told me go the hard way find out yourself…………….. LOL !!!!!! So i found out myself….
    Just kidding, honestly . ( i am just giggling while i write this, want to see your face at the same time, with the swollen throat.

    To be serious you did not sent me this, because i did not ask you .

    Andreas

  17. #17
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in the world
    Posts
    20,551
    Threads
    1,285
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    ( i am just giggling while i write this, want to see your face at the same time, with the swollen throat.
    LOL.

    I will ask Rachel if she has it and compare.

    Here you go:

    Neutral or Mid Point Adjustment
    - Open an image and create a new layer above
    - Edit menu choose Fill, when this pops up choose 50% grey & fill
    - Now go to the layers panel and change the blend mode to Difference, weird hey, funky

    - Now at the foot of the Layers panel is a circle cut in two, click on that and scroll to Threshold
    - Now move the RH slider all the way to the Left until it goes white, now slowly drag the slider back to the right
    - As soon as you start to see black appearing that is your mid grey point (neutral) STOP
    - Using the eyedropper from the tool palette click shift and with the eyedropper click on the black area
    - Now click on the cancel button in the Threshold dialog or turn the eye off in layers

    Now drag the mid grey layer you created into the bin & delete
    Now click on Curves adj, click on the mid grey dropper and then click on the Colour sampler marker that you identified in the image, job done.
    Last edited by Steve Kaluski; 01-13-2014 at 08:06 AM.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  18. #18
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    UK / RSA
    Posts
    407
    Threads
    38
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    A nice family portrait Loi. Impressive tusker on the RH side.
    My only regret is that the small elephant in the middle front has his(her?) trunk abscured by the grassy mound mound.

  19. #19
    BPN Member Andreas Liedmann's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Dortmund / Germany
    Posts
    10,906
    Threads
    1,196
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Better than my quick &dirty version ,Mr Detail.

    But actually there is no "RH slider " in the Threshold dialogue , there is only one slider .

    To be correct…..

    Regards Andreas

  20. #20
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    West Chester, PA
    Posts
    719
    Threads
    159
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Beautiful shot, they are such magnificent animals. I don't think that it looks crunchy at all actually.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics