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Thread: Swamp Sparrow

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    Default Swamp Sparrow

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    I took this the other day. All comments appreciated - particularly, is there a way to deal with the oof pale shadow of a tree branch that passes across the base of the tail and back? (I have asked similar questions with other pictures in the past, but around here, where most small birds stay in the undergrowth, it seems to be a problem I frequently encounter, and so far nobody has really come up with a good solution).

    D7000, 300 f4 AF-S, TCE-14, hand-held, AF-C, , 1/800. f5.6, ISO560, standard processing in LR5, Noise Ninja.

    Thanks for looking, and eager to learn --

    Richard

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    What a cutie! Well exposed -- I like the high key BG (which may actually be foreground elements) and the very pleasing OOF quality to it.

    I don't think there is any halfway good way to deal with the OOF branch in front of the bird. (The ones at the base and to the right on the bird aren't bothersome to me.) The only thing I can suggest is to duplicate the layer and add contrast and/or structure, then mask the low contrast area as best you can. It will have limited success. Easier to just do a different shot.

    Use the DOF preview when shooting to try to minimize situations like this. You often can't see a branch like that when looking thru the lens wide open. But as you say, it's often not possoble to move your position to get the branch out of the way.

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    Hi Richard

    This is a really nice bird. Overall your processing looks good and my only critique is that to me it looks a little over sharpened.

    As Diane says there is no easy way to deal with branches crossing the subject. I have had limited scucess cloning them out but with so much of the bird affected and the detail on the bird being so fine then this would be very difficult. I think Diane's suggestion of a layer with more contrast might make it less noticable.
    I think that is the main difference with the very good photographers on here that they have the skill and knowledge to get into a position where they can get clear images without obstructions. It is always better to send time getting an image as near to perfect as possible in camera then spending a great amount of time trying to clean images up.
    Hope this helps and keep the images coming.

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    One possibility to make repair of the area easier would be to shoot at a higher DOF, to make the intruding branch smaller and thus a little easier to repair. If you have the light. And the time. Then I'd want to shoot one at the more ideal aperture and layer the two (if you're on a tripod so they match well) and see if I could blend the one with the sharper FG element. You wouldn't want to change the focus, though, just the aperture. Probably not often you'd have the setup that would permit it.

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    Thanks for the feedback. Actually I spent a while attempting to photograph this bird in deep undergrowth on a river bank. I managed this shot in the 1 second or so it popped up into a relatively clear space before disappearing again. But I appreciate all your comments and suggestions .

    Richard

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    Truly wild birds (not attracted to anything) are a huge challenge. Well done to get this one. Keep persisting and there will always be a few that rise above average. And average isn't bad...

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