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Thread: Plumed Whistler Pair

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    Default Plumed Whistler Pair

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    This image was taken on bright, early sunny morning. The pair are quite timid and it looks like they are looking for a quick get away.

    I've darkened the rocks the birds are standing on. Cloned out a Purple waterhen. 45% crop of full frame. I could have left more but decided the surroundings BG did nothing much to enhance the birds.
    Adjustments is ACR - shadows, whites and clarity sliders.

    Canon 5D Mark II
    Sigma 150-600mm Sport
    1/1000 sec @ f14
    ISO 1250
    Monopod

    I think this will be the last of the Whistlers for a while.

    C&C Welcomed and appreciated!

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    Beautiful photo. :)

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    Nicely done Glennie,
    There are flocks of a few hundred of these at Hastie but none so close.
    Good to see all of the bird I'm used to seeing them swimming.
    Looks like your new lens is performing well
    I particularly like the positioning of the two birds relative to each other.
    The small gap between their necks reaching down to the darker feathers is great and gives separation.
    Well positioned relative to each other and within the frame.
    Paul.

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    Thank you Paul! You have given a very precise critique here and it is much appreciated.

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    What wonderful looks you got from these two!! Paul covered the subtle composition of the two necks very well! Is one of a pair naturally smaller? That's an attractive feature, making it appear that one is the stronger, protective partner, and that one is being a little more watchful of you. Nice touch!

    I have no significant critique of this image, but I could wonder if the water might be lightened little. It seems a bit heavy. That would lower the contrast and saturation on it. But it could be tricky not to have a negative impact on the birds. I'd probably have a look at masking them.

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    Thanks Diane. I did think the water looked heavy and oversaturated, but in fact I had already desaturated the oranges, yellows and greens. No contrast slider used and shadows and blacks all moved to the right. All the frames of the birds in that part of the waterway are similar. I've done a reverse vignette (probably not on your list of how to fix things) on the re-post and a bit of dodging on the darker parts. I like it better than the OP, but feel the birds look a bit flatter?

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    Interesting.... The lightening spilled over into the edges of the geese. And probably combined with the lighter BG they have lost a little punch. Not too much, but a little. A touch of Clarity might be enough to do the trick, but you may want to mask it away from the water.

    You might try selecting the birds (Quick Selection tool will do to start) inversing the selection and making a Curves, which will have the selection as a mask, then lightening the water a little. Then if the effect looks good, touch up the mask with the brush tool -- slash key to see it. Then you can tweak the Curve at any time if you decide it needs it.

    Maybe with a harder selection that you have done here, they will look pasted on, though, so you might want to do what you did and let the lightening spill over onto them a little. No way to know without some experimenting.

    I always feather a selection like that a little, as you'll never have an image with 1-pixel sharp edges, which the selection tools give you. You can feather, expand and contract the mask after the Curve adjustment is done. You don't want to have a halo.

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    OK. Thank you Diane. Yes. It would be the reverse vignette for sure. I didn't think it would go that far. The re-re-post has been selectively curved...and the result, I think, is the best. I have so many Whistler shots, I think I'm Whistlered out!

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    Subtle difference but very nice! You got it on this one, as far as I'm concerned!

    Looking forward to the next bird -- or whatever....

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    Lovely watching you work this up Glennie, I have little post skills,but this has been interesting. I really like the "pair" image and both being sharp plus the eye contact,with you. Whistlers we have both worked with,in captivity,is there another common name for them Glennie,I just can't place it which is bothersome,but I do know the bird.

    I think you did really well here it's a lovely image of a member of a family of ducks I really have a soft spot for !! The way the oranges stand out both in the eye and brest really looks right in the final post Glennie,I would imaging this would be very easy to overdo,but I think it really brings them to life

    take care cheers for sharing this one,ha you might be whistlered out I guess I'm not

    Stu

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    Thank you Stu. My PP skills are improving mainly because of Diane Miller's very helpful advice. I must admit I do like to experiment to see what all the tools and techniques can do. I would really like to become a better photographer, rather than a skilled PS technician.

    I don't know of any other common name. Some call them Wandering Whistlers, but I think that is a similar, not same, species.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Glennie Passier View Post
    Thank you Stu. My PP skills are improving mainly because of Diane Miller's very helpful advice. I must admit I do like to experiment to see what all the tools and techniques can do. I would really like to become a better photographer, rather than a skilled PS technician.

    I don't know of any other common name. Some call them Wandering Whistlers, but I think that is a similar, not same, species.
    Hiya Glennie,sorry slow ,extraordinarily busy.

    Glennie you ARE right the bird I am familiar with is the wandering and it is indeed a separate species plummed being D.etoni wandering D. arcuata thanks for that education the bird pictured is completely new to me and for that you have my thanks as I didn't realise there was another similar looking species of whistling duck.

    all the luck Glennie

    Stu

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    What a fabulous bird--I've probably seen shots of these before but never one that so beautifully shows their plumage. Capturing waterfowl in pairs is a particular interest for me and you've done it magnificently here Glennie. As a reproduction of reality the RP#2 probably does it best but as an avian work of art I like the original post. I never wanted to make the long flight to Australia but I might have to change my mind to spend some photographic time with these wonderful waterfowl.
    Last edited by Bob Smith; 12-27-2015 at 03:47 PM.

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