-
Sleeping Black Pacific Beauty
Black Pacific Duck - Anas superciliosa
Here's one from this morning. Only a few birds down at the pond this morning. It looks like some idiot has dumped a swag full of domestic ducks. Unfortunately, these domestics are capable of breeding with the wild birds (not to mention take their food source) so we end up with a whole lot of diluted wild birds.
In ACR - Shadows, blacks and whites all pushed to the right. Highlights to left. No Exp or Contrast. Clarity and vibrance. HSL - Luminance sliders all increased and most saturation sliders also increased.
In PSCS6 - Tried a median blur, cloned some rubbish from the water. Vibrance layer added, Cropped to 40% FF Resized and smart sharpened for the web.
Canon 5D2
Lens - 150-600 5 - 6.3 OS HSM Sigma sport @ 600mm
1/640 @ f8
ISO 1000
spot metering
Manual
Monopod
-
Nice! I've never seen anything like this one! We have a lot of mutt Mallards, and probably could name more promiscuous species if I knew anything about birds.
Good sharpness on the body feathers and head. I like how the bird blends in with the water, providing a sort of camouflage. I also like the bright reflection, as it picks up the white edges on the feathers and provides a sort of abstract counterpoint to the sharply detailed feathers.
I can't fault your results at all, but be cautious to notice if increasing luminosity in colors lowers contrast. Sometimes (often) lowered contrast is good but I'm a little skeptical if it isn't better to do it with the tonal sliders. But maybe with the amount of information in a raw file, it's OK.
Nice work!!
-
Gorgeous Glennie,I don't really know what else to add apart from I love the green reflections,they lift the image for me
cracking mate
Stu
-
-
BPN Member
Hi, Glennie. Thank you for sharing this, especially with the story. I like the color and as Diane wrote, the blending with the water. I do find myself wanting more light on the duck, and more sharpness. Diane wrote that the sharpness on body and head are good, so I'm probably missing something here.
-
Or equally likely I am!! More sharpness is always good (to me), as long as you don't get into over-sharpening halos.
-
Thank you Stu, Jim Jack and Diane.
I don't often agree with you Jim
but I think you're right. The image posted does look a little flat and sharpless! When I have a minute, I might try to lift it a bit. I'm experimenting with no sharpening at all until posting, so perhaps, this time, it hasn't worked.
-
BPN Member
Well, you scared me. You said you think I'm right. Earth shakes. [Grins.] What really happened is that I looked again at your photograph. I still think the same things, but I enjoy looking at it a lot. I don't know any photographer of birds who has what I think of as fortuitous accidents in sighting beautiful birds as often as you.
-
-
BPN Member
Thank you. Thank you. I like this so much. I so wanted to see those wing feathers more clearly, and the colors, though subtle, are exquisite. And the unintended consequence of more light around the eye. Did a slightly blue cast change to green?
-
Jim, I used a trick that Diane told me a little while back with the "old doe" image. That image was just such a learning curve for me. When you go in to a curves layer in PS, there are three little eye droppers down the side of the box. If you click on the middle one it sets a neutral colour. Pretty much as it should be. The second post is definately more accurate in colouring. I dodged the eye and it's surround.
-
BPN Member
Thanks for sharing that, Glennie.
-
Nice touch. And yes, the color balance looks better now, although I don't know the bird But you definitely do! Color casts or a less-than-ideal white balance can be hard to notice. And the eyedropper only works if you have something that should be neutralized, but it can help you see there is a cast, even if it doesn't correct it quite right.
-
Post a Thank You. - 1 Thanks
