Loggerhead Shrike

[Tim Foltz]

1DMKIII • 700mm • 1/2000 • f/6.3 • ISO 320 • HH • Manual

A few years ago we had a few of these hanging out at the wetlands.

Thanks for looking.

-Tim

[Isaac Grant]

I like this very much. Details look very nice. I like how the grays of the bird look with the browns of the background. Perch is nice and pose is as well. Pity the sun angle was not a little bit better so you could avoid the shadows on the tail. Also, on my monitor there is something funny with the background. Maybe it needs noise reduction? It looks a bit pixelated. If mine I would take a little off the bottom and add a little more room on top. Will be in Florida in December visiting family for Christmas and this bird is high on my list of targets.

[Tim Foltz]

I like this very much. Details look very nice. I like how the grays of the bird look with the browns of the background. Perch is nice and pose is as well. Pity the sun angle was not a little bit better so you could avoid the shadows on the tail. Also, on my monitor there is something funny with the background. Maybe it needs noise reduction? It looks a bit pixelated. If mine I would take a little off the bottom and add a little more room on top. Will be in Florida in December visiting family for Christmas and this bird is high on my list of targets.

Thanks Isaac, I have a hard time with color banding on certain images, it's very frustrating.

[gail bisson]

Good solid image with good details in the shrike.
I like the perch and the diagonal line it creates.
When I have problems with banding and pixellation in the BG after doing NR ,I will use a bit of blur to the BG. Often resolves the issue for me. At times, I try the NR and if too much pixellation will not do any NR but just use radial blur.
Try it!
Gail

[Tim Foltz]

Good solid image with good details in the shrike.
I like the perch and the diagonal line it creates.
When I have problems with banding and pixellation in the BG after doing NR ,I will use a bit of blur to the BG. Often resolves the issue for me. At times, I try the NR and if too much pixellation will not do any NR but just use radial blur.
Try it!
Gail

Thanks Gail, I tried your suggestion but still not completely happy with the results I know this is a big issue with DSLRs. Some even suggest adding noise...
Thank goodness this only happens on a very small percentage of BG's. Back to the drawing board.

[arash_hazeghi]

Hi Tim, the posterization is from conversion of 14 bit RAW to 8 bit JPEG, it is possible to eliminate it in processing. It is possible to eliminate it in post, do you have the RAW file?

It also depends on the monitor, some monitors with a limited gamut such as laptop screens or the monitors used in Apple products exaggerate the posterization (sometimes the file is fine but it's the monitor)


love the details and the BG BTW. handsome looking shrike.

[Tim Foltz]

Hi Tim, the posterization is from conversion of 14 bit RAW to 8 bit JPEG, it is possible to eliminate it in processing. It is possible to eliminate it in post, do you have the RAW file?

It also depends on the monitor, some monitors with a limited gamut such as laptop screens or the monitors used in Apple products exaggerate the posterization (sometimes the file is fine but it's the monitor)


love the details and the BG BTW. handsome looking shrike.

Hi Arash, Yes I do have the raw file, I tried lightening up the BG and that helped a bit but still not to my full satisfaction, I would appreciate any tips.

-Tim

[arash_hazeghi]

Can you send me the raw?

[Tim Foltz]

Can you send me the raw?

I would prefer step by step so I can do it myself, that way I'll learn the process.

Thanks -Tim

[Tim Foltz]

Hi Arash, Yes I do have the raw file, I tried lightening up the BG and that helped a bit but still not to my full satisfaction, I would appreciate any tips.

-Tim

Here is my re-do

[arash_hazeghi]

I just looked at your file size, it's only 80 KB. the file is heavily compressed and thus the posterization.

you need to use save for web under export in PS CC and try to maximize the quality slider while keeping the file size around 400 KB

As for dealing with posterization in general many things can cause it, including RAW conversion with non-optimal settings or incorrect color space, too much NR on the BG, adjusting saturation or brightness on the BG and other things, every image is different there is no one recipe that works for all.

best

[Tim Foltz]

I just looked at your file size, it's only 80 KB. the file is heavily compressed and thus the posterization.

you need to use save for web under export in PS CC and try to maximize the quality slider while keeping the file size around 400 KB

As for dealing with posterization in general many things can cause it, including RAW conversion with non-optimal settings or incorrect color space, too much NR on the BG, adjusting saturation or brightness on the BG and other things, every image is different there is no one recipe that works for all.

best

Thanks Arash, I use CS6 but I will set to maximum, 100% from now on while saving for web.

[William Dickson]

Excellent detail and a beautiful pose. Lovely colours throughout. Very nice indeed.

Will

[David Salem]

I like the pose and details too. Saving it at a larger size will help with the Posterization. Nice frame