One blissfully happy Turtle

[Melissa Usrey]

I was out last weekend looking for Mandarin Ducks when this little guy appeared in my viewfinder. The morning sun was just coming through the trees and he looked so happy to be basking in it. He looks like he's smiling! On the other hand, he may have been practicing his Cobra yoga pose.

[Gabriela Plesea]

Dear Melissa,

I am blissfully happy to see your contribution here on BPN Wildlife Just noticed you have forgotten to share with us the details of your equipment and settings, please do so as soon as possible as it helps us give you feedback. Also, try to comment on others' posts whenever you share one of your own - your observations do not have to be of a technical nature, just tell us what you like or do not like about an image:)

Kind regards,

[Melissa Usrey]

Aaarrrggghhh! I always forget the equipment part! As soon as I posted, I got called away to a meeting.

Canon 1 DX II
Canon 400 II DO f/4 with 1.4 t.c.
ISO 250
560mm
1/800 sec.
f/5.6
Handheld

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Mellisa, nice to see a different species posted.

Overall the image looks very saturated and the subject is not sharp, it's soft. What appears to be heat haze I feel jars a bit with the 'soft' subject, did you apply any sharpening to the subject, if not, then you do have to sharpen Digital files. Techs 1/800 OK HH, but I would have gone to a 'native' 400 for some extra SS HH. I do however like the low POV and neck of the subject outstretched.

If you have time I would revisit the file.

TFS
Steve

[Melissa Usrey]

Thank you Steve! No, with the exception of cropping, this is how the photo looked coming out of the camera. I was fairly far away which may account for the less than sharp pic. I'll take your advice and revisit it!

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Mellissa

this is how the photo looked coming out of the camera

Do you not 'process' the file, I'm assuming you are shooting RAW not JPEG and have the right Working Space set in both camera & Software?

I was fairly far away which may account for the less than sharp pic.

The rock looks sharper than the Turtle, where did you have the focus points, you can check this in Canon's DPP software.

Taking the OP I tweaked the colour a little and tried to apply some sharpening, but it still looks soft. Did you sharpen the image in Processing?

[Melissa Usrey]

Yes, I shoot in RAW. I always process photos, but this time I didn't want to overdo it so I just cropped. I use Lightroom. With all of my photos, I try to focus on the animal's eyes. I never use a tripod because with birds, it just doesn't work for me. That said, my set up is about 9 lbs. and I can only hand hold for seconds at a time which may account for some shakiness. I'm going to try and sharpen using the masking/sharpening in LR and see if that improves it. The background I honestly don't know how to change it. I am always hoping for a background blur, but the grasses were against the side of the turtle, there was no chance for that, even at 5.6 ap. This is actually the first non-bird subject I've shot in a long time - he just came across in my view finder.

Here's a question: I didn't notice the heat waviness until you pointed it out. We're having a horrible heat wave here in S. Calif., so I wonder if the waviness will affect everything. Possible?

[Steve Kaluski]

Thanks Melissa, I now have a better understanding.

LR is good, but you do need to couple it with PS and then toggle between the two.

A tripod can be limiting, however it does also help tired arms, you could use your camera bag as a rest with a bean bag perhaps, but subject to what you are shooting.

LR Sharpening Module, yep that is for 'in-put' sharpening you then an apply 'out put' sharpening when you export from LR.

The BKG, not much you can do, I tried to tweak by addressing colour, plus here I did use a 'Blur' within PS which I rarely use to soften it, you need more space between subject & BKG.

Heat haze can affect things, however we too in the UK are going through it, this afternoon 34 degrees, something we are not used to.

[Melissa Usrey]

Only 34 C? I'm in the 100+++++ F range. I did not do the sharpening in export this time. Not sure why. I have a bean bag but it's heavy and I didn't want to hike with it. For the turtle (and the not-so-perfect Wood Ducks) I was shooting, I used my knee to prop up my cam. I have used the NIK filters in PS to sharpen but not this time. I'm still going to work on it. I'm hoping the heat lets up for all of us!!!!! I haven't been out photographing for a month - the longest time for me, so I was shooting anything and everything last weekend.

[haseeb badar]

Hi Melissa -- NIce to see you posting , i think tech bits are covered nicely above and to which i also agree but apart from that i really liked the low POV and the beautiful looking subject. Keep them coming .

TFS !