Painted bunting

[Dan Walker]

From the same morning and location as the "swamp cardinal" from the other day

Nikon D80 300mm f4 x 1.4, 1/125 F7.1 ISO 200 fill flash around -1 2/3

Dan

[Fabs Forns]

Nicely composed, it could use a contrsat boost or adding some black to the neutrals in Selective color. Great BG.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the unusual setting, angle and it is good that there is nothing distracting around the bird. I agree with Fabs regarding contrast boost.

[Arthur Morris]

Sharp, with a good look-back head turn, but the colors look on the funky side and a bit washed out, esp. the head.

Did you work on the BKGR just below and in front of the bird's throat?

[Dan Walker]

Thanks for suggestions

Arthur, yes there was a dark spot on the duckweed right there and I cloned it out. It was seperate from the other dark spot that is coming from his throat (behind him), chose not to mess with it, probably should have. I will try to work on the colors.

Thanks, Dan

[Dave Phillips]

nice one Dan...throw a bit of local contrast enhancement at it and see it come alive,
USM at 12/50/0 for a medium pop

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks for suggestions. Arthur, yes there was a dark spot on the duckweed right there and I cloned it out. It was seperate from the other dark spot that is coming from his throat (behind him), chose not to mess with it, probably should have. I will try to work on the colors. Thanks, Dan

YAW. Just call me eagle eye (on the clone job)! To me, the colors seems to have been overworked... Convert the RAW image with data (adding light if necessary) and then do nothing but convert it to an 800 wide 200 kb image at 96 dpi and I will have a look and possibly a go at it.

[Dan Walker]

Eagle eye, The colors should be straight out of the camera, if i can remember correctly. I will go back to RAW file and try again to see what happens, will try to do a better clone job, too

Thanks
Dan

[Arthur Morris]

re:

Eagle eye,

:)

The colors should be straight out of the camera, if i can remember correctly.

I doubt that....

I will go back to RAW file and try again to see what happens, will try to do a better clone job, too

Using a Quick Mask is 1000 times better and easier...

Thanks

YAW.

Dan

ps: I look forward to seeing what it looked like out of camera...

[Dan Walker]

I was about to order the CD from your web site on Quick mask last week, but then read that it wont work with elements, the only program I have (cant afford CS3:(), do any aspects of that tutorial cd work with elements 6? I would really like to get in on that action.

Dan

[Robert O'Toole]

Sorry Dan but as far as I know my APTATS CD techniques will only work with the full Photoshop, not elements. Adobe does not offer any Quick mask capability with PS Elements. I recommend the upgrade to the full Photoshop, Adobe offers a discount for the upgrade I believe.

Robert

[Dan Walker]

Arthur - I looked at the original file and colors are the same, maybe overflashed or something else

Robert - I found some internet stores that offer student discounts that are around 300 instead of 6 - 900 bones, so next paycheck I might have to get a copy and your CD

[Arthur Morris]

Dan, I would still love to see a jpeg that represents the converted TIFF as I have never seen a Painted Bunting's blue head look that funky...

[Dan Walker]

I will get that up tonight or tomorrow. I am still a little confused about the funkyness, what makes it funky? Just trying to learn here to make a better photo the next time. thanks

Dan

[Arthur Morris]

Funky blue feathers look a bit noisy and jagged, as if they have been lightened too much after originally being underexposed. And possibly oversharpened. You know, funky!

[Dan Walker]

Ooohh, funky, gotcha. Me thinks it is an artifact of oversharpening. I have been trying to get sharpening for the web down and have been accused of undersharpening in the past (guilty as charged). So I tried oversharpening this dude (mainly on the head). If this sort of thing happens, should I adjust color before or after sharpening for web? here is the jpeg from tiff with nothing done except crop and an even worse clone job than before, too tired to try again tonight, it was a stick coming out of the water, by the way. Thanks for showing interest in this and showing me the error of my ways, its how I learn.

Dan