A few days before leaving for India I picked up a 5D4 to add to the kit, thanks Canon, but always hesitant about new kit without testing it and yes I was right, it needed 'tweaking' on the fly and on my return went back to Canon and have just picked it back up.
The shot was taken on one of the last knocking of our 12 hour days in the reserve, full on, intensive, everything full of dust, but huge fun and great to spend time with some 'old friends'. One of the few shots with the 5D4, the work horses were the 1DX MK2's which performed and delivered in my book. The blue is the lake that butts to the old Palace and incredible location, full of history and great diverse habitat, and I think the best Tiger reserve in India.
Thanks to those who posted or viewed on the last posting.
Steve
Subject: Woolly-necked stork (Ciconia episcopus)
Location: India
Camera: Canon 5D4
Lens: 500f/4 MKII with 1.4 MKIII HH
Exposure: 1/1000s at f/8 ISO1000
Original format: Portrait, slight crop at top & width
Processed via: LRCC Classic & PSCC2019
Probably can afford to loose some off the LHS and increase the blue to the RHS.
NOT baited, but perhaps the two most photographed subjects
Beautifully processed every detail is appreciable in the darks, a very minor consideration for me would be to see if it is worthwhile reducing the brightest highlights. .......... I am almost certain you will disagree!............... But have you had a look?
a very minor consideration for me would be to see if it is worthwhile reducing the brightest highlights. .......... I am almost certain you will disagree!............... But have you had a look?
Probably just being a bit lazy there Jon, a quick layer Blend and it should better, but you have the RAW now, so lets see your thoughts.
Hi Steve, excellent IQ, and it does seem he is looking at you. I really like the overall detail, sharp, and the iridescence on the upper body/wing shows off nicely. Your portrait comp works well. Glad you had a fruitful trip.
This one is a stunner. Love the detail in the purple ruff.
with love, artie
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I don't know the bird but it looks like this image would benefit from a slight increase to the blacks.
Hi Walker, I'll try and explain my rational here, as a lot of folk on the Wildlife Forum know, I am very 'picky' about Blacks, Contrast, Clarity, partly down to my background, but also knowing what LR & probably ACR (same engine I think) now do behind the scenes in recent updates. Plus, compared to Nikon's images, I find Canon's tend to be a bit more Contrasty, where as Nikon's have better, deeper blacks and having done a test many moons ago with a make-up brush in a black surrounding, Nikons images were superior to Canon's without a doubt.
Personally I tend to process more 'open', in addition I keep all the Raw data (within camera ie I strip all settings like Sat, Contrast, Tone etc to zero) to a minimum and so the files look as dull as ditchwater, then at the initial proceeding stage I can control both the Contrast & Blacks, as adding Contrast will effect the mid tones, not what you want, because where is all you detailed held, in the mid tones. So when I read folk say push the Blacks, add Contrast, Clarity do it once you have control otherwise you chock areas and lose detail IMHO.
The tools available now in PP are awesome, irrespective of what you use, but, it understanding what they do is paramount, pushing Contrast & Clarity is not always a good thing and seeing lovely rich, saturated, full depth images on screen is very rewarding, but it's when you try to print and match to what you see is the 'bench' test and you can never replicate it in full what you see on screen, partly down to some colours being hard to replicate and go 'muddy, plus Screen & Print are two totally different mediums.
Sorry to ramble on, I just felt I should explain my own thinking rather than just saying NO (because I don't post much Avian) and so folk may not know why I do things, but hopefully this illustrates my thinking, which some may disagree, but exchanging thoughts, views etc I think is good because it creates a health Forum for debate, (if required) .
Have a great Christmas and enjoy the festive period.
This one is a stunner. Love the detail in the purple ruff.
Cheers Artie, had to keep tweaking the AFMA, but I was prepared for this, although not always ideal at times, however I see you have done a very comprehensive guide for Nikon users, nice one.