Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: First Year Laughing Gull?

  1. #1
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Lakeland, FL
    Posts
    7,510
    Threads
    2,037
    Thank You Posts

    Default First Year Laughing Gull?

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    I captured this image at Lake Morton in Lakeland, Florida. I think it is a first year Laughing Gull, please chime in if I am wrong. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.

    Nikon D500
    Nikon 80-400mm F/4.5-5.6 VRII AF-S ED image captured at 400mm
    1/3200 F/8 Matrix Metering EV 0 ISO 800 WB set with the eyedropper on a neutral HH
    Post processed in Lightroom Classic, Photoshop CC 2019 and Neat Image for noise reduction
    Pretty much full frame, just rotated a tad for composition and presentation
    Joe Przybyla

    "Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams

    www.amazinglight.smugmug.com

  2. #2
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in the world
    Posts
    20,551
    Threads
    1,285
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Joe, I love the angle and the cropped wings, it looks intentional and certainly give the appearance of 'coming at you'.

    At ISO 800 it does look noisy especially in the wings, did you lighten the image, but I think you may have needed a plus on the EV so the image is brighter, forget the BKG, you can deal with that within PP. I feel you levelled the eyes, but going even more CW (not a huge amount) I think can add some more drama input and let PS take care of any missing BKG. Again, opening up those Blacks, and adding some more USM helps.

    WB set with the eyedropper on a neutral HH
    That's fine Joe if you get your 50 shades of grey, but then you need to adjust it further to get to where you feel best represents the scene, all you have done with the 50 is ensure there is no basis and so the RGB channels are balanced.

    TFS
    Steve

  3. #3
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Ladner,B.C.
    Posts
    667
    Threads
    110
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Close up in-your-face views like this really, for me at least, is one of the most valuable aspects of photography. It takes us into the critter's world in a way that just watching them fly by can never do. My suggestion might be to try using the adjustment brush to paint a little light on the circle of the face generally and perhaps even, experimentally, specifically. The tail flare adds a nice sense of motion.

  4. #4
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Lakeland, FL
    Posts
    7,510
    Threads
    2,037
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Thanks Steve and Bob for viewing and commenting. I gave the image another go. Here is a repost.
    Joe Przybyla

    "Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams

    www.amazinglight.smugmug.com

  5. #5
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Ladner,B.C.
    Posts
    667
    Threads
    110
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Joseph Przybyla View Post
    Thanks Steve and Bob for viewing and commenting. I gave the image another go. Here is a repost.
    I like it Joe--you have given the face centre stage.



  6. #6
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in the world
    Posts
    20,551
    Threads
    1,285
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Hi Joe, to me the RP has lost a lot of the very subtle colour you had which I liked, portraying a late evening I think, where as it's now looking very monochromatic.

    Joe, this was where I was going in my direction/thinking, I had to quickly add in the © because of the rotation, so apologies if it's not 100%.

    If either of you reply to the two threads I will pick it up later tomorrow as I'm calling it a night now and I have a 200 mile drive first thing, good job the car is on auto pilot. Thanks for the exchanges gentlemen, it's been enjoyable from my end.

    Steve

  7. #7
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Lakeland, FL
    Posts
    7,510
    Threads
    2,037
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Another repost, maybe three's a charm. I brought the blue back into the background but removed it from the bird. A overcast morning with a lot of blue in the light.
    Joe Przybyla

    "Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams

    www.amazinglight.smugmug.com

  8. #8
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Ladner,B.C.
    Posts
    667
    Threads
    110
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Joseph Przybyla View Post
    Another repost, maybe three's a charm. I brought the blue back into the background but removed it from the bird. A overcast morning with a lot of blue in the light.
    I like your version best Steve --somehow the eyes are really clear &
    prominent there. I'm going back and forth between that and Joe's RPs and for the life of me I can't figure out what Steve has done to make that face jump out and be so alive. Thanks for the book referral Steve--I'll put it on my Christmas list. For now I'm going to go with refining my LR adjustment brush skills. I do really find the Texture slider useful for stuff like working on the face of this example...it's much less disruptive than Clarity and Sharpening.




    Last edited by Bob Smith; 05-25-2019 at 06:26 PM.

  9. #9
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Ithaca, NY
    Posts
    10,421
    Threads
    1,708
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Really love the head on view of this one. The bird forms a nice diaganol line.

  10. #10
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I like the versioni n Pane 4. best. The original is flat and noisy. It is a young Ring-billed Gull.

    with love, artie
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  11. #11
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Lakeland, FL
    Posts
    7,510
    Threads
    2,037
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Arthur Morris View Post
    I like the versioni n Pane 4. best. The original is flat and noisy. It is a young Ring-billed Gull.

    with love, artie

    Hey Artie, thank you for viewing and commenting. The version in Pane 4 was with your help. I used the method for removing the noise using Neat Image software shown in your short video that you offered to send in your blog. One never stops learning.
    Joe Przybyla

    "Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams

    www.amazinglight.smugmug.com

  12. Thanks Arthur Morris thanked for this post

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics