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Thread: Roe doe portrait

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    Icon1 Roe doe portrait

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    My humble apologies for being AWOL. Sadly this last month all free time has evaporated into doing jobs at home. I think how I looked after coming down of the roof might have raised a few smiles here covered in soot and god knows what else But hey, chimney rebuilt and swept, most of the taps in our little house replaced and garage roof no longer leaking .

    Finally after going a bit more crazy than normal, I do when parted from mum nature for any length of time, I got out briefly for a few hours a week back sunday. Once again my exploits were based largely around my local roe simply the nearest thing I could try and access maximizing time in the field. I had the most wonderful encounter with a mum and two fawns : must have spent nearly 1/2 an hour with them. But sadly it was trying as the veggies meant I simply couldn't get a clean line of sight not a frame fired. Eventually I elected to move and just around a yard away from my new chosen spot a careless knee broke a twig and the doe had me, game over, one bark and she and the twins were gone. If i'm honest my head went down a bit,these chances are hard won and with all my heart I felt that was it for me for another week. I tucked myself into a deer run to wait a while and consider what had just happened let alone get my head straight. It can't have been more than minutes if that before out of nowhere a doe with one kid came bounding straight at me. She came very close curious as to the shutter noise and I was blessed to get just a few frames to take home: this is one of them

    The image was made at around half past five, say an hour or so before dusk sadly my cloud whispering charms were evident again. I wish i'd have framed her slighty higher just got her top of leg in ,but she was bouncing around like a good 'un, very hard to track. I'd have choosen a bit more DOF for this close an encounter a higher SS if i'm honest but the whole thing happened so fast I didn't really have time to think let alone change techs. I'd TRULY appreciate any advice here re techs I'm already at iso 6400 where should I have gone with the 1DXii The image is processed largely in dpp just selective NR and sharpening in PSCC. I have concerns in the reds or cyans colour wise WB taken off muzzle

    The image is not cropped 1DXii ext 1.4 iii 400DO IS II 1/1600.f5.6 iso 6400

    Many thanks for the thoughts and wisdom on my previous images

    take care

    stu
    Last edited by Steve Kaluski; 10-22-2019 at 03:59 AM.

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    Hi Stu, good to know things at home are fixed and fine. A very nice portrait here with good composition and framing. A bit of noise in the BG which can be taken care of easily. You didn't mention the f stop and SS or did I miss it?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sanjeev Aurangabadkar View Post
    Hi Stu, good to know things at home are fixed and fine. A very nice portrait here with good composition and framing. A bit of noise in the BG which can be taken care of easily. You didn't mention the f stop and SS or did I miss it?
    OPPS!! My humble apologies Sanjeev, my bad as usual : I got into a fight with posting sizes and was found wanting and ended up missing my techs out Yes old houses an all that but we are warm my friend

    1/1600.f5.6 iso 6400

    Nr taken on board I did wonder thank you !!

    hope you are well!!

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    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
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    Stu, this is the sort of image I dream about capturing, well done, patience and filed craft rewarded you !.
    I like the alert pose, the image has some noise, the good news is it is most objectionable in the background. Noise tends to be much less apparent in areas that are in focus and full of detail and texture and there it would be in the darker areas. Your doe does not appear to be suffering too much from noise - not to me anyway. I have made a repost for you to consider, I have modified the doe increasing the exposure a tiny bit and modifying the highlights and shadows, I removed the majority of the background noise using luminosity - I deliberately left a little there so not to make the background look too smoothed. I did this very quickly and simply by opening the image in PS, and creating an duplicate layer as a smart object, then making the layer an ACR adjustment layer, this means you make make adjustments, revert back to the original, then come back to the modified image and add or reduce various parameters at will. Hope this helps.... does she look better - pun intended I used to use DPP but I found ACR to be more flexible, it is the same engine as Lightroom.
    Last edited by Jonathan Ashton; 10-22-2019 at 04:03 AM.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Stu and welcome back.

    Personally I don't mind the crop/framing, but overall the image appears dark and lacks separation. Not knowing what direction your workflow took and the how the original Raw looks, it's hard to know where to start and how well the exposure was and if you had to lighten the file? You say she was bouncing around but was there ever a moment when she was still? If so, then dropping to say 1/500 (or 800) you could have then gained a bit more DoF as the muzzle isn't sharp, but eyes to ears appear sharp. The file looks noise too, that again leads me to exposure question. I would go nearer around the bridge of the nose Stu, see below, but that is after 'juggling' with the WB sliders.

    TFS
    Steve

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    I guess Jon & I overlapped, but just for comparison/direction, albeit I would address the OOF vegetation on the LHS. Probably somewhere between the two.

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    Great portrait of this doe. Framing is right on. Also like that killer background. The reposts look nice. Nice to see you back.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan Ashton View Post
    Stu, this is the sort of image I dream about capturing, well done, patience and filed craft rewarded you !.
    I like the alert pose, the image has some noise, the good news is it is most objectionable in the background. Noise tends to be much less apparent in areas that are in focus and full of detail and texture and there it would be in the darker areas. Your doe does not appear to be suffering too much from noise - not to me anyway. I have made a repost for you to consider, I have modified the doe increasing the exposure a tiny bit and modifying the highlights and shadows, I removed the majority of the background noise using luminosity - I deliberately left a little there so not to make the background look too smoothed. I did this very quickly and simply by opening the image in PS, and creating an duplicate layer as a smart object, then making the layer an ACR adjustment layer, this means you make make adjustments, revert back to the original, then come back to the modified image and add or reduce various parameters at will. Hope this helps.... does she look better - pun intended I used to use DPP but I found ACR to be more flexible, it is the same engine as Lightroom.
    Jon your first line , that's really humbling for me you do get that? ..................and I do know how much you would love to make images of these mad little deer I don't think you have a chance in your part of the world it seems you have little in number. I've thought of you many times these last months while trying to find them. I simply can't get the hours in the field that I need,but I'm educated enough about roe to know that I've possibly just had the best summer with them I might ever have. I've learnt a lot about them this year I've not yet worked out how to get two souls where I am when this happens if I do and I can get off this ride i'd love to try and put some in front of you. I have really understood how much they mean to you ha that's easy same here This was luck Jon earnt luck maybe but luck all the same

    Thanks so much for the edit,while writing to you I've been flicking back and forth between your and Steve's edits. NR appreciated, I think I was too cautious in DPP trying to preserve detail............ I need to stay with DPP Jon I'm struggling with my editing well I struggle with all of this digi stuff I have to bang it in to me I'm fascinated by it and know I need to study,but DPP is sort of my rock. To learn another RAW editor would take so much of me . Simply I feel that bit would be better spent elsewhere. Like nailing WB lol.

    Steve thanks so much for the edits WB again UGG cheers for the specifics, thought I was there but at the same time wasn't quite happy . I'm genuinely unsure of her colour at this stage of the molt : I went somewhere similar to your last edit which I really like it removes something in the red spectrum that doesn't sit right to me but felt/feels it too green .

    I'll look again tomorrow with fresh eyes, but yes I'm struggling a bit here .

    The encounter was seconds , under, EXP wise, boosted by .17......... will gladly ping you a raw if you have time. I might just have something with the muzzle in? The DOF I knew it was tight, so tried to nail the FP on the eye first then moved slightly forwards to see if I could sneak muzzle and ear in side, the DOF I think this is the nearest I got , FP is just below the eye. She came too close so quickly Steve . The more I think about it,I was simply and exactly in her path, without the shutter it might have been interesting..................... she wouldn't have seen me !! They sort of circle and strut and stamp, very erratic , this close this fast I was greatful I had what I had SS wise,i'd have liked more SS if i'm honest. I understand your thoughts ,they are little firecrackers so hypo. I am aware of the pauses Steve I do hunt them with images of this ilk . There is a real art in being incredibly fast with finding a frame with wildlife images, it's almost subliminal I don't know how you guys do it at times. great fun though

    Thanks both........ fascinating studying your edits I think your right Steve somewhere between the two edits is where I want to be

    John thank you, I can't wait to see what you've been up to this last month or so.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    FP is just below the eye.
    It may have been better to have been on the bridge of the nose Stu, but just above the white band. Don't forget DoF is a third infront, two thirds back and you may have been just playing with inches?

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    Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator Gabriela Plesea's Avatar
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    Welcome back Stu:)

    You do realise, going "AWOL" is a punishable offence Just kidding... we missed you here!

    Love the expression on your doe's face, quite sweet... and she does look surprised...Framing is great, BG needs a little work as per Steve's recommendations. And some careful correction of WB.

    OP looks underexposed and I notice some colour shifts in the darker areas. I do like the detail on the ears and those lovely eyes, HA is great.

    I guess one learns something with every image, and I personally enjoyed viewing the RP's above and suggestions you received. Just a question for you, if you had this opportunity again what would you do differently out there in the field?

    Kind regards,
    Gabriela Plesea

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gabriela Plesea View Post
    Welcome back Stu:)

    You do realise, going "AWOL" is a punishable offence Just kidding... we missed you here!

    Love the expression on your doe's face, quite sweet... and she does look surprised...Framing is great, BG needs a little work as per Steve's recommendations. And some careful correction of WB.

    OP looks underexposed and I notice some colour shifts in the darker areas. I do like the detail on the ears and those lovely eyes, HA is great.

    I guess one learns something with every image, and I personally enjoyed viewing the RP's above and suggestions you received. Just a question for you, if you had this opportunity again what would you do differently out there in the field?

    Kind regards,
    Yes I do,I was expecting to be hung drawn and............... ha your funny mate How are you my friend?

    Gabriela I tried to write to you last night but folded my apologies. But i've thought much on your question since!! She can't work me out that's what's in her head, surprise yes but more........ she knows I'm there can hear me,I think their close sight is very poor as long as I'm still. There is a profound curiosity to investigate something she can't understand that's what's in her head the surprise is probably shutter noise ie " why's that tree clicking". The OP is under exposed boosted .17

    Your final question is pretty deep,could mean many things . My first and maybe slightly simplistic answer is very easy : be better at stalking don't brake a twig and make the most of better light and more time to think. Rather than relying on mainly luck bar my foresight to sit in her potential pathway It is simplisitc to answer in that way but without the abilty to bumble into them I haven't got a subject be amazed by,or any images for that matter. The time to think means one might be predicting rather than just reacting to the subject

    I'd have my FP one higher Techs very very tricky................. So many facets at play here. You guys have taught me to push SS my choice would be 1/2500. Gabriela this happened fast but even so I deeply understand Steve when he mentioned going lower on SS and looking for her being still at shutter press . I strongly suspect you are looking at her being still,but even so they are flighty jumpy things. These are much smaller than the Fallow and Red deer you see from my country,they move differently:you'll know this from your country's wildlife .I find roe look bigger in images their real size is deceptive so you might not realise how small she is but if you know she's smaller you'll have an idea how she moves it's eratic hence looking for 1/2500

    She is close bless her, I'm scrambling for DOF I'd have liked 7.1 at least, but my iso is already at 6400 . How much further can I personally push the DXii with my given abilities and get high enough quality IQ wise ? Your question is really clever Gabriela it shows how I'm thinking right or wrong I utterly see Steve's reasons for looking for a quiet spot movement wise to get the DOF,then there is me hand holding to consider. I get goosebumps etc when this happens always a fight to be calm and still ,I have to smile at myself mate it is funny.i'm trying to be this insignificant zen being drifting through our lands unseen and I turn in to a gibbering wreck heart pounding head spinning at the madness of it all

    There is one other thing here it's huge in some ways. The extender why am I using it ??? I know why: a mixture of their reactions to the shutter racket and personal insecurities not to mention a dollop of disbelief that it can happen: They are sharp little guys they don't miss much, I've not yet got my head completely around them Gabriela it's too easy to add the reach when not needed

    Finally, it's a hard thing to analyse a few seconds and what surrounds it all a fantastic exercise though...... I guess it's something we all do? Is that what you were asking for??

    I think we sort of learn in fits an starts: some images a penny drops and a new world opens others , others fall into little steps forwards a more considered progression. I can't see that I won't ever be learning something though

    Steve yup understood, re DOF 1/ 3rd in front.......... I need to check the set...... I think this is the best for DOF but I will check.

    thanks again both sorry slow

    all the best

    stu

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