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Thread: Another Spoonbill Landing

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    Default Another Spoonbill Landing

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    We got 'em in Texas too!
    Sony A-700 Tamron 200-500mm@400mm F5.6 1/1600sec ISO200 6:15PM 6-7-2008 San Bernard NWR. Not much cropping, added a little to the bottom. Played around with making a vertical orientation, didn't seem to work.
    Comments and criticism appreciated~onlybill

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    Bill, Beautiful colors, the bird and the sky are so perfect together. Only wish for a little more sparkle in his eye. I think your composition is perfect.

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    Default sparkle

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    I feel like this is cheating. Want a sparkle? Here you go.~onlybill

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    Repost did bring a nice catch light. looks like you had to deal with over cast day. I played a little bit in ps. Hope you dont mind.

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    Sid: it was near sundown, not a particularly overcast day. I don't mind you playing around with it in PS, but you certainly don't need to tell me this if you don't post it. So where is it? Now I see it. (an hour later, must be my computer) .
    Last edited by WIlliam Maroldo; 07-03-2008 at 12:04 AM.

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    Sid: interesting. I'm not sure I like it though. It is as if it were much earlier in the day, with a nice blue sky,as opposed to the waning light like in the original. I'll have to think about this. Thanks for the repost though.

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    Hello Bill, for me, the sparkle just brings his (Her?) face to life. If you feel like it's cheating, tho, don't do it. You have to be comfortable with your presentation. Personally, I like the gray sky, too.

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    Grace: I don't really feel like it is cheating, and I feel comfortable with the presentation. Indeed when I was looking at the eye area at the pixel level I did notice a few pixels a little brighter, and I enhanced them. However this brings up an interesting question on how much digital alteration is acceptable. I'm sure this has a lot to do with the end use of the photograph. For this forum I feel that full disclosure is appropriate, for learning purposes. For example, it is quite possible to take a bird in flight, apply a motion blur to the background, and present an image that would be difficult to tell apart from an image where the photographer actually panned the bird at a slow shutter speed, yet managed to keep it in sharp focus. Another example would be to create a perfect reflection in Photoshop, then add a few imperfections to hide the fact that it was digitally created.
    The digital alteration of photographs has made headlines, especially when in the context of news photography. In those cases, in the strictest sense, the photographer is a "documentarian" photographer, and significant alteration is ethically unacceptable, We may not be news photographers, but often fill the role of a "documentarian" photographer, in that we document the life of birds, This is an interesting subject and I would like to hear other members thoughts on it.~onlybill
    Last edited by WIlliam Maroldo; 07-03-2008 at 07:52 AM.

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    Axel Hildebrandt
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    I like your repost, the catchlight helps a lot. Regarding postprocessing, there were several discussions in the past. I think you should do what you are comfortable with and willing to disclose.

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    Maxis Gamez
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    I think Sid's re-post works much better helping bring a flat image alive!! It was a great capture to begin with which just needed a little "pick me up."

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    Maxis: you got me leaning to SId's repost. It does improve the image (except it brings out a nasty sharpening halo). This is where I'm split. One on hand the original is a depiction of the scene as it was, with the graying sky at sunset. Sid's repost, with a blue sky that actually accentuates the pink in the bird's feathers, makes a much better looking image. Which is better? Should the photograph be an accurate reflection of reality, or should the photograph be the basis for the creation of an image that is aesthetically pleasing, yet doesn't depict reality faithfully? ~onlybill

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    I like the comp with the wings spread way back. The catchlight does look better in the repost and I do think the original looks a tad flat. The contrast in Sid's repost is better to my eye.

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    Maxis Gamez
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    Quote Originally Posted by WIlliam Maroldo
    Maxis: you got me leaning to SId's repost.
    This is what BPN is all about. We are all in a learning curve here!


    Quote Originally Posted by WIlliam Maroldo
    It does improve the image (except it brings out a nasty sharpening halo). This is where I'm split.
    Sid is not going to make it perfect for you. He and many of us are just trying to give you an idea on how an image could be improved. Like the dull colors in your original, halo can be easily fixed. Do you need help with that??

    Quote Originally Posted by WIlliam Maroldo
    One on hand the original is a depiction of the scene as it was, with the graying sky at sunset. Sid's repost, with a blue sky that actually accentuates the pink in the bird's feathers, makes a much better looking image. Which is better?
    You are the only one who can truly make that decision. Which one do you like better??

    Quote Originally Posted by WIlliam Maroldo
    Should the photograph be an accurate reflection of reality, or should the photograph be the basis for the creation of an image that is aesthetically pleasing, yet doesn't depict reality faithfully? ~onlybill
    As I said, you can only make that decision. After all the image is yours.

    Respectfully,

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    Maxis: I appreciate your input, and the input I received from all other members concerning my images, and the knowledge I gained from reading other's submissions. I guess I was getting philosophical about bird photography in general. As you pointed out, it is my decision on how to create and post-process an image. It is that decision making process that I need to clarify for myself. Thanks again!~onlybill

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    Maxis Gamez
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    Quote Originally Posted by WIlliam Maroldo View Post
    Maxis: I appreciate your input, and the input I received from all other members concerning my images, and the knowledge I gained from reading other's submissions. I guess I was getting philosophical about bird photography in general. As you pointed out, it is my decision on how to create and post-process an image. It is that decision making process that I need to clarify for myself. Thanks again!~onlybill
    You are very welcome.

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