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Thread: Snowy Grouse

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    BPN Member William Dickson's Avatar
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    Default Snowy Grouse

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    Canon 1DX Mk2
    f/4 400mm DO Mk2
    f/5.6
    1/800
    ISO 1250

    With basically a full lockdown starting here today, I decided to have another trip to the Red Grouse yesterday. On arrival it was snowing lightly and there was a lot of snow on the trackway. I managed to drive so far, but, because of the conditions on the road, left my vehicle, then walked a short distance to where I thought the Red Grouse would be. I managed a few shots of different birds. I was hoping for snow in the photograph, but it stopped just before I got started. I was happy, as they usually hide under the snow, because of their contrasting colours, they are a prime target for raptors. I only got about 30 minutes before the conditions deteriorated, so decided to get back to the vehicle and off the mountain. Cropped for comp, this is about 80% of the full frame...HH..Adobe ACR ...PS2021

    Will

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    Avian Moderator Brian Sump's Avatar
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    Will, sorry to hear on the lockdown. Does it mean you can't even go out in open space there?

    RE this image, man this Grouse really stands out in the snow, wow! Love the aptly placed grasses strewn throughout and the slate colors mixed into the bkg work wonderfully also.

    Other than the fact that part of me would love to see a comp with the Grouse a little more right in frame, the main thing is it appears just out of focus to me, particularly on the head/beak. Just my eyes? Could also be the nature of the feathers.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Will, glad to see you are able to get out & about north of the border, Jon & I are tied to our stately homes sadly, unless we are out foraging for food shopping or for meds, so make the most of it, but stay safe.

    I like the overall colour balance, it has a nice feel, but can't help feel it might be a tad under exposed, with the expanse of white snow perhaps fooling the metering, just a gut feeling that is perhaps wrong. You do need to pull the HL's back and there is a halo around the bird (high meets low frequency). Like the muted colours of the plumage and being so flat it's sometimes hard to get definition. It's sharp, but at that distance perhaps around 15m(?) any definition around the eye will just be lost. I also like the face yjerre os no detail in the snow, all flat and the grasses add the interest. The OOF grey streaks 50/50 in the BKG. Framing looks about right albeit 2x3, however a little more at the foot wouldn't hurt, but then just address the crop as presented manually. I know you don't like to push ISO, but even going ISO2000 will give you that bit of faster SS so if there is a slight gust of wind, or body movement, those feathers will be sharp. Obviously if it was snowing then a slow SS would add more to the atmosphere of the scene.

    TFS
    Steve
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Disregard the HL's comment Will they are fine, I was just looking at something else!!!
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    Hi Will, Love the environment and framing completely on this one and how the many colors/tones pop off the whites and greys. Well worth the adventure I'd say and stay safe... TFS

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    BPN Member William Dickson's Avatar
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    Thanks guys, appreciated....Yes Brian lockdown now, not to leave the house except for exceptional circumstances...Your correct Steve, it was slightly under exposed and yes for the distance as well....I have a few, different BG's etc, so plenty to work at...


    Will

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Just work on your Histogram Will, even more so for snow and the image will rocket, SS just change.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    I agree with Brian about the face and beak not being perfectly sharp. It's close and very pretty as is, but its just not as sharp as it could be.

    Only other issue is the overexposed snow; I'd love to see some texture, but that's a hard ask when the bird is so comparatively dark.

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    BPN Member William Dickson's Avatar
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    Here is a screenshot of the RAW....maybe I over processed..

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Here is a screenshot of the RAW....maybe I over processed..

    What makes you think that Will, perhaps there is a tad more you could extract, but I think the OP looks good


    Will, just my take based on the above.

    The image was under exposed and confirmed by you and the above screen grab, so you needed to push that Histogram much more to the right so the whites are almost blown, but not quite and exposing for the subject. Even if you blew the BKG I bet in Raw Digger you still would have a third of a stop to go, it's just the camera. With the 1DX you have at least a stop to play with.

    For me I get the impression the snow fell the previous day or overnight, with zero wind or disturbance, and so the surface created is more of smooth mounds or slight hillocks, undulations and therefore with flat light, minimal detail. It's the same in skiing, I hate flat light because there is no contrast, all you see is vast expanses of white, no definition, irrespective in the advancements in goggles lenses. You could have tried swopping in camera metering mode, but... years ago you had to meter just off the subject and then go plus 2/3rds or +1 as a starting point, but now no problem, so again if you are shooting in snow you have to break away from what you think Will. If the snow was in part 'broken up' with more depressions then the camera would have pick up the contrast and given you more definition in the snow, but within the capture there is certainly nothing within the OP to pull out.

    Would welcome your thoughts.
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    BPN Member William Dickson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Kaluski View Post
    What makes you think that Will, perhaps there is a tad more you could extract, but I think the OP looks good


    Will, just my take based on the above.

    The image was under exposed and confirmed by you and the above screen grab, so you needed to push that Histogram much more to the right so the whites are almost blown, but not quite and exposing for the subject. Even if you blew the BKG I bet in Raw Digger you still would have a third of a stop to go, it's just the camera. With the 1DX you have at least a stop to play with.

    For me I get the impression the snow fell the previous day or overnight, with zero wind or disturbance, and so the surface created is more of smooth mounds or slight hillocks, undulations and therefore with flat light, minimal detail. It's the same in skiing, I hate flat light because there is no contrast, all you see is vast expanses of white, no definition, irrespective in the advancements in goggles lenses. You could have tried swopping in camera metering mode, but... years ago you had to meter just off the subject and then go plus 2/3rds or +1 as a starting point, but now no problem, so again if you are shooting in snow you have to break away from what you think Will. If the snow was in part 'broken up' with more depressions then the camera would have pick up the contrast and given you more definition in the snow, but within the capture there is certainly nothing within the OP to pull out.

    Would welcome your thoughts.
    I agree with you Steve....flat light....No wind, until I had to move out...The snow was just like flat sand on a desert. When I looked at the image on the camera, it looked good, I also checked the histogram and seen it was ETTR. But I understand what you are saying....I got a few blinkies on the snow behind the bird, but not much...It wasn't till I got home and realised on looking at the images, I should have exposed more to the right...I guess I was afraid of blowing the whites on the snow. When I processed I realised that I wasn't getting the detail I wished for, I lowered the contrast on the head area a little, after sharpening....I guess that's why Brian and Dorian thought that it could have been sharper, the RAW file was sharp, as you had mentioned earlier. I hope I get another go to photograph them in the snow, but due to restrictions the snow will probably be gone before we get back to normality.

    Thanks again Steve, I know what to do next time now.

    Will

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Thanks Will.

    Have you any Fieldfare or Red Wing currently, if so then get some red apples and have fun in the snow in the garden, but shoot flat...
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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