Royal Tern

[Joseph Przybyla]

I captured this image last April at Ft. Desoto County Park in Pinellas County, Florida. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.

Nikon D500
Nikon 500mm F/5.6 VR AF-S ED PF, Handheld
1/3200 F/5.6 Matrix Metering EV 0 ISO 280 Auto 1 WB, image captured at 500mm (750mm 35mm Equivalent)
Post processed in Lightroom Classic, Photoshop CC 2021 and Topaz Sharpen AI
Cropped for composition and presentation

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Joe, overall there is a heavy blue cast creating zero separation between subject and background. Sadly the head is turned away and not critically sharp, but the wing is. No idea on why the wings are so grainy, anything in PP Joe, but as you can see there is a good grey scale between black to white.

TFS
Steve

[Joseph Przybyla]

Hi Joe, overall there is a heavy blue cast creating zero separation between subject and background. Sadly the head is turned away and not critically sharp, but the wing is. No idea on why the wings are so grainy, anything in PP Joe, but as you can see there is a good grey scale between black to white.

TFS
Steve

Hi Steve, this morning I can see how blue the image is, for a unknown reason yesterday I could not. Maybe working on the image too long and developing a tolerance and not seeing it. I know where the blue came from, trying to change the white balance. I should have trusted and gone with the camera auto white balance. Regarding the focus on the wing that was using the Group autofocus mode which grabbed the closest wing without enough depth of field to cover the head. The grainy wing most likely came from using Topaz Sharpen AI. Here is a repost without a white balance change, also I used Lightroom for the sharpening. I also applied local sharpening to the head and body with the Adjustment Brush trying to increase the sharpening there. Thank you for viewing and commenting.

[Arthur Morris]

Good reposts on the blue cast and sharp. But with the bird's head turned away from us this one goes straight in the trash bin for me :(

with love, artie

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Steve, this morning I can see how blue the image is, for a unknown reason yesterday I could not. Maybe working on the image too long and developing a tolerance and not seeing it. I know where the blue came from, trying to change the white balance. I should have trusted and gone with the camera auto white balance. Regarding the focus on the wing that was using the Group autofocus mode which grabbed the closest wing without enough depth of field to cover the head. The grainy wing most likely came from using Topaz Sharpen AI. Here is a repost without a white balance change, also I used Lightroom for the sharpening. I also applied local sharpening to the head and body with the Adjustment Brush trying to increase the sharpening there. Thank you for viewing and commenting.

Hi Joe, your summing up is about right, just keep PP simple, you are over thinking it. The sharpening is a fraction better, but not enough to retain as a keep, plus the head is way as previously stated and above. TP Sharpen AI isn't new, if it's what I think it is, then PS had it some time ago.

[Kurt Bowman]

Nice wing position, but agree with he previous comments. I like the repost much better, good job making the PP corrections!

[Joseph Przybyla]

Thanks everyone for viewing and commenting, much appreciated. Three strikes and your out... this one is headed for the trash bin.

[arash_hazeghi]

this one doesn't work for me Joe, all the technical discussion and PP is moot as the head is turned away from us. I'd bin this one and save the effort for something better

TFS