Great Spotted Woodpecker ( II )

[Andreas Liedmann]

Hi folks ...
same location as previous posting of this species
Different time of day , perch and BG .
The new generative fill of PS has done a stunning job ... to save this shot for me , albeit I could have lived with it . On the LHS there was a OOF piece of would and the toe was partly hidden ( no nail ) ... so I tried the generative fill . And to my surprise it generated a perfect normal looking result ... WDYT ?
As always color grading matter of taste

Canon EOS R3
RF 2,8 400 IS L + 2x TC
Tripod

F 8 ; Iso 10.000 ; 1/3200 sec could have gone a bit slower with the shutter

Processed with Capture One and PSCC 2023 ; full frame

Thanks for looking and commenting to my previous postings

Cheers Andreas

[Jonathan Ashton]

Absolutely superb, I like the setting, particularly with the OOF grasses. The generative fill looks good, i would not have known if you didn't mention it. Details and colours spot on.

[Steve Kaluski]

It kind of works for me Andreas, however (I assume) it's the fat ball/cake between the bird and trunk I have concerns with. Yes all these shots are baited, nothing is natural, I have the same issues and you will see once processed, but the bait shouldn't be visible, however ours constantly has a bill plastered in fat!!!

Colours & detail as expected, although I've not seen magenta on the shoulder with our birds, personally the blade of grass behind the subject needs to go, it draws the eye, but...

The Remove tool is good as I said a few months ago, but you have illustrated for the good how easy it is to help, but I fear the abuse is going to over shadow the tool and so it becomes more of a Crutch than a Tool for many.

TFS
Steve

[Andreas Liedmann]

Thanks Steve .... eagle eye has spotted the false color , I did not notice it .... a minor thing but I fixed it with the RP
Regarding the bait ... you are completely wrong , as the area is just oof piece of wood in the back of the ugly perch . As said previously I was not really happy with the setting , but I just went there and had to live with it and the small birds has been just a side product if the expected Buzzard is not present ..... to keep me busy and happy .
There was no fat ball supply , just thrown seeds and and nuts all over the place ....
But I tried now with the RP to remove " your fat ball " ... just for fun , as it did not bother me that much as it does for your eyes . However ... I tried my best to make it pleasing to my eye .

I used the latest iteration of " generative fill " ... not the remove tool .... for the OOF blob on LHS ( screenshot of the original is coming )

Cheers Andreas

[Andreas Liedmann]

here is the screenshot ... of the original

[Steve Kaluski]

Ours are not interest in nuts, just pure fat, which they consume in vast quantise because they have young, but extremely messy as it goes everywhere and the bill becomes unsightly.

To me it looked like a fat ball rather than part of the stump, so it could have stayed. Generative tool, you could have put it on a beach instead!

[Dorian Anderson]

This is one of my favorite Eurasian birds, and this is an excellent depiction of it. Lovely exposure and detail. Very engaging head angle. Wish there wasn't so much green haze across bird's tail, but that relatively minor.

Not sure how I feel about the fill. As this is a set-up, it seems like there is opportunity to get a shot where such cloning isn't necessary.

[Brian Sump]

Andreas, I too would not have ever been able to tell on that toe repair. Very nice!

A very pleasing arrangement IMO. Love the yellows and great body position. Diagonal trunk is pleasing too.

Definitely would lose that single blade - much better in your RP personally. Would have been nice to see the full tail but I'd like this in my files.

Sweet processing on the subject and colors amigo!! TFS.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Oh man, before scrolling down I had not realized how large that oof piece covering the toe was - it was definitely worth a try, and it worked out. Although, yes, as a setup, it is also good to see these things in the field and remedy them physically. But tools are getting better with each update and it is actually pretty exciting to see how we can use them. Not a crutch (as artie says: "junk in = junk out"), but as a way to improve on something already solid. Good stuff Andreas.

[Andreas Liedmann]

Thanks folks for your comments ... much appreciated .

@ Dorian ... not knowing how do you get the idea that a set up is perfect all time ??? Specially not when it is not your own and you are a bypassing guest who pays a small amount to work there . Maybe you have professionally managed set ups in the US in mind .... . I had a look on the internet what folks in the US charge for using the professionally organized hides .... well I would be never willing to pay several hundred dollars a day just to get the perfect perch .

@ Brian ... the OOF green blur in the lower does bother me as well , but was unavoidable at the time of capture .

@ Dan .... the new good is quite good , still needs development ..... but one will forget about the skills as it is way faster to press a button .

Cheers Andreas