Pileated Woodpecker

[Stephen Cunliffe]

Every picture tells a story, but this story needs words.
UPS had just delivered my lovely new Canon 400 mm DO IS lens. I was playing with it, 1.4x TC attached, in my own backyard when my neighbor calls. He has a Pileated chipping away at a tree. So over I go. His backyard is basically a forest, and the light is awful. I end up taking this with an effective 560 mm length, at only 1/60 of a second!!!
An afternoon of bliss ensues, it WAS worth all that money.
Canon 30D
Canon 400mm DO IS lens, plus 1.4x TC = 560mm
ISO 800
f5.6 @ 1/60

[Lance Peters]

Hi Stephen - nice bird, like the pose and the HA.

Looks a litle dark - could use a bit of a curves adjustment maybe.

Also bird looks a little bit soft would selectively sharpen the bird - also you can get the eye to pop as well with a few adjustments.

:)

[Dan Brown]

Hi Stephen, Very nice with your new stuff! Great work handheld at 1/60th! Now on to the post processing. I took the liberty to adjust your woodpecker in photoshop. I adjusted levels, curves, hue/saturation, selective color, brightened the eye and then sharpened with Intellisharpen II. You would be able to do this much better with your original capture though! Dan Brown

[Lance Peters]

Hi Dan - I would have SELECTIVELY sharpened the bird - for my taste the tree now looks TOO sharp, but it is very subjective what one person likes the other doesn't .

:)

[Katie Rupp]

Stephen, I am interested in that lens but also looking at the 500 f4 and certainly can't afford both, so I'll be interested in hearing your experiences. I have to agree with Lance that the tree in Dan's repost looks too sharp but the bird needed that extra pp...

[Nicki Gwynn Jones]

Hi Stephen,
Also agree about the tree and I think that the bird's eye could still be sharper.
Great capture - enjoy your new toy!!
Regards,
Nicki

[Alberto Oria]

Stephen hand held 1/60 on 560mm effective, congrats. I agree with the other comments, which are a guide for my future PPs

[Alfred Forns]

Big Congrats on your new lens Stephen !!! Sure its a nice one !!!

Did not see you exp comp but think it was under by one or so? Remember when you have to open in PS bad things begging to happen. I like the pose, head angle and bg !!! Nice Woody

Good repost Dan !! Would only select the eye and lighten a bit then selectively sharpen the bird just a little !!! Excellent image.

For sharpening only a portion of the bird just make a duplicate layer then sharpen the duplicate to taste. Make a layer mask and just brush away the areas you don't want sharpened ... remember you can alter to opacity to what you are removing to do it a little at a time.

[Joanna Trescott]

Stephen: Great pose! What a difference with the repost. I am learning so much--thanks Alfred for the sharpening tips. I can't wait to open a file and try it. This is a wonderful site for learning!

[Nonda Surratt]

lots to love with this image! Agree with lightning up a bit and selective sharpening

[Oscar Zangroniz]

Congrats on your new lens. I like the background and the tree as you presented it. The re post does improve the bird.

[Stephen Cunliffe]

thanks to all for your replies. I have much to learn about post processing, and it is best learned in the context of an actual image you have taken yourself, which is why the learning curve in this forum should be good and steep.
Meanwhile I am still hyperventilating at what this lens can do. I already have the 70-200 L but this adds an enormous amount of capability while still being easily handheld.