Mystery Quiz...

[Arthur Morris]

This is an immature Cedar Waxwing. It was photographed on Monhegan Island, ME in the dark woods with the Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens, the 2X II TC, and the EOS-1D MIII on a Mongoose M3.5 atop the Gitzo CF 3530 LS tripod. Fill flash at -1 stop.. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/80 sec. at f/8. Fill flash at -1 stop with Better Beamer.

Two small but distracting branches were removed from the background.

Sean Phillips, if you are out there, mums the word!

The question is, what is the mystery??? All comments on the photo are welcome as well. Kudos to the person who solves the problem.

[Bob Blanchard]

Hmmm....Good one. Is it that the removed twigs have now given the illusion of the bird being "suspended" by thin air? It doesn't look like there's any end for that branch his right leg is on to fasten it to the tree.

[Dave Phillips]

Hmmm....Good one. Is it that the removed twigs have now given the illusion of the bird being "suspended" by thin air? It doesn't look like there's any end for that branch his right leg is on to fasten it to the tree.

looks like that perch/twig goes back by the base of the tail.
A mystery in the technique used in pp......read something in latest BAA bulletin

[Ramon M. Casares]

I actually think Bob is right, but I have to say that it had me thinking for a long while :D

[Dave Phillips]

I actually think Bob is right, but I have to say that it had me thinking for a long while :D

yes, I just went back to the BAA bulletin "before" photo and saw the missing branch.....good catch Bob

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Well the mystery has been figured out. You are just checking to see if we are reading the BAA bulletin. The branch has been removed from the top of the head and he is now "free floating". Wish I could do that:)

[Arthur Morris]

Well the mystery has been figured out. You are just checking to see if we are reading the BAA bulletin. The branch has been removed from the top of the head and he is now "free floating". Wish I could do that:)

Jeez, Bob Blanchard spoiled al of my fun by being too observant. Way to go Bob. The crazy thing is that I did not notice it until Sean Phillips e-mailed me after seeing the image in BAA Bulletin 274: http://www.birdsasart.com/bn274.htm

Almost 10,000 other folks missed it plus about 100 more at the seminar. As far as learning to do what I did in the original post and in the repost here, the basics of Quick Masking and the two cloning techniques that I used (“Protect and Defend” and “Divide and Conquer” can be found in our Digital Basics File and the advancing Quick Masking stuff is in Robert O’Toole’s APTATS CD. You can find both by clicking on the links on the home page.

Anyway, the repost here was created using several QMs and some cloning techniques.

[Arthur Morris]

And here is the original original, a representation of the converted RAW file. Presented for educational purposes:

[Sean Phillips]

This probably won't be a popular response around here, but I actually like the original best. I know it goes against all the rules to have something coming out of the subjects head, but the other versions just don't look natural enough to my taste.

I realize that this opinion may have a lot to do with "knowing" what has been done to the image, but sometimes that's how it goes... Just one opinion!

[Bob Blanchard]

LOL - Sorry 'bout that Artie! If it's any consolation, there were 40 views on this thread BEFORE I posted to it ;)

...So you at least had SOME fun! :D

[Arthur Morris]

This probably won't be a popular response around here, but I actually like the original best. I know it goes against all the rules to have something coming out of the subjects head, but the other versions just don't look natural enough to my taste. I realize that this opinion may have a lot to do with "knowing" what has been done to the image, but sometimes that's how it goes... Just one opinion!

Hi Sean, Thanks for checking in here and for sharing your thoughts. The stick on the right does not work for me no way no how. And as for you "knowing," I agree. When I look at the converted RAW the top of the branch that the bird is sitting on does not make much sense either...

I thought of posting the re-do without comment and seeing if anyone would have noticed. But you would have known anyway...

I am happy with the re-do. Just one opinion.

[Sean Phillips]

Yes, it is a great image overall and you should be proud of it.