Lets see if this one flies better (no pun intented). I tried pattern metering and 2 stop comp. I got the bank with almost full wingspan and eyeball. Only one wing was black on this one. You guys may be on to something. :) I want my 500 & 40D!
Thanks Axel. I'll go back in and work on that exposure a little more. I kinda rushed it to get another one up to you. I crop everything the same size. I open my file and run the rectangle marque tool using the ruler and size at 12x18. Then I move the rectangle around my subject until I see the composition I want and hit crop. Then my edit begins. Is this the best way? I think that's near 100%?? Sometimes I have to use the crop tool if that's too tight.
I think people do the cropping quite differently. You could crop first without reducing the size, do all the postprocessing except sharpening, then reduce to the final size and sharpen as the last step.
Thanks again, maybe I had the tail wagging the dog. I'll give that a try. This would allow me to have more control over the composition and then simply make it the 12x18 I want after edit. I often sharpen three times. Once in smart sharpen after levels and color balance, then later with USM and last after all is done I give it what is known as LCE, local contrast enhancement. I run USM up to R/50 and apply 10-20 points of volume/amount. This gives the effect of a contrast adjustment more than sharpening effect and usually finishes off the image well.