Tried out the background noise reduction method suggested in one of the other forums (select BG, CS3 noise reduction, gaussian blur) and I think I like it. And it only took me 2 years to figure out how to do the magic wand effectively too!
Canon 40D, 100-400 IS L lens at 400mm, f5.6, 1/400, on tripod with IS active and remote detonator, sorry, remote shutter release.
Last edited by KurtPreston; 02-16-2009 at 09:51 PM.
Hi Kurt - do post you shooting info along with the picture - it helps everyone help you if they can see what was going on.
You have a good Head angle and eye contact - well done - this is often the hardest thing for people to grasp.
for my persoanl taste the bird is too centred in the frame - with small birds usually best to try and keep them well out of the centre - rule of thirds usually works well here.
The background is a bit clutered - but hey sometimes it is what it is- the mainthings you want to try and avoid is parts of the bird merging with background elements - like the legs and to some degree the tail. The OOF branch cutting through the bird is also best avoided if possible.
Hi Kurt,
I like the capture, the image is slightly under exposed, I would recommend on lightening the area around the eye just a tad more and selective sharpen it...very good advise given by Mr. Peters...looking forward to your next capture...:cool:
Oops, EXIF added ... still too used to it being available via a click to everyone. Thanks all! I deliberately centered the cardinal this time, which may have been a mistake. I'll revaluate the comp and try to come up with a different crop. I was shooting in Av mode with auto-ISO and was at least a stop under-exposed. Pushed the exposure in ACR and had to dodge the head and breast a bit in post. Will try what you suggest Gus and dodge a bit more and resharpen about the eye. I see what y'all mean about the foreground bits obscuring the bottom of the bird. I have an aversion to major clone surgery on pics (because I am quite unskilled at it at present), but if I were to attempt it here, woudl it be more effective to get rid of the obscuring FG objects or that horizontal branch that runs from edge to edge just behind the bird at chest level? My initial thought in post was that the horizontal branch was more distracting but am eager to hear thoughts from everyone.
Recropped to an alternate comp I had previously discounted, and pushed the exposure a bit more in ACR. Dodged about the face and eye. Two stage sharpening, minor selective sharpening of the eye area and then overall sharpening as I normally would. Did NOT reapply the noise reduction this time to save time for further critiquing.
Wishing She was a Southern Cardinal
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