Took this one yesterday. I know the HA could be better.
40D
Tripod
f6.3
ISO 320
1/1600s
600mm
AV Mode +1/3 AV
Full Frame
Comments Appreciated
Black Capped Chickadee
Took this one yesterday. I know the HA could be better.
40D
Tripod
f6.3
ISO 320
1/1600s
600mm
AV Mode +1/3 AV
Full Frame
Comments Appreciated
Jackie, Agree w/ self critique. How did you like shooting w/ the 600? You did get some fine feather detail,could be a bit sharper around face . Like the overall image sharpness and detail! Well done.
I like it a lot Jackie Ha not bad at all Would take just a bit of the bottom? but do like the overall feel I told you that lens is addictive !!! btw I like the exposure with good shadow detail Nailed this one !!!
Actually Jackie, I like this as presented...:) I like the head angle and the sharp eye...the perch and background elements compliments your bird very nicely...:cool:
Hi Jackie -- Like it as presented - Ha is fine with me, eye is sharp, good detail - nice one. :) :)
(Are you addicted???)
The only thing that I see that would improve it is - the OOF black diagonal line in the BG that cuts across the birds neck.
Nice, very crisp. I like the composition/crop as is, but I think I'd put a little light behind the bird's head and bring out the shadow detail around the eye a bit more. Maybe also make the light drop off toward the bottom left. Something like this ...
The general idea was to shift the light away from the bottom left and up around the bird's head.
David, That's exactly what this needed-now you can see the detail in the head area! Well done!!! Now howd' you do that??
OK - how did he do that.
Thank you. Most of the work was done in three steps. Here is the layer stack:Originally Posted by denise ippolito
First I masked out the bird and tree. Nice clean edges on this one, so the masking is easy. Using that mask,
here's what I did, starting with the bottom layer and working up:
Curves - Pulled the bottom left end of the curve upward to lighten. Flattening the curve has the added benefit of reducing contrast. I inverted that mask, activated the selection of the background (to protect the bird and tree), and painted with white using a large soft brush to apply that lightening effect like a background light behind the bird's head.
Layer 2 - Blank layer in soft light mode. I painted a little with white to further brighten behind the bird, and also with black to darken the background a little in certain areas (you can see the soft, smudgy areas on the layer icon).
Hue/sat layer - Pulled the lightness slider to the left to darken everything, inverted the mask, then painted with white to apply the darkening effect on the lower part of the tree and in the bottom left corner.
Sounds a bit complicated, but it's really pretty basic stuff. There are lots of other ways to achieve the same effects. The key is to stare at that image until you see just where you want more light and where you want less, then go at it.
Oh, and to bring out the shadow detail on the bird's head, I used S/H, applied just to that little area.
Last edited by David Thomasson; 03-02-2009 at 05:27 PM.
Jackie, Do we have a new toy ? Great capture and composition. Love what David did with the light.
Congrats.
Did you get the 600 Jackie??? COOL
Love the image and David nice re-post
David, Thanks for the very informative answer-will have to print this and try it myself!!!
Thanks for the repost David. I do have lots more to post and I knew it would work better with a lighter BG but I liked the pose. Hardly did any adjustments to it. Will work on it some more. So I wish it were my 600, but alas, it belongs to a friend who let me have a good try out with it yesterday. Very heavy especially with the gitzo and wimberley. Likes light to focus. Have some other pics that I would consider quite soft in flat light. I have decided however to get the 500 and use the 1.4. Have heard it is sharper and lighter. And yes I am addicted:)
Jackie, I love the 500 and I'm sure you will too. After I carry it around alot it does get heavy,couldn't imagine a heavier one!
Nice shot and David's repost take it over the top! Thanks David for outlining the the process you followed, very informative.
On the original I like the composition and the sharpness is to die for. David's re-post is very elegant. Alternatively you might just lighten the bird a tad.
I find that the 500 is lots to carry around, although you do get used to it.
Cheers
Gail
i love your capture, jackie. david's spotlighting takes it over the top!! congrats on your new 500..cant wait to see some images from it!!!
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