This one might get kicked out of the forum so if you deem it needs to move....feel free. I've been fighting the "photography funk" and "pity party" lately. Weather sucks and the birds are busy tending the nests. I finally decided to play with some old images and use new methods of processing. I've been playing with the Topaz filters. It's been more than entertaining and educational. I don't have many landscape images and now have the desire to go out and photograph many things to try with these new filters. Sometimes I go to the extremes while other times use it to enhance an image. The challenge is deciding what and how much to do with each image. I pulled up this heron image from several years ago to see what I could do that would be subtle and yet enhance the image. I used small amounts of the Topaz clean filter......thus the possibility of bouncing this one from the forum. This night heron was very curious while I was photographing at Little Estero Bay. He even poked his beak in my back pack.....while I still had it on sitting in the mud. He finally moved away and I took this image. It is full frame....and will a little canvas added to the left. I'm headed out now but will check back later to post comments on others.
Canon 1DMkII, 500mmL IS, tripod
ISO 400, ss 1/250, f/13, flash
RAW conversion, canvas added, levels, USM, Topaz clean filter
I think it is a pretty neat effect, it would be interesting to see the original, too. I like the details and calm water and might add a bit canvas on the right. A bit more head turn would have been nice and the pupil looks a bit reddish. Thanks for sharing!
Striking image. I agree with Axel, would be very nice to see the original. Yes, maybe its OOTB vs. avian, but very interesting effect. I was struck by the red pupil as well (per Axel) so think that should be addressed.
OK....here's the original. It was dark and I had to lighten it significantly in the RAW conversion. All else is original.....no post processing. As to the eye......diddle.....I was so into the rest of the image and the effect of the filter that I forgot about the eye. I guess it's "red eye" as he was so close. Sometimes I can't see the trees for the forest. You almost have to look at the images side by side. I definitely see an improvement in the beak and seem to think there may be a little more 3D look to the feathers. I cloned out the flash areas on the legs for the first one....not an effect of the filter. Thanks guys.
Nice. What you did with the filter is unbelievably good. The difference in the feathers is day and night. Very very nice work. I did shoot some YCNHs last month and got red-eye on almost every shot. It must be their big pupils in the evening. They have a very striking eye, don't they?
It works very fine for me Lana. I am not a big fan of Topaz but in this case, I have to say that I really like the image, I like the softness of the imageand the calma water. Too bad that the head turn was not better :-)
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
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