Northern Cardinal
This image was taken on 2/19/09 in Naples, FL at 8:43 AM. It's a large crop of about 20% of the original. There was significant noise in the original which was reduced in this version with Noise Ninja. I couldn't get closer to the bird because there was water between where he was perched and where I was standing.
Rich
Nikon D200 ISO 800 +2/3 EV
1/250 at f 5.6, 600mm
Great colours and nice pose, Rich. Looks as though amy have been a little underexposed - brightening it would exacerbate the noise (D200 @800 and big crop also obviously an issue). Pity that the situation didn't allow you closer and a little higher.
Last edited by Tony Whitehead; 08-26-2009 at 02:18 PM.
Tony Whitehead
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Hi Rich,
These guys aren't super easy to shoot even when they're close, so good job. There's still some detail to admire even w/such a heavy crop. Nice perch. I'd like to see a better HA.
What is an HA?
head angleOriginally Posted by Rich Reich
Hi Rich, See the Head Angle Police thread in our Educational Resources gallery. Actually, the HA here is not bad but it seems bad as the bird was so high above your position and/or its body was angled away from you. And the noise is mega..... Can you post the whole original without any exposure compensation? (Are you using RAW capture?)
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Artie,
Do you want it before the crop? It is in RAW capture.
Thanks. Rich
Attached is the same image before exposure compensation and noise reduction. Luckily, Lightroom is non destructiive and keeps a history to correction states.
Sorry for the confusion. I was asking to see the full frame original capture....
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Sorry Rich, I missed this one. Yes, before the crop.
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Image before the crop and exposure correction.
Thanks Rich. It is generally best to avoid such huge crops.... Image quality is greatly degraded especially if you start with a less than ideal file, i.e., underexposed. The running a high NR (pane 1) eliminated what little detail there was in the image in pane 8.
Try setting up a feeder and bringing the bird to you.
I am moving this one to Eager to Learn where you will likely receive more good suggestions.
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ps: I do not think that you posted the lens that you used....
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The lens I used was a 80-400mm 4.5/5.6 zoomed to 400mm which on a D200 is equivalent to 600mm.
Rich
Thanks Rich. It helps if we know what lens you were using. Now get that feeder and some nice perches set up.
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Hi Rich - Gorgeous bird - all good advice above, would have to agree the large crop is less than ideal.
Also your shutter speed is a little slow for the focal length you are working with - generally you will want to be at 1/your focal length as a minimum - so here 1/600th - just a general rule of thumb to ensure that your photo's are not soft due to camera shake.
Best to get your exposure as close as possible in camera - use your histogram to check and switch your over exposure blinkies on - there is a huge amount of info in the educational resources forum on Exposure, HA - Perch setups everything you could ever want to know.
Look forward to seeing more :)
Lance,
The exposure was a dilemma since I had the lens wide open and ISO already at 800. I think the VR feature of the lens helped at the slow shutter speed that I used. I do use the histogram regularly and have a good understanding of how it works. Since the original was still underexposed by about 1/2 stop my only other option would have been to slow down the exposure even more, putting a sharp exposure at further risk.
I think what made this shot so difficult was how far away the bird was and high up in the tree. What made it worth trying was the clear view of the bird and good pose. The reason I couldn't get closer was there was water between where I stood and the tree - also the water had alligators in it so trying to wade across was not a good idea!
Thanks for your advice.
Rich
Hi Rich,
I actually like your capture...yes I know, a large crop, a steep capture angle, a slow shutter speed and the high ISO factor on a D200. All in all, its not too bad...for your next one, try to take all these factors into consideration so you can plan your capture. If its possible, try using a bigger aperture than f/5.6 to get a faster shutter speed...looking forward to your next one Sir...keep them coming...:cool:
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