River Otter

[Jamie Douglas]

Took this shot a few weeks back. It all happend so quickly I didnt have time to really set up for the shot. This is one of a series. The next shot is much sharper but you can only see the fishes tail and it looks more like the Otter is sticking it's tongue out more than eating a fish. Can anyone see a way to salvage this shot? The AF found the bushes but maybe some good sharpening skills can save this? Anyone got any suggestions?

I went back to the park a few times but no luck seeing them again. There is a family of four, mother and three pups.

Edited in Canon DPP and PS CS3, mild noise reduction done using imagenomic. Roughly a 50% crop.

Camera Model Canon EOS 7D
Lens EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Focal Length 200.0mm
Shooting Date/Time 28/12/2009 12:337 PM

Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/500
Av( Aperture Value ) 4.0
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
ISO Speed 800
Exposure Compensation -1
AF Mode AI Servo AF
AF area select mode Automatic selection

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Jamie

These guy are tough just to find and once you do exposure and getting detail is difficult, you did great !!!

Sharpening wise just make a layer to sharpen then you can brush away the sharpening in areas you don't want. We should have some tutorials on how to do so !! For most images is best to sharpen only what you need, sharpening the bg is not a good idea !!!

[kostas nianiopoulos]

hi Jamie u are verry lucky to get images like this one , and it is a good one . i hope u dont mind i took the Liberty
to cleen some of the branches .


here the clone tool was the strong weapon , i have change the levels a bit , and i have add unsharp mask , also in BG manual dark blur tool .

to set the levels and fix images with one click :
open levels hit the options ,
hit find light and dark colors
hit snap neutral midtones
shadows 0,15
hilights 0,15
hit the shadows button and , set to r 12 , g 12 , b 12
hit the hilight button and , set to r 245 , g 245 , b 245 ,

is a good method to fix some times images .. be sure that u save the settings ...
if u like u may keep it ..

[Lance Peters]

hmmmm - i am not seeing the original post - only the repost.

[Jamie Douglas]

Thanks for the feedback AL and I appreciate these comments from someone with your knowledge and experience.

Kostas I really appreciate your repost. Let me try and see how I do with the clone tool. I might be inclined to leave the FG branches in the water but I do like how you removed the branches around the Otter. Anyway you have certainly have given me something to think about. Thanks.

Feedback has always been great and I learn something new every time.

[Gus Cobos]

Hi Jamie,
I like the capture with your little little friend in his natural habitat. Agree with Mr. Forns on the techs. and his sound advice...looking forward to more...:cool:

[VinceRossi]

to set the levels and fix images with one click :
open levels hit the options ,
hit find light and dark colors
hit snap neutral midtones
shadows 0,15
hilights 0,15
hit the shadows button and , set to r 12 , g 12 , b 12
hit the hilight button and , set to r 245 , g 245 , b 245 ,

is a good method to fix some times images .. be sure that u save the settings ...
if u like u may keep it ..


I have looked for the places to hit those buttons but couldn't find them.
Where are Find light and dark colors
snap neutral midtones.
etc.

Seems like evrytime go to see tutorials ther is alway something missing or it seems like I am using an incomplete program. (I have CS4 ext)

[kostas nianiopoulos]

to set the levels and fix images with one click :
open levels hit the options ,
hit find light and dark colors
hit snap neutral midtones
shadows 0,15
hilights 0,15
hit the shadows button and , set to r 12 , g 12 , b 12
hit the hilight button and , set to r 245 , g 245 , b 245 ,

is a good method to fix some times images .. be sure that u save the settings ...
if u like u may keep it ..


I have looked for the places to hit those buttons but couldn't find them.
Where are Find light and dark colors
snap neutral midtones.
etc.

Seems like evrytime go to see tutorials ther is alway something missing or it seems like I am using an incomplete program. (I have CS4 ext)

hi Vince i was talking about the PS cs4 , u may find them at :image adjustments and the levels , or , just hold down the ctrl and hit L .