Another Swallow-tailed Gull

[Bill Dix]

D90; 80-400 VR @ 122mm. ISO 400. f/7.1. 1/2500s. -0.3 EV. HH. Almost full frame.

I overlooked this one when first processing my Galapagos images last month -- it was underexposed and didn't look like much in the RAW file. I added +1 exposure comp in RAW conversion (should have been positive in the first place), and did some minor levels and s/h tweaking. I think lightening it up in conversion added some noise in the underwing, but I was afraid to use NR on the bird. Rotated CCW slightly and trimmed; otherwise full frame. C&C appreciated.

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Bill with the new programs like Noiseware Pro or LR 3.0 you don't have to worry much about detail in the bird, they both (and others) do a good job of reducing noise and protecting detail !!

Opening one does create problems, always check histogram !!! Love the sharp eye, wing position and bg clouds !! .. does have a slight blue cast !

[Bill Dix]

Hi Bill with the new programs like Noiseware Pro or LR 3.0 you don't have to worry much about detail in the bird, they both (and others) do a good job of reducing noise and protecting detail !!

Opening one does create problems, always check histogram !!! Love the sharp eye, wing position and bg clouds !! .. does have a slight blue cast !

Thanks Al. I've been using Topaz Denoise 4.0, which also seems to do a pretty good job if I adjust the 'preserve detail' slider to compensate for the degree of NR. I don't know if the others do any better. (Tried LR 3.0 in Beta and it seemed slow each time it loaded, so I let the free trial lapse.) I'll try Topaz here on the underwings. I think at least some of the blue may be the sky through the translucent wings, and/or reflection of the ocean. White portions of the clouds seem pretty white to me, and if I use the bird's eye to set the black point, it doesn't seem to alter the blueness; but I could be wrong.

[Alfred Forns]

All good reasoning Bill !!! btw the Topaz is a good program, does well with detail !! Its good to test so you know what to expect !!

[Harshad Barve]

sharp eye, wing position , bg clouds and excellent advise
TFS

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Nice composition and lighting. I have several NR programs, and although I have Topaz DeNoise 4, I really didn't appreciate it till I actually read the instructional PDF . Fancy that, reading the instructions helps! Much better than noise Ninja, and makes more sense in the controls. regards~Bill

[Stu Bowie]

I like the angle and wingspread Bill, and just love those clouds in the sky BG. I do detect the blue cast too.

[Nick Palmieri]

I agree with Stuart, I love the wing spread and the cloudy sky makes this very nice.

[Bill Dix]

Nice composition and lighting. I have several NR programs, and although I have Topaz DeNoise 4, I really didn't appreciate it till I actually read the instructional PDF . Fancy that, reading the instructions helps! Much better than noise Ninja, and makes more sense in the controls. regards~Bill

Thanks Bill. I guess I should try reading the instructions.

[Bill Dix]

Thank you all for the comments. I have run a moderate pass of NR, added an orange filter (#85) at 10% to try and remove the blue cast, and knocked down the highlights in the clouds a bit. Any better?