I'd like to see a larger size, but it looks like the bird vs. the BG is oversharpened. If you masked, it looks a little rough around the bird's edges. In the small size I can't see if there's noise. Best I can see, the exposure and color is good.
I might try faux HDR processing on this to try to get some color back in the sky without changing the bird's exposure. You don't say, so I assume that you used a manual exposure. I'd expect that you calculated an exposure to give +1 or +2 EV, given the bright sky. Even though the bird might move, you CAN do the HDR technique of getting an exposure for the bird and an exposure for the sky and then combining them.
Exposure was manual, zero bias, evening time, cloudy picture is dull as original raw so I probably overcompensated to get the bird right.
It's a pain having to embed to my images; need to get membership!
larger :
In this location the toucan was highly agitated and active, so not much time to set up; he had just attacked a pair of Fiery billed Aracaris!
Rich
Last edited by Richard Unsworth; 07-01-2010 at 11:46 AM.
Richard, by all means, join the club. You'll find that it'll pay off quickly.
As I look more, I can see any detail in the black feathers. Given that there's no sky detail to be had, then you might have over exposed some more to preserve the black feather details and then pull it down in your PP. The leave are just right, but the blacks are blown (I think, since I can't see it larger). No doubt, this is a difficult subject and you did pretty well and I'm just picking nits.
I am fairly new to this and appreciate input
I need to re-evaluate lots of shots.
In the field I found it very difficult, jungle environments are an interesting challenge :-) but incredibly enjoyable to spend time with all these wonderful creatures.
At least I feel my images are showing the real environments in which these, and many other birds are found but I surely want to be competent in post processing so many thanks for your input.
Hi Richard - needed to expose for the bird here and let the rest fall were it may - resulting image would have been high key (Blown out BG)
As mentioned there are no details in the blacks - should have been using + Compensation - One tough bird though with all the yellow as well.
Softer light or some fill flash might have helped - not usually a fan of flash with black birds and it does soak up the flash quickly.
Hi Richard, good advice by Lance regarding exposing for the bird. The blacks are blocked and in this case some fill flash could have done the trick.
I realize it's not an easy environment so everthing is not usually going to fall in place perfectly. I would have preferred the gray parts of the plant not protruding from under the birds bill...
Costa Rica is one of the most challenging places to photograph birds that I've ever been. A balanced approach to fill flash is critically important. We spend a great deal of time during my Costa Rica workshops on exactly that topic. As pointed out earlier, when you know you're going to blow out the sky with an exposure, make sure you get the bird correctly exposed. The BG isn't going to get any whiter, but the bird will be properly exposed.
I'm not exactly sure how you came up with your exposure settings, but in Av mode I would expect +2 EC or more to get the bird right.
Chestnut mandibled Toucan
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