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Thread: Dolphin Play

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    Default Dolphin Play

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    I don't get to post here much as we have no lions tigers or bears (well maybe bears) here in Fl. I need to get out more. I was driving along the causeway here looking for grebes when i spotted these dolphins playing. I was so excited to see them jumping out of the water. Small aperture due to shooting the group but it worked for me here.
    Camera Model Canon EOS-1D Mark III
    Shooting Mode Manual Exposure
    Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/1000
    Av( Aperture Value ) 14.0
    ISO Speed 800
    Lens EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM +2.0x
    AF Mode AI Servo AF

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    Super pose that you have captured here Cheryl, and the way the dolphin is bursting from the water is super, specially with those lines of water streaming off its body. I might have just wished for less depth of field to blur that line of buildings a bit more in the background...
    A strong shot though, and more especially when you were expecting a grebe!
    Thanks for sharing.

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    Great capture, Cheryl! These guys are so tough the get, anticipating where they will surface!

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hey Cheryl, nice to see you posting here too.

    Given the situation it's a cracking image, couldn't better the pose and trailing water and agree with Grant re DOF. Two things you might like to look at, in Levels bring in either slider say 17-20 LHS, RHS 245 (% numbers personal preferences) as the image then pops a bit more and cloning out the whitish 'blob' in the dark blue/grey BKG, RHS.

    TFS
    Steve
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Brendan Dozier
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    Nice action capture, Cheryl, love the jumping pose and water trail. Way to seize the opportunity!

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Hi Cheryl, a change of plan today so I had a few minutes to look at the image, hope you don't mind. In addition to the Levels adjustment, I would also look at Curves and some additional sharpening applied only to the dolphin & water. It defines more of the subject and detail. If you apply it to your RAW/Tiff file I think you can get a lot more out of the image and take it to the next level. Note this is done remotely which is never I ideal, but hope this will give you a direction in which to try out.

    Good luck.

    Steve
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Kaluski View Post
    Hi Cheryl, a change of plan today so I had a few minutes to look at the image, hope you don't mind. In addition to the Levels adjustment, I would also look at Curves and some additional sharpening applied only to the dolphin & water. It defines more of the subject and detail. If you apply it to your RAW/Tiff file I think you can get a lot more out of the image and take it to the next level. Note this is done remotely which is never I ideal, but hope this will give you a direction in which to try out.

    Good luck.
    Steve
    Thanks so much Steve. that makes a big difference and I will work more on it. yes the dof was not intentional as I hadn't anticipated one jumper. There were 4 of them playing around and I actually got one of 2 out of the water but focus didn't grab in time :( so... that's why the dof . If you look closely you can see the tail of another one just under neath him. Sooo cool.
    Thanks Grant Dan and BRENDAN AS WELL.

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    You are welcome, if you need more help let me know.

    Looks like the colour issue is sorted too now.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Kaluski View Post
    You are welcome, if you need more help let me know.

    Looks like the colour issue is sorted too now.
    Color isuue, lens focus issue ... It's been a funny 4 months all good now. Here is my repost Better? I see what looks like a halo on the back but that is in the raw file as well? Color reflection maybe?

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Cheryl - great timing and a fun shot. Repost takes it up a notch but looks like the whites in the bottom of the trailing water may be a little hot. They don't look as hot in Steve's repost.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Cheryl, I think I know the issue you have and so I will PM.

    Hi Rachel, I will go with your judgement re whites, remember I doing this remotely rather than in the 'cave' . Have a good weekend guys.

    Steve
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rachel Hollander View Post
    Cheryl - great timing and a fun shot. Repost takes it up a notch but looks like the whites in the bottom of the trailing water may be a little hot. They don't look as hot in Steve's repost.

    TFS,
    Rachel
    Oh wow You are so right must have pushed to much light levels Thank you

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    BPN Viewer Steve Canuel's Avatar
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    Nicely timed and I bet it was fun to watch. Steve's RP gives this the little extra kick the mostly monochromatic image needs.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rachel Hollander View Post
    Cheryl - great timing and a fun shot. Repost takes it up a notch but looks like the whites in the bottom of the trailing water may be a little hot. They don't look as hot in Steve's repost.

    TFS,
    Rachel
    Ok one more time Better?

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    Cheryl do you use photoshop?
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Kaluski View Post
    Cheryl do you use photoshop?
    Just got cs5 from cs4

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    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
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    OK, the reason I ask is people have different ways in which they process their images, hence my comments tend relate to adjustments in PS which tends to be the most common software that people have. As I said, I am away so the comments may still need tweaking, but I feel it just looks flat and opening levels you can see what I did from the screen shot. Again, you may chose to go further or less in the numbers but ideally you want to hit that base line IMHO, when you do you will see a noticeable difference, you might also move the middle slider a fraction to the right. Don't forget using a quick mask means you can control the areas you want to apply the adjustment to.
    Last edited by Steve Kaluski; 03-09-2012 at 09:05 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Kaluski View Post
    OK, the reason I ask is people have different ways in which they process their images, hence my comments tend relate to adjustments in PS which tends to be the most common software that people have. As I said, I am away so the comments may still need tweaking, but I feel it just looks flat and opening levels you can see what I did from the screen shot. Again, you may chose to go further or less in the numbers but ideally you want to hit that base line IMHO, when you do you will see a noticeable difference, you might also move the middle slider a fraction to the right. Don't forget using a quick mask means you can control the areas you want to apply the adjustment to.
    Dang... I think I got it then you post a great difference. I think I am always afraid of too much contrast and i blew out the water trail last time moving the light side too far. I will use this tmoro and try again. When you say baseline are you refering to the horiz bottom line of the histogram and how far the two are from the edges? You are a big help thank you so much for your time?

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    Yep, the best way to learn IMHO is to be aggressive with the sliders as you can see what actually happens, then go back and just move the sliders in to the point you think looks right, but having them touch the baseline in this instance will work, it just depends on the histogram and each image, as they will be different each time.

    Don't worry about being cautious, we have all been there, it just takes time and then it all falls into place and you will find it becomes instinctive rather than thinking about it, a bit like knowing your camera and what it can do.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Kaluski View Post
    Yep, the best way to learn IMHO is to be aggressive with the sliders as you can see what actually happens, then go back and just move the sliders in to the point you think looks right, but having them touch the baseline in this instance will work, it just depends on the histogram and each image, as they will be different each time.

    Don't worry about being cautious, we have all been there, it just takes time and then it all falls into place and you will find it becomes instinctive rather than thinking about it, a bit like knowing your camera and what it can do.
    Very cool practice practice learn learn then learn some more. Back in the morning Thanks again

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    Hi Cheryl
    Just with reference to the 'halo' that you mentioned on the dolphins back and present in the raw file, if that is the same thing I am looking at it is the fine spray being exhaled by the dolphin, and part of the picture, nothing to worry about. Lots of good detail in this shot.
    cheers
    Grant

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    This isn't an image we see here everyday- dolphin in flight. Nice capture and glad you're getting some help with processing. A lot of the reposts I see here are "different" from the original, not necessarly better or worse IMO. Here I think Steve has helped, with the exception of the dolphin's right flipper. In his last repost it's too dark for me, almost black. There was sufficient detail in that area in your original image. Once I noticed how dark the flipper is...that's all I see now.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Colin Knight View Post
    This isn't an image we see here everyday- dolphin in flight. Nice capture and glad you're getting some help with processing. A lot of the reposts I see here are "different" from the original, not necessarly better or worse IMO. Here I think Steve has helped, with the exception of the dolphin's right flipper. In his last repost it's too dark for me, almost black. There was sufficient detail in that area in your original image. Once I noticed how dark the flipper is...that's all I see now.
    Hi Colin. Thanks for the comment and I always get good help from Steve and a few others here on BPN. I'ts pretty cool and the best reason to post. I am still working on this one.

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    BPN Member jack williamson's Avatar
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    Excellent capture, perfect timing. Steves' level adjustment really improves this. You probably already know this- when you click on the right slider in levels and hold down alt at the same time the screen goes completely black; move the slider to the left until you see bright spots show up on the screen then move the slider back to the right just until they disappear; this sets the white point. Same with the left, black slider, hold down alt and the screen goes white; move the slder to the right until yellow spots appear; move slider back left until yellow disappears, this sets the black point.

    Jack

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    Quote Originally Posted by jack williamson View Post
    Excellent capture, perfect timing. Steves' level adjustment really improves this. You probably already know this- when you click on the right slider in levels and hold down alt at the same time the screen goes completely black; move the slider to the left until you see bright spots show up on the screen then move the slider back to the right just until they disappear; this sets the white point. Same with the left, black slider, hold down alt and the screen goes white; move the slder to the right until yellow spots appear; move slider back left until yellow disappears, this sets the black point.

    Jack
    Thanks Jack actually still learning PS myself and no I did not know that. I appreciate the tip.

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    Late to this one. Super pose and timing here. My initial thoughts were that it needs some "oomph"...which Steve has engaged with you at length better than I can in my currently tired state . Would love to have my name on this one...
    Morkel Erasmus

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    hi Cheryl,
    Am really late to this party but this is one heck of a shot.Steve's repost and instructions are great.You should be really proud of this one,
    gail
    I would definitely clone out the white blob on RHS

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    Thanks everyone. i'm happy to have the image.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Morkel Erasmus View Post
    Late to this one. Would love to have my name on this one...
    Cheryl, to have this said of your photo, especially from pros like Morkel is such a compliment!!!! Well done! And don't you just love those "happenings" that come together! Looking forward to more from you!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hazel Grant View Post
    Cheryl, to have this said of your photo, especially from pros like Morkel is such a compliment!!!! Well done! And don't you just love those "happenings" that come together! Looking forward to more from you!
    Yes hazel I was pretty happy with that one too . He's awesome
    Thank you too

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