Canon 7D Canon 500mm f4 L IS & 1.4TC1, tripod ISO 400 -0.3 1/1600 sec f6.3
A different day and slightly better light, I lowered the brightest highlights in Photoshop, initially I made a selection of the brightest parts and tried a linear burn but this imparted a grey colour to the dark plumage, so I just did a burn. Then I made a mask of the left head and increased levels a little, I also brightened the eyes, and put a pupil in (for Artie). I recall when the birds were close I tried AF point expansion for some shots and then decided to go for a single point, the logic being that if I fired when they were more or less facing each other then one would be sharp and the other should be close for some shot at least. In this case I focused on the head of the bird on the left.
My next target is to get there early and have them coming out of the morning mist, well lit and preferably with a perch in their bills... and facing each other!
I did check the horizontal but I wonder if a slight anticlockwise rotation is called for? I think it is ok it is the bird on the right giving an illusion of the image not being horizontally true.
All C &C welcome.
Not an easy exposure. I just love these dramatic expressions and I think they are so pretty. Maybe just a little bit more lightning of the heads? Nice work bringing up the eyes
Wonderful composition, Jonathan! The shadow of the right bird on the left's breast is a nice touch. Overall, it is a bit dark, though.
Have you tried using luminosity masking? I believe your image would be a good candidate for the technique and let you further separate the grebes from their background. If you've not used luminosity masking before (I don't mean to be presumptuous), Tony Kuyper has a very good tutorial here, as well as a set of Photoshop actions to help automate the process.
Nice interaction, and good poses by both individuals. I too feel the overall image is dark...perhaps just raising the midtones would help. I'd also crop off between one third to half the space at bottom, but that is subjective of course.
Good luck on your project and goals for this species...hope to see the results if succesful!
Thanks very much for the encouraging comments everyone, I have tried luminosity masking David, followed by linear burn but I will look at the reference you quote -thank you.
Great crested grebes..continued
). I recall when the birds were close I tried AF point expansion for some shots and then decided to go for a single point, the logic being that if I fired when they were more or less facing each other then one would be sharp and the other should be close for some shot at least. In this case I focused on the head of the bird on the left.
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