House martin (Delichon urbicum)

[Jonathan Ashton]

This House martin was in a nearby farm collecting nesting material

OM-1 150-400TC
Focal Length (35 mm conversion) : 1002.0mm
ISO : 2000
Exposure compensation : 0.0 EV
Exposure mode : Manual exposure
Shutter : 1/4000 sec
Aperture : F5.6

ACR/PSCC

[Arthur Morris]

Nice mud gathering pose. May I assume that this is already cropped? Either way, why but the bird so close to the center? Much of the breast is grayed out.

with love, a

[Jonathan Ashton]

Hi artie, yes this is cropped to approx 4200x 3100 then resized. I placed him there using rule of thirds as a guide, I suppose I could have moved him back to the left a little bit. The breast looks fine to me, it is soil stained and given the light angle the duller area is what I expect. I can still see detail there.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Jon, again a nice capture, but for me it has suffered with these fuzzy BKG bokeh's. The flying mud is over sharp so it appears pasted on and the subject I feel isn't quite pin sharp, in areas I would mask the sharpening. Greens look to bright and might glow in the dark , again just pull it back, but I know you have no control over the Conversion. Was the soil sprinkled with fertiliser, it has a 'peppered' look?

I might go more Pillbox and push the subject left if IQ will allow and so remove the other truncated subject out of frame.

TFS
Steve

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks Steve I agree with your comments, though I am puzzled over no control over conversion, I don't understand do you mean to DNG? If so I can use ACR or DxO - very similar in results, sometimes a slight exposure alteration in DxO.

[Steve Kaluski]

I don't understand do you mean to DNG? If so I can use ACR or DxO - very similar in results, sometimes a slight

Sorry Jon, missed you said you converted via Adobe. DX Pure if that is what you refer to then it doesn't create a true DNG file, plus as we have said before, you hit the button it produces a Tiff to what it thinks rather than having options in other Converters. As this is done in ACR/PS then I think it stems from the original file and the Sharpening action.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Here's a repost hopefully addressing some of the issues mentioned above. The soil is adjacent to a barn and the soil in this area is sandy so I am guessing the paler aspects are sand grains and or dried organic material.

[Steve Kaluski]

It's better and going in the right direction to a degree Jon, but it's mainly the file creating these messy FG/BKGs.

Sharpening needs to be applied rather than a script, unless you have changed your WF again? Only then can you apply more or less to designated areas with a gentle hand. You don't say how big a crop or not?

[Jonathan Ashton]

It's better and going in the right direction to a degree Jon, but it's mainly the file creating these messy FG/BKGs.

Sharpening needs to be applied rather than a script, unless you have changed your WF again? Only then can you apply more or less to designated areas with a gentle hand. You don't say how big a crop or not?

Steve sharpening was minimal and applied to subject only, i.e. with a mask, crop round figure 3400 x2300, 7.7MP

[William Dickson]

Hi Jon....I do like the repost better.....I think you have captured the House Martin well....the colours look good....I like the POV...Still waiting for them to arrive up here.

Will

[Arthur Morris]

The repost is better.

with love, artie