These Feet Are Made For Swimming...

[Joseph Przybyla]

Double-crested Cormorant, powerful legs, feet that are paddles, wonderful swimmer not so great at flying. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.

Nikon D7000
Nikon 80-400mm F/4.5-5.6 VR AF-S ED, camera and lens supported by a Oben carbon fiber monopod with a Wimberly MonoGimbal head
1/1000 F/5.6 Matrix Metering EV +1 ISO 450 Auto 1 WB, image captured at 400mm (600mm 35mm Equivalent)
Post processed in Lightroom Classic 12.3
Cropped slightly for composition and presentation

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Joe, a very 'regal' pose and the contrast between subject and BKG does make the subject pop to a degree.

Overall it lacks that 'black' it appears quite light, not even in the darkest shadows does it get to 100%, using the Tone Curve, but better PS Curves, as you can pull more out to make the subject more striking, more Darth Vader.

A bit more of the post would be good, its a bit tight to the trim. Talking of that do you check the box in Lr Enable Profile Correction as the post verticals look slightly out, so may be if the LH line of the post is vertical it may help??? Small I know but its subtle differences.

TFS
Steve

[Joseph Przybyla]

Hi Joe, a very 'regal' pose and the contrast between subject and BKG does make the subject pop to a degree.

Overall it lacks that 'black' it appears quite light, not even in the darkest shadows does it get to 100%, using the Tone Curve, but better PS Curves, as you can pull more out to make the subject more striking, more Darth Vader.

A bit more of the post would be good, its a bit tight to the trim. Talking of that do you check the box in Lr Enable Profile Correction as the post verticals look slightly out, so may be if the LH line of the post is vertical it may help??? Small I know but its subtle differences.

TFS
Steve

Hi Steve, you have a good eye. I normally check the box Enable Profile Correction, in this image I had forgotten/not done that. In this edit I added a small amount of black and using the Tone Curve on the subject only I pulled down/darkened the dark feathers. The darkest shadows not slightly clip. Unfortunately no more to add on the bottom. WDYT?

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Joe, it's better, but with the Tone Curve it's bit of a 'one trick Pony' for me, and not always the best, simply because in PS you have far more control and can make several adjustments & masks with varying Opacity and 'Blend modes' to suit.

Just a thought as I know you love the Lr masks, but just select the subject and then toggle through the various options (sliders), as the adjustments are in real time and so you are just applying it to the subject. Be careful the eye and bill don't end up getting cooking in the process.

Joe, you added NR which has also smoothed the detail out, so it makes things a little harder.

[Joseph Przybyla]

Hi Joe, it's better, but with the Tone Curve it's bit of a 'one trick Pony' for me, and not always the best, simply because in PS you have far more control and can make several adjustments & masks with varying Opacity and 'Blend modes' to suit.

Just a thought as I know you love the Lr masks, but just select the subject and then toggle through the various options (sliders), as the adjustments are in real time and so you are just applying it to the subject. Be careful the eye and bill don't end up getting cooking in the process.

Hi Steve, I wish I knew Photoshop better. I started this journey of bird photography when I had to 5give up golf and kind of fell into using Lightroom. I know lightroom pretty much inside out and while maybe not as good as Photoshop I think it is getting better with each update. Photoshop is such a massive tool it seems overwhelming to learn at this stage. But I never say never...

P.S. I fixed the eye and bill so it was not masked.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Steve, I wish I knew Photoshop better. I started this journey of bird photography when I had to 5give up golf and kind of fell into using Lightroom. I know lightroom pretty much inside out and while maybe not as good as Photoshop I think it is getting better with each update. Photoshop is such a massive tool it seems overwhelming to learn at this stage. But I never say never...

Joe, I can sympathise, I think it was around 2006 I got into Lr from ACR,CP1,DPP, but PS was from earlier days in the 90's OMG!!! Most years I will do a dive in with Adobe to refresh and just keep my hand in, but I.m only scratching the surface compared to some of the young blades. It was a nice feeling going to meetings and letting these folk loose with their 'creative thoughts' in what could be achieved... anyway I'll drop you a line.

[Andreas Liedmann]

HI Joe nice solid image with a good amount of detail in the subject .
Head turn is very good and the pose is great .
Due to the contrast between subject and BG .... the bird is popping of the screen .
I am not too fuzzed about the perch , but hey that's the point that the subject picked for resting ... so no deal breaker

TFS Andreas

[Jonathan Ashton]

The repost looks pretty good, I too felt the original was a little too pale.

[Kurt Bowman]

Nice pose you managed from the subject Joe. I like the light BG, but agree with Steve the blacks look to light on OP and the overall image feels a bit flat. I like the repost better.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Yes, repost is better with the richer blacks. Now you need to cormorant to perch on a better post - another type of "repost"! :-)