I can't believe what I saw today!

I think this little story could start a new thread called "What's the stupidest thing you've ever done to feed your photography addiction?!"


As I was drinking mymorning coffee & reading the paper this morning, I was trying to decide if I was going to go to the emergency clinic. I've had pneumonia a few times and sort of knew where this was heading. With my last bout of it, the dr. told me if I would have waited one more hour before going to the ER, well lets just say I wouldn't be taking photos today! He also warned me the next time I get it, he may not be able to perform magic! [:|]

Anyway, I then came across an article about dozensofbald eagles being seen soaring all over this area about an hour and a half from my house!! Ok, its about 15 degrees outside and very gloomy and windy but hey, I have never seen a bald eagle before!! Anyone want to take a guess what I did next?! Yep, packed my camerabag and off I went to see the eagles soar! [:O]


Even though I had my tripod, the photos turned out horrible because I was just shaking uncontrollably from freezing so bad ...I should have brought my shutter release cable!But hey ...I saw a bald eagle today! In fact, I saw many!!!!

I plan on going back soon, hopefully on a nicer day! In the meantime, any suggestions on what I can possibly do to these in pp to make any of them keepers? Any suggestions for if I am faced with another gloomy day next time?


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5054/...cf4fa39a_z.jpg


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5097/...1940b461_z.jpg


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5173/...e61b6061_z.jpg


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5176/...efe62301_z.jpg


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5055/...e4abc1a8_z.jpg


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5214/...0632b175_z.jpg

Thank you for any suggestions you may have for me!

Denise

Only one suggestion, look after your health first you big goose.[:)]


But I'm jealous of those photos, love how the bird is separated from the trees in the second one.


Take care.


Steve

Ok Denise, where should I start? The butt chewing for ignoring your health, or the suggestions you ask for.------Well, I'll start with ----Consider your butt chewed [:'(] ----Now with the really important stuff, the photos [:D] 1. Work on the second shot---its really cool. I don't remember if you have photoshop or not but.... Joel's PS recipe for isolating the subject from the background maybe very effective here along with some fill light and adjust curves and contrast a little. If you don't have the software, maybe Joel would give it a try. Worth asking, this is a really nice shot considering the circumstances.


Bob


P.S. Hope you get to feeling better soon.

I might do the same thing Denise, since I have never seen a wild bold eagle[:D]


but, it's just a bird isn't it?


hope you are ok.

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Originally Posted by ddt0725

As I was drinking mymorning coffee & reading the paper this morning, I was trying to decide if I was going to go to the emergency clinic. I've had pneumonia a few times and sort of knew where this was heading.





Any suggestions



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Make sure your boss does not read this forum[:D]


Great shots considering the conditions.


Mark

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Originally Posted by Steve U

you big goose.[img]/emoticons/emotion-1.gif[/img]

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Goose!? Yep, I saw them today too but heck if you've seen one goose ...you've seen them all! [:P]

Thank you for your compliment on the second one! I took over 100 shots &amp; I think I have a few like that ...still sorting thru them! If nothing else comes out of today, at least I was able to scope out the place and see where they hang out so next time I know where to goalong the river and bridge to get closer.

Thanks, Bob! No matter what, I have to go to work tomorrow so at least this helped me work up to an 8 hr. work day! And your butt chewing was alot more mild than what my Dr. would say!

Thanks for your comments on the second shot. I have Photoshop Elements and DxO and I've been trying to work on these with those two programs but it's not going so well.

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Originally Posted by Bob Williams

Joel's PS recipe for isolating the subject from the background maybe very effective here along with some fill light and adjust curves and contrast a little.

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I lost the secret recipe! [:'(]

Denise

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Originally Posted by JJphoto

I might do the same thing Denise, since I have never seen a wild bold eagle[img]/emoticons/emotion-2.gif[/img]


but, it's just a bird isn't it?


hope you are ok.
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Thanks, JJ! I'm hanging in there and I'm a tough cookie so we'll see! At least someone can relate as to how I felt seeing these flying all over! We don't have to large a variety of birds around here so this was AWESOME! I never wanted a 600mm lens so much as I did today!

Denise

Thanks, Mark! 15 degress never felt so cold!

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Originally Posted by clemmb

Make sure your boss does not read this forum[img]/emoticons/emotion-2.gif[/img]

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Yeah, that would not be a good thing! But as long as I'm not in the office spreading my germs, he may not mind! [^o)]

It is sad that I can't go to work and say, HEY, GUESS WHAT I SAW YESTERDAY!

Denise

Denise, nice Eagle photos .... here is a quick repost for you ....


1. Adjust shadows/highlights


2. Adjust levels


3. Unsharp mask 115 0.2 5


4. Create duplicate layer and run Gaussian blur 1.6 pixels


5. Create Reveal all layer mask and then paint the eagle back in





[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer-Discussions-Components-Files/15/7380.Untitled_2D00_1.jpg[/img]

Thanks, Joel! I really appreciate it!


I will work on a few more tonight using that formula!


Have a great day!


Denise

No problem, I noticed that you are probably using "save for web" because the resolution was only 72 pixels/inch. That doesn

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Originally Posted by Joel Eade

No problem, I noticed that you are probably using "save for web" because the resolution was only 72 pixels/inch. That doesn't allow much to be done as far as reprocessing goes.

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I never intentionally save it that way. I will have to see where &amp; why it is grabbing that ...if it's from DPP? Photoshop Elements? Or from when I carry it over from flickr?

Denise

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Originally Posted by Joel Eade

5. Create Reveal all layer mask and then paint the eagle back in



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Joel


For those of us that are Still learning PS, how do you paint the eagle back in? I am not familiar with using mask. I do not think this can be done in PSE which I am use to. I am doing a 30 day trial of PS so working with masks is new to me.


Mark

After you process the original image and do your final sharpening you then create a duplicate layer and run the gaussian blur or noise reduction after that....


1. Go to layer &gt; create layer mask &gt; reveal all


2. This creates a mask on the duplicate layer that allows the layer to be seen, what we want is to see the sharpened eagle on the original layer so ... we are going to use the brush tool (set to black and 100% opacity) to "paint" the eagle on the layer mask.


3. This essentially creates a "hole" in the mask so the eagle from the original image (which is sharp) can now be seen against the slightly blurred background.


4. Once you are finished you go to layer &gt; flatten image and it all collapses to one layer.


PS : you can easily and quickly adjust your brush size using the bracket keys ... [ makes it smaller and ] makes it bigger

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Originally Posted by clemmb

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Joel Eade

5. Create Reveal all layer mask and then paint the eagle back in



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Joel


For those of us that are Still learning PS, how do you paint the eagle back in? I am not familiar with using mask. I do not think this can be done in PSE which I am use to. I am doing a 30 day trial of PS so working with masks is new to me.


Mark
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It didn't work for me! [:(] Maybe elements is different or maybe this PSE newbieshould stick to DPP but I painted &amp; paintedand my eagle stayed blurry. [:$]


Denise

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Originally Posted by ddt0725

Quote:

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Originally Posted by clemmb

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Joel Eade

5. Create Reveal all layer mask and then paint the eagle back in



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Joel


For those of us that are Still learning PS, how do you paint the eagle back in? I am not familiar with using mask. I do not think this can be done in PSE which I am use to. I am doing a 30 day trial of PS so working with masks is new to me.


Mark
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It didn't work for me! [img]/emoticons/emotion-6.gif[/img] Maybe elements is different or maybe this PSE newbieshould stick to DPP but I painted &amp; paintedand my eagle stayed blurry. [img]/emoticons/emotion-10.gif[/img]


Denise
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I have PSE-9 and a 30 day trial of PS CS. I can not find a Create Reveal all layer mask in PSE but I can find it in CS but can not figure out how to use it.


Mark

To selectively blur in PSE, I do this:


Load image
Layer/Duplicate Layer (it will make the new layer the active layer)
Uncheck the eye next to the new layer (Only see the background)
select the background layer
Filters/Blur/Gaussian
Recheck the eye next to the new layer (see both layers. New layer will block the blurred layer underneath)
Select the new layer
Select the eraser brush, and an appropriate brush stroke (hard or soft edge, size, depends on what you're doing)
Erase the parts you want blurred, and the blur layer underneath will show through.


PSE, is a bit stupid at times. If you uncheck the eye on the background because you want to more clearly see what's erased or not, you can't paint in that state. It doesn't actually erase properly, and instead paints colors into the new layer. To get around this, you can put a third layer between the blurred background and your un-blurred partially erased image. If you put a solid color, you'll be able to see what you've erased more clearly. Simply check and uncheck the eye on this middle layer to show it or the blur underneath.

Joel,


I missed your post because it went to page two. I saw how to Create Reveal all layer mask in CS but dummy me missed it in PSE. I see it now. The more I learn in CS I find PSE can do the same things. The few tools I see in CS that are not in PSE so far are not worth the cost to upgrade. Still learning so not giving up yet.


thanks joel


Mark

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Originally Posted by ddt0725

Quote:

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Originally Posted by clemmb

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Joel Eade

5. Create Reveal all layer mask and then paint the eagle back in



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Joel


For those of us that are Still learning PS, how do you paint the eagle back in? I am not familiar with using mask. I do not think this can be done in PSE which I am use to. I am doing a 30 day trial of PS so working with masks is new to me.


Mark
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It didn't work for me! [img]/emoticons/emotion-6.gif[/img] Maybe elements is different or maybe this PSE newbieshould stick to DPP but I painted &amp; paintedand my eagle stayed blurry. [img]/emoticons/emotion-10.gif[/img]


Denise
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Denise,


Try again. Like me, you are probably just missing a simple step. It is pretty easy actually.


Mark

I will. I think being sick is making me sort of foggy-brained! [:P]

Sure hope you get better soon.

Hi all,


I know u guys r onto the how to photoshoping the picts thing here, but going back to the start of this post "i cant believe what i saw" i was out by my house today and heres what i saw.. all total i saw 4 diff eagles within 6-8 miles of my home and found a nest with a male and female in it...i hade a hard time gettin very clear shots since we had 60 mph winds here today with bad storms blowin in and out...oh and i got my suv stuck in 3ft og mud and hade to have some drunk guy pull me out lol but heres what i saw..........all shot with 50d 100-400 L


http://community.the-digital-picture...arge_2900_.JPGhttp://community.the-digital-picture...arge_2900_.JPGhttp://community.the-digital-picture...arge_2900_.JPG


the1st one in nest was hard to get since the nest was about 300yrds into the woods from the road and up a tree about 75ft theres so many branches in the was the camers keep switchin focus on me....

These shots are awesome!!! A fisherman told me where a lot of the eagles nests are so I was going to go looking for them when I go next time. I was hoping to go next weekend but now they are calling for rain and ice on both Sat. &amp; Sun. of next week! [:'(] I have no idea how long they will be in the area and I am so afraid I am going to miss out on another chance! So, I thought I would go tomorrow or Sunday but now they are calling for snow on Sat. &amp; rain Sunday!! [:'(] [:'(]

Denise

Denise,


Ive seen a bunch of eagles here this year, and its been like crazy trying to get shots of them we r in a winter migration spot here in delaware...only 1 problem lol next week we r moveing about 100 miles north back to pa justnorth ofphilly and im bummin because here weareonly 10 miles from the dover air bace and i love taking picts of all the planes and second because of all the eagles ive been seeing so close to home..its takein me 6 years to find some eagles here and now im movin lol and theres no airbace where im going either... oh well guess ill have to find something else to take picts of lol.........ROD