Post your best bird shots!

[iND]

How did you get the focus on the moving object.


Single point center focus, but how did you catch it to the motion?

[ddt0725]

OMG, Joel!! That photo is definitely up there as being one of the best bird shots I have seen yet! If that bird was any sharper and life-like it would be flying in my room!


Denise

[JJphoto]

Deltsun, you are welcome and thanks for the commend.


Joel, great shot again!, incredible sharp!

[Joel Eade]

Thanks Bob, Denise and JJphoto.....I appreciate the nice comments. BTW this was shot from a tripod using a Wimberly II gimbal head.


iND.....I don

[Bill W]

Joel, very nice pic, but I have to ask some questions.


As Bob stated it does have a 3D look, but to me it looks superimposed onto the background....background looks just a bit too blurred/soft (?) while the pelican is extraordinarily sharp (my eyes, my monitor).....1DMKlll & 500mm?


So please don

[Joel Eade]

Hi Bill,


Of course I processed the image....I shoot RAW mode then.....


1. Convert the image with some adjustments as needed in ACR, maybe a slight exposure adjustment or clarity adjustment


2. Bring the picture into CS5


3.Adjust shadows/highlights if needed


4.Adjust levels if needed


5.Crop if needed


6.I will usually sharpen depending on the intended output size, using unsharp mask, the settings vary but usually no more than a radius of 0.4, threshold of 3-6, anywhere from 100 to 300%. Those are ballpark settings and can vary alot. Sometimes sharpening with a low setting like 0.2 pixels with multiple passes works well.


7. I will then create a duplicate layer and run noise reduction on the duplicate layer, usually with a maximum setting.


8.Then create a layer mask to reveal the bird without the noise reduction.


This does serve to make the subject "pop" out from the background but usually I don

[Jayson]

Great shots Joel and JJphoto. Very impressive. Joel, thanks for the processing info. I am sure most everyone here can use it. Your subject looks a ways away from the background so it is naturally going to pop especially at that f#. great work.

[Bill W]

Thanks Joel....copying and pasting your process into my documents...thank you for your input.


I

[neuroanatomist]

Thanks Joel....copying and pasting your process into my documents...thank you for your input.

+1 - thanks! That's a great workflow description, and I have also saved it for later reference.

[ddt0725]

+1 - thanks! That's a great workflow description, and I have also saved it for later reference.

+2 - Yep, saved here also! I am going to start putting a binder together and on the side of the binder it will read "TDP Reference Manual"!

Also, I've started on my winter project list ...


#1 - Learn post-processing!!

Denise