The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Lots of dragonfly being posted so I decided to post this shot on my walk in the park the other day.
He landed and i used my zoom to capture this. Far away and hard to really focus but I did the best I could. Didn’t work in B&W to I made a more colorful image. Walking in the parks has really help me using my arm again. To carry my camera and shoot for fun.
Specific Feedback
Shirley Freeman. Teach me about pixels. I am confused. I used my zoom lens and then in edited I cropped the beans out of this image. Does that change the pixels and if so what can I do to improve. Im going to the shore in a few weeks. I hope to do lots of different shots. I do photography for fun with my music and to publish a book for myself and family at the end of the year. So I hope you will take the time ( or any one) and explain pixels and simple editing to help me on my journey. I love the NPN. actually bought a T Shirt. So any advise is welcomed. I know blowing up images shows issues. For my Books Not so much. But I am trying to improve. Peace to the Planet !!!
Technical Details
ISO 200 f14 shutter 250 edited pretty heavy in Photoshop. Alway learning !!!
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Unless you are using “digital zoom”, which is just cropping, zooming a lens doesn’t change the pixels you capture. But, compared to getting closer, it can decrease sharpness due to things like any camera shake being magnified, more atmospheric disturbance and most lenses lose sharpness at the long end. Cropping at any step in processing (raw converter or PS) does lose pixels and will make any flaws more apparent.
So the best idea is to get as close as you can with the best image stabilization (your hands or the camera’s) and the lens at its sharpest, which is usually not wide open or at its longest zoom. Then process with judicious NR and sharpening as needed. NR is much more advanced (successful) than sharpening, at this stage of technology. So attention to the point or plane of focus is important.
But with good conditions, I can crop to 10% of the original pixels and have an image that looks fine at the size presented here. But it would not upsize well for a huge print. That technology is also not as advanced as the software manufacturers would have you believe.
As far as this image, I think it will be better balanced with some crop from the left and bottom. It looks like NR has gone too far. You pegged the best idea – simple editing. It’s easy to do more harm than good. In LR or ACR I do very basic global tonal corrections, balancing Exposure, Shadows and Highlights, and set the best Temp and Tint – usually little else. In PS, first thing is Topaz Denoise, but the new denoise in LR/ACR is generally very good. Then any retouching and larger-scale masked lightening and darkening. Have a careful look at the results of the AI tools like removing things – they can be amazing but can leave artifacts that need cloning.
If you want to list the steps you used in processing, that could elicit comments, I’m sure.
(And now it’s Shirley’s turn – sorry to step in, but your question rang with things I have learned the hard way.)
Thanks Diane for this information. Most of it is over my head but i’ll learn as I go. Shirley made a comment of my Dragonfly in B&W… My pixel ratio was not right. So Im trying to learn as I go and improve… What is NR… i just use sharping edges in photoshop. I pushed my lens hard. If i got to close he might have flown away. Since my accident I am trying to use my camera more as a practice. I’ll use my tripod on my Shore photos. Topaz Denoise ??? don’t have a clue. I’m always thankful for suggestions and comments. Thats why i am here on the NPN. To learn as much as possible and have fun meeting others like yourself and others… Photography and Music are my passion. But i am getting older and technology is kicking my Butt. Ha Ha… Thanks again.
Bugs and Birds may not be my thing. Lot better photographers than me capturing amazing Images. My goal is to be a good Landscape photographer. Use my Macro lens for my close up of things that interest me. Your Image I suggested a metal print is Stellar. Lots to learn but still be true to myself and really have fun and make my book at the end of the year. I hope other photographer will do the same. Nothing better than to see your image in a collection on paper bound together. For better or worse… Thanks again
I missed Shirley’s comment on the B/W DF. Going for individual art is all good, but if you look at the well-known B/W photographers there is a lot to learn, even if you still want to keep your own voice. For me, the lessons to be had are for the craft side of art.
Shirley is talking about the size of the image you exported from PS to post here. Normally, more like 2000 pixels on the long side is enough. That is independent of how big your master file image should be. Keep your master file at its native size – dictated by any crop – and export a separate JPEG for posting here. It will normally be at a smaller pixel size unless your original is a big crop. And you don’t want to do things like extra sharpening or contrast when you export. Do those things to your master image and export as true a copy as you can.
So – in that image I see artifacts. I’ll go over there and post a few observations. Sometimes they are not avoidable, but there is a basic difference between artifacts – which ideally could be avoided – and the “rough edges” that result from your sort of spontaneous capture and processing.
PS – sharpen edges in PS is really really really old. Older than us, about. In ACR you can very very very slightly squeak up the Sharpness slider, but be careful. Too much and you have created artifacts you can’t get rid of later.
I have used Topaz Sharpen on maybe 3 images in the last year – and masked the effect to only something like a bird’s head.
Thanks I keep trying to learn how all this works. Technology is amazing and just being able to shoot and edit is amazing. I am an old film guy with his darkroom going through photo paper like crazy. I’ve met a lot of good photographers and always everyone helping and giving advise. It is really cool. Peace to you. and thanks again so much
Gill, I’m sorry. I have been doing other things today and haven’t been on NPN hardly at all. Thank you, @Diane_Miller for stepping in with some very good info in the meantime. Yes, on the other DF image I was talking about the long side of the image needing to be somewhere around 2000, and if i remember right it was 4000, which made it show a lot of distortion. Sorry for the confusion, but I think Diane did a great job explaining.
I do most of my editing in LR. I use it denoise whenever I feel the image needs it, usually when my ISO is high, maybe 1000 or more for my camera (Canon R5). I bring my photo up to 200% and view areas like the sky to see if I think I need to do noise reduction (NR).
With dragonflies I have found that when I ease up on them slowly, taking a few shots and easing up on them more (and I even talk to them) they let me get amazingly close, down to where with my macro lens I am just shooting the eyes and getting the sectionals (see some in my images posted here on NPN). I have used a flash to help with lighting when taking them that close up. They don’t seem to mind. If they fly away, they usually come back to the same perch, so I just wait.
I hope that helps. I need to get off of here for the moment, but will try to check back later.
Thanks so much. I am new at Bugs and Birds and on my walks at the parks… I am trying to photograph the things I see and see how it goes. I will try to be more patient when I am shooting flying objects and get closer. As usual i am pushing my zoom lens and camera setting a bit hard. But i will learn as I go. You and Diane and others have been very helpful. Cole Thompson and Bill Guerrant have also been helpful in my journey. I wish i was some what younger with all this technology. But It’s cool and i move forward on my journey of photography and original music. I have put the two together on Youtube in Image Videos. Learning how that works. Using old film images and todays digital image and my guitar music as one. For Fun… Take care and thanks again…
Gill, you didn’t specify what lens. Most of the modern zooms will focus fairly close, giving roughly 1/3 life size magnification. They work well for larger insects, like this dragonfly. Many dragonflies can be approached, if you move in slowly and carefully and don’t let your shadow move across them. This is a good look at this nicely colored DF as it sits warming on the ground. The large view does look a bit soft everywhere, so I’m guessing that this is a large crop.
Huge crop. Pushed the zoom lens hard. Hard to really get a good focus. But I gave it a try. Out of my comfort zone for sure. Bugs and Birds may not be my thing. Lots to learn. Great photographers here on the NPN can really capture this style of photography. They know how.
Gil: I’ve come back to this several times and overall I like what you have. It does look to me that the focus is more on the ground than the DF with some lost detail in the head and body. It’s a subtle thing but I do like your vignette and the proportion of subject to frame. Dragonflies are generally pretty territorial and I find that they almost always return to the same perch. I’ll set up at a place and just wait for them to return. I’ve wasted too much energy and time chasing them and find it easier to let them come to me. Keep after it; I think you’re progressing nicely. >=)>
Thanks. Focus was hard and I think I could have used a faster shutter speed. That may have helped this image. He landed and I zoom in and focus and shoot some frames. I have never photographed insects before last week. But i did have fun shooting the dragonflys. Diane helped me in my editing on the other image I posted. My original idea was B&W ..Strong Crop… Old School broken image. Shirley made a suggestion that I work on my pixels. So I made two new images. They are much better. Thanks for showing interest.
