Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I went back into my Puffin photographs at Machias Seal Island. This island is around 10 miles off the coast of Maine and is run by the Canadians, but the USA also claims the Island. When you’re in the blind, the Puffins and Razorbills are as close as two feet from the outside of the blind, and one of the problems is that the birds keep photo bombing you. I get a shot set up, and a Puffin or Razorbill walks in front of the camera.
Thank you for stopping by.
Peter
Specific Feedback
any
Technical Details
Canon R5, Canon 100-500mm, f8, 300mm, ISO 400, and cropped by 0, 20 & 40% in DXO PhotoLab.
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I like the first the best of these, Peter, but they’re all great. What a terrible problem to have: “My subjects were too close.”
Peter,
Fantastic series. I too am fascinated with the first image. I want the caption to be something like, “Hi There! Welcome to my home” … or “STOP, you’re not going any further”!
All the images are great - and and the landing formation of the last is quite wonderful.
That must have been a great experience being that close. I spend 6 hours in a blind in Tule Lake eons ago waiting for Bald Eagle or any hawk… but alas, nada. One of the reasons I abandoned any desire to get serious with bird or wildlife photography. Kudos to you for the work and effort!
Excellent series, Peter! Especially love the first one. Here, the pose is perfect, and there is good eye contact and nice BG with the OOF birds. It might be even better if the BG was subdued a bit. My method I PS is to select the subject - which hopefully will be only the puffin and rock - invert to select the BG only, and darken the BG. This will make the puffin pop even more for a fantastic image.
The second and one also would benefit from a darkened BG.
The last has a cool landing pose. It could use a bit more room on the bottom.
Wonderful catches!
Hi Dennis
Not only that, but they kept walking in front of each other. Thank you for the comments.
Peter
Hi Lon & Sandy
Thank you for the comment, Lon.
Sandy
Thank you for the comments. The masking you do in PS, is not a function DXO PhotoLab offers.
Peter
Must have been a great experience and you took full advantage of the opportunity. A real fine series; hard to pick a favorite.
Peter,
These are really nice. Puffins are really fun and they do allow you to approach fairly close. I had my experience with them in Iceland. They have several areas in Iceland, where there is a predominance of puffins. They are really cool.
I want to talk to you about topaz photo lab 8.7 which is a version I have. I finally got it working, but it is so different than the other versions. I can’t tell whether it’s working. I don’t know if I’m using it correctly and the tutorials don’t make sense to me. The last time I knew it was working was when I had photo lab six. you could see it being really slow in processing. This version doesn’t seem to take any time at all but as I said, I can’t tell if it’s working or not. After I open up the image I’m presented with a page that lists four different methods of workflow depending on how sharp you want your image. But it doesn’t seem to do anything. I’ve pressed all the buttons . I’ve tried using the alternate, shift, and control buttons along with it and I just can’t see any difference. Where it’s happening so fast I’m missing out on what’s going on. Just seems so different than previous versions. Perhaps you can explain your workflow to me using photo lab 8.7. I’m real curious if I’m doing anything correctly.
HI Allen
Thank you for the comments. The trip was great, but not so much for the people who booked the trip on the next 2 days. The weather closed in, and the wave action made offloading onto the walkway unsafe. I believe they received a refund, but no photos.
Peter
Hi David
Thank you for the comments.
Did you mean DXO PhotoLab 8.7 or Topaz Al 4 photo?
I have DXO PhotoLab Elite 8.7, which gives me more denoise, color control, and Local adjustments.
I start with Exposure, selective tone, contrast, and tone curve.
Then, crops and color adjustments.
Last unsharp mast and then denoising (standard, prime, deepprime3, deep prime XD/SD2s). ISO 500-1000 standard, 1000-2000 prime 2000-3000 deepprime3, 3000 & up deepprime XD/XD2s
Denoising happens on export.
Peter
Peter
That’s pretty much what I do in my workflow, but I still don’t see any changes in the image after I’m done. So how do I know if it’s working yeah well.
I’m also having problems with topaz. I bought a bunch of their legacy apps and they try to recharge me for them. So I couldn’t use them and photo AI is not working as advertised at least for me. So yes, I have some issues with topaz, but I plan to get back to them and figure it out.
David
Hi David
I am confused, in what order did you use Topaz Photo Al, DXO PhotoLab 8.7 and Photoshop?
Can you send me the raw non-cropped file? I would like to see it just using DXO. PhotoLab 8.7.
Are these the 30-day trial version? I know Topaz only lets you have a preview, not an exported photograph.
Peter
Peter:
I generally start out with DxO photo lab and open the image in Photoshop and then exported to light room. I make changes in my room and then returned to Photoshop where I put it in a folder that can be transferred to NPN.I hope that’s clear. I don’t use any of the Topaz programs in general but I have used photo AI and I’m having some issues with it right now. I’m dealing with Topaz directly. I purchased a bunch of Topaz legacy apps and they tried to make me buy them again for I can use them. That was not my understanding when I purchased the original de noise, de mask and de mask and Topaz adjust. These are the original apps that were purchased for life. I’m also having some issues with photo AI but that one I don’t think you buy for life it’s just subscribed.
David
Peter:
I will try to locate it and get it to you. I’m having some difficulty finding my raw files. I think there was a point in my hobby career that I had no use for raw files and just erase them. Silly me.
David
Hi David
Thank you for getting back to me. I have also searched for photographs and found that they have drifted into never-never land.
Peter
well I was lucky and here’s the original as JPEG hope you can use it
aha, it was a little large so I made it smaller and useful
Enjoy., David
