The photographer has shared comprehensive information about their intent and creative vision for this image. Please examine the details and offer feedback on how they can most effectively realize their vision.
Self Critique
I’m happy with this image, but want others opinions on what, if anything, I could do to improve it. I used a rather extreme crop and while I still feel there’s enough detail in the feathers, I wonder if they’re too soft. I also wonder about the sky and whether it needs some definition. I captured this image in the evening, so I feel the color of the light is consistent with the time of day, but again, is feels a bit blank and almost fake, although its not. Also, how about the crop, show more of the tree, or not?
Creative direction
I think the image touches on the regalness of the eagles, and the steadfast relationship between them but I wonder if it’s engaging enough and whether I should reduce the exposure to increase the impact, or ?
Specific Feedback
I welcome all feedback.
Technical Details
Description
I shot this on the beach along the Strait of Juan De Luca, in Washington State. I used a 2X teleconverter on the Sony 100-400mm to get the reach I needed to record this pair and I was surprised that with the detail I got at 800mm although I used in camera crop, as well as a large crop in post.
I agree that it appears to be a tad blank, my description is more like a tad Flat looking, definitely not fake!
I get the feeling that the cropping in camera (APS-C mode?), then the additional cropping might have had something to do with what appears to me to be a low dynamic range, the darks and shadows seem to have fallen apart to a small degree. Maybe the work flow had something to do with it? I’m not sure to be honest, I’m just tossing out ideas.
You could post the ARW file (Sony’s RAW file designation for those who aren’t Sony users) in the Processing Challenge Forum so we can see what the issue might be, this should be producing a better dynamic range IMHO. Of course it could be that I’m just on the wrong track, too. These are just my personal thoughts.
Aside from the above, I did do a quick edit just to see what I could get out of it.
Using a Selective Color adjustment layer in Ps, I added some yellow and red to the neutral channel (for the dark feathers), then added a bit of yellow and black to the yellow channel (for the feet and the beak).
Then globally I added a bit of gamma and exposure with an exposure adjustment layer.
It may not be anywhere near what you had in mind and again, what I did and said is just my take on it and it’s pretty subjective as well.
It’s completely fine if this doesn’t align with what you were after in a review.
Either way, my intentions were to help out in some small way if I could.
Thank you so, so much Mervin, I greatly appreciate the feedback and I really like the end result you achieved by adding the PS adjustments! I think it gives the image more impact. And yes, I was shooting in APS-C mode. You are spot on with the description of it being “flat”. Fake was a poor choice of words on my part. Anyway, I’ve only had the A1 about 6 months (transitioning from an Olympus M1X} and with that said, I’m using Auto DRO hoping to achieve more dynamic range, but not seeing much difference with it, but again, the crop factors and could have a lot to do with it. Yes, I’ll post the ARW along with .xml if it’s appropriate to include it.
Hello, You have definitely captured the regal nature of these birds in beautiful light!
I have a few photos that look like a diorama in a natural history museum and have learned from the response from @Merv so I am very glad you asked your question.
Oh good, I’m gad to hear that I was on the right track.
The A1 camera has a really big dynamic range (about 13.7 stops I believe), I’ve never tried using DRO on my Sony A7RIV, the dynamic range on mine is about 14.7 stops, so, very similar. I’m always amazed at how much detail I can pull out of an under exposed image!
That would be great if you could post the ARW in the Image Process Challenge, just the ARW file should be all that’s needed, no need to include the .xml.
So glad that I could be a little helpful to @Robena.Sirett as well.
I like the composition a lot, Peg, though I don’t think you’d hurt it by going a little looser, thus cutting back on the crop a trifle. Merv did a nice job of giving the image a bit more pop and I wouldn’t try to get more out of it that way. I haven’t tried crop mode on the A1 yet, but it should help a bit with critical focus and that looks spot on in this image. I’m noticing what looks like some image quality loss in the darker tones, which could also be a noise issue, though at iso 1000 I wouldn’t expect that to be much of a factor, so I’m guessing it’s the crop. I’ll be interested in seeing what the results of the processing challenge look like.
You have been more than helpful, Melvin, believe me. I recently joined, my membership fee has already started to pay off, so I couldn’t be happier that you replied and took on the challenge of helping me. I too am amazed at how much detail I can pull out from my images, especially when using the 2X TC, which of course means I have to shoot faster and it’s easy to under expose. I added the ARW as you suggested, but my image of the changes I made in LR is the only one that’s displaying, so you may not see it. Here’s a link instead: https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/the-happy-couple/35520
Again, thanks for the feedback!
Thank you, Dennis! I’m such a tight cropper and sometimes get too aggressive in the process, so your point is well taken. The quality loss you’re seeing is evident to me as well, and may be attributed to me over sharpening the image in PS. I took a PS class recently that led me to an Action I’ve been using called, “PiXimperfect - Vivid Light Sharpening” which I used here so, that may have introduced it. I’ll take a closer look and see if I can remedy it. Yes, I’ll be interested to see the results of the challenge as well. Again, THANK YOU!
Thanks for uploading the ARW, that’s by far the best way to tell what’s going on.
I done a preliminary edit with noise reduction and initial sharpening and it looks pretty good so far.
Note: I almost always load an ARW image into either Lr or ACR, then open up the shadows and black the point, lower the highlights and contrast and sometimes even lower the exposure a bit depending on how bright the image is, I usually adjust it to a pretty flat looking image so the Tiff file can be adjusted once I get it out of the noise reduction software, when it’s converted from ARW to a Tiff, those tones are baked in so they have to be showing before converting to a tiff and before noise reduction and sharpening, then the color, saturation, and contrast etc. can be brought back into focus so to speak (in Ps in my case).
It’s getting a little late and past time to take my wife out to eat, so, I’ll finish it sometime in the morning.
I enjoyed discovering your image. I think you’ve succeeded in capturing a sense of connection between these two birds, and the pine branches on which they are perched are pleasing to look at. I also like the crop. I feel it does a nice job of presenting the birds. However, I am no bird photographer so it will be interesting to see what results from enlarging the crop a bit, as suggested by others here.
@Merv’s edit brings out nice pop and contrast. There seems to be some posterization in the more distant bird’s breast. It will be very interesting to see what can be gotten out of the RAW file.
One issue remaining, though, is the halos on the left side of the birds and in the triangle of sky just below the closest bird’s talons. Dave Kelly’s quick tip for removing halos works great:
I know, I keep mentioning this video here but it’s so useful!
Finally, I imagine you pointing your heavy 800mm lens at the top of a tree… quite some work. Did you use a tripod? How did you spot the two birds from that distance. Do you use binoculars to sweep the field? If it were me, I’m pretty sure I would have missed spotting the birds altogether! Passion and training are required… and some good arm muscles too!
Thank you for your feedback and your “eagle eye” on the halos, Laura! I hope you’ll be inspired to try bird photography yourself someday. And thanks for the YouTube link as well, which I have yet to view…
But to answer your questions, I had the camera stabilized, to some extent, on a 3-legged monopod. I spotted the birds quite easily since this particular tree is isolated from the rest and their white feathers stood out against the sky. This pair perches on the same tree occasionally too, so I look for it whenever I’m on the beach.
Again, I use a 2X TC on my lens, so I’m typically carrying the camera and a 100-400mm, not an 800mm. Even with the TC attached, the lens is much lighter than an 800mm, and I use a harness to carry the camera which distributes the weight on my shoulders. No, I don’t carry binoculars since adding another piece of equipment is the last thing I want to do. I simply use the lens to help me scan for birds.
Thanks again, Mervin…I’m going to adjust my rather haphazard workflow and follow your lead on this, which makes perfect sense! And, I’m curious as to how much if any masking you do in Lr versus Ps since my masks have been rather imprecise and disappointing in Lr; otherwise, I probably would have used one or more on this image (which I felt deserved more precision).
You’re very welcome, Peg. Glad it helps! I see that the halos are present in the RAW and can’t be removed in ACR with Remove Chromatic Aberration. I’ve never used a TC, but I suspect this might be the culprit?
Actually, I am not sure whether this method will result in the cleanest edges but it’s worth a go. If it fails, you’ll have to draw a selection of the birds’ edges with the Pen Tool and clone just outside of it. Let me know if you ever need helps with this. An advantage of this method is that you can reconstruct the edges (because you draw the lines yourself), thereby getting them as sharp as you wish.
Thanks for the info. TC really helps in this instance, because an 800m is crazy heavy to carry on a trek for hours I imagine! Personally, I prefer the water to carry me equipment
Ha ha! Personally, I like to have my hubby carry my gear, but then keeping an eye on him, and the gear, is a challenge…
Anyway, I’m not seeing white halos in the RAW but after using the chromatic aberration tool in Lr I do see grayish areas/lines inside the outlines of the birds, where it was purple before I removed the aberrations…hopefully, that makes sense.
And, yes, I’ve used the pen tool, although only sporadically; I’m working with a traditional mouse and not a stylist. Will see which works though as I’ve started reworking the image, as a teaching exercise, if nothing else.
Again Mervin, THANK YOU SO MUCH for your time; it is greatly appreciated.
After your input, I started reworking the RAW with your recommendations and I must say I was quite surprised that reducing the contrast, which I typically increase if anything, was just the ticket to making the image more lifelike, BUT, after opening in Ps, then using Topaz Photo AI to reduce the noise (I didn’t sharpen) the texture of the feathers is now greatly in need of contrast, sharpening, etc. which I probably would have done in Lr. A masked brightness/contrast or curves adjustment comes to my mind although I just used the PiXimperfect - Vivid Light Sharpening tool that I mentioned before and it’s helping, but not much, and of course it’s introducing halos. I’ll try starting over and running the tif through Photo AI again but will sharpen this time. How would you approach it?
These are just my personal thoughts.
