Canon 1DX High ISO Photos--Second Practice

PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
edited November 10, 2012 in Wildlife
I had some time to practice with my Canon 1DX this week. Wildlife around here is REALLY slow. So no great photos, (and some of the worst backgrounds ever) but a few to practice on. I pretty much shot at anything that moved. This time in post processing I tried to stay away from NIK, and just crop and make minimal adjustments to white balance, contrast, etc. in Lightroom. All photos were taken with the camera and lens balanced on a bean bag from the car.

All comments and suggestions welcome and appreciated. Best, Pam

1. Great Blue Heron: ISO 6400, f/4.0, 1/1000, 6:15 p.m., 500mm lens (First the unprocessed photo, then the cropped and processed version)

2012-1030_Avery_Island-27-1-L.jpg

2012-1030_Great_Blue_Heron_Avery_Island-1-L.jpg

2. Deer: ISO 2500, f/4.0, 1/1600, 7:54 a.m., 500mm lens (First original photo, then cropped and processed version)

2012-1031_Avery_Island-69-1-L.jpg

2012-1031_Deer_Avery_Island-1-L.jpg

3. Grebe: 6400, f/4.0, 1/250, 7:21 a.m., 500mm (Just couldn't get to 1/1000) (First original photo, then cropped and processed version)

2012-1031_Avery_Island-28-1-L.jpg

2012-1031_Grebe_Avery_Island-4-L.jpg


4. Grebe: Same as above (First original photo, then cropped and processed version)

2012-1031_Avery_Island-38-1-L.jpg

2012-1031_Grebe_Avery_Island-5-L.jpg

Comments

  • PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
    edited November 1, 2012
    Apparently I forgot to post this cropped and processed photo of the Deer in #2 above: Best, Pam

    2012-1031_Deer_Avery_Island-2-L.jpg
  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited November 1, 2012
    Looking good Pam. You seem to be getting a lot of room to crop with your new camera. It seems to be performing wll at high ISOs. On the grebe crops they could use some selective NR on the water.

    Don't be afraid of using NIK on your captures just apply the effect selectively with the brush option.

    So how do you like having the baddest camera on the block? :D
    Harry
    http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
    How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
  • PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
    edited November 2, 2012
    Thanks, Harry. I do like the camera, especially in our area where so much of the wildlife comes out mainly at dawn and dusk. With this camera, a lot of shots that I never would have attempted before are achievable. I'll try the NR on the water, and be careful to use NIK, which I love, selectively. Thanks again for all your help! I don't have the flexibility to attend photography workshops, really, so your forum and the time you spend teaching me and others here is a lifesaver for me. Best, Pam
  • IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited November 2, 2012
    The cropped buck is really nice, and I like the bg too.
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
  • PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
    edited November 3, 2012
    Icebear wrote: »
    The cropped buck is really nice, and I like the bg too.

    Thanks, John! I wasn't so sure of the dead palm leaves bg, so glad you like it! Best, Pam
  • Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
    edited November 8, 2012
    I had it all figured out what I was going to say....then I read Harry's post.:D

    I like the buck most.....but with a little post work those Grebes' could be better yet.

    Like all of us....you just plain need to get closer and hope the light is with you.

    I guess I shouldn't say this on a photography forum, but since I've cut way back on my shooting, I've come to actually enjoy my time observing much more. For all the decent ones I post here there was a lot of time spent and hundreds of crappy shots. I don't miss the frustration part at all.
  • PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
    edited November 8, 2012
    Ric Grupe wrote: »
    I had it all figured out what I was going to say....then I read Harry's post.:D

    I like the buck most.....but with a little post work those Grebes' could be better yet.

    Like all of us....you just plain need to get closer and hope the light is with you.

    I guess I shouldn't say this on a photography forum, but since I've cut way back on my shooting, I've come to actually enjoy my time observing much more. For all the decent ones I post here there was a lot of time spent and hundreds of crappy shots. I don't miss the frustration part at all.

    Ric, I sure am glad you are still spending time observing and teaching, because your shots are always among the very best posted here, and you have so much to teach the rest of us, which I greatly appreciate! Best, Pam
  • PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
    edited November 8, 2012
    Here are the two grebe photos where I tried to use NR on the water, as Harry and Ric suggested. Hope they look better. Best, Pam

    2012-1031_Grebe_Avery_Island-4A-L.jpg

    2012-1031_Grebe_Avery_Island-5A-L.jpg
  • kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,681 moderator
    edited November 9, 2012
    Wow, that's a lot of great detail for ISO6400, Pam. Nice shots! Have you tried using a TC1.4 with that combo?
    Moderator of Landscapes forum
    Link to my Smugmug site
  • PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
    edited November 9, 2012
    kdog wrote: »
    Wow, that's a lot of great detail for ISO6400, Pam. Nice shots! Have you tried using a TC1.4 with that combo?

    No, Joel, I haven't, but it's a great idea! I will try it and see what happens. Thanks so much for the suggestion. Best, Pam
  • NorthernFocusNorthernFocus Registered Users Posts: 1,347 Major grins
    edited November 9, 2012
    Pretty nice stuff here. What did you use for NR on the grebe images?
    Dan

    My Photo Gallery:Northern Focus Photography
    I wish I was half the man that my dog thinks I am...
  • PGMPGM Registered Users Posts: 2,007 Major grins
    edited November 9, 2012
    NorthernFocus wrote: »
    Pretty nice stuff here. What did you use for NR on the grebe images?

    Thanks, Dan. I am just learning on this camera. I bought NIK Viveza, which acts as a plug-in to either photoshop (as a filter) or Lightroom. Harry told me about NIK, which also makes Color Effex Pro, which I also like a lot. For these photos, I used Viveza, and reduced the "structure" to accompish NR. I have found the NR in Lightroom also works well. The high ISO photos, as Harry pointed out after my first practice, seem to be more fragile, in that if you try to sharpen or add contrast to the main subject, and some of that sharpening goes out into the bg, you can get artifacts and other unattractive features.

    Best, Pam
  • NorthernFocusNorthernFocus Registered Users Posts: 1,347 Major grins
    edited November 9, 2012
    Thanks for the info.
    Dan

    My Photo Gallery:Northern Focus Photography
    I wish I was half the man that my dog thinks I am...
  • Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
    edited November 10, 2012
    PGM wrote: »
    Thanks, Dan. I am just learning on this camera. I bought NIK Viveza, which acts as a plug-in to either photoshop (as a filter) or Lightroom. Harry told me about NIK, which also makes Color Effex Pro, which I also like a lot. For these photos, I used Viveza, and reduced the "structure" to accompish NR. I have found the NR in Lightroom also works well. The high ISO photos, as Harry pointed out after my first practice, seem to be more fragile, in that if you try to sharpen or add contrast to the main subject, and some of that sharpening goes out into the bg, you can get artifacts and other unattractive features.

    Best, Pam

    I find the Nik plugins to be invaluable. I have them all.

    The Color Efex filters take some time to get to know....but I've found the Tonal Contrast, Polarization, and Darken/Lighten Center to be of the most use. Remember to use thes effects on a layer to have the most flexibility with there application.
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