Night Heron:the ending, first

ginger_55ginger_55 Registered Users Posts: 8,416 Major grins
edited March 20, 2006 in Wildlife
60515896-L.jpg


This is the last shot I took in a series of Night Heron shots, some of which I will post "later". I was going to clone out all those branches, or enough to make the bird stand out. Instead, this idea of dealing with the branches grew. Do you like any of them? If so, which one? They are all the same shot. I was so close to that bird I was backing up. To back up more, I would have been in the swamp on the "other" side.

60515895-L.jpg


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There were three Night Herons right in that area, one was a juvenile, a scruffy looking thing, and I will show you that photo, later, but two of the birds flew off, and this bird stayed. I think that he was the "decoy" to keep us (another photographer came up, and I showed her) from "going after" the youngster, which we couldn't have anyway. The other woman thought this guy was fishing. I don't think so. It was late, he didn't look like he was fishing. And, in the summer, fishing or not, they fly off.

I have way too many shots of this guy, but it was getting dark, and I could afford to run out my memory. I was trying to get a photo with some light in it, on the bird, with fewer branches. Most of the time the EV was +1 1/3, an onheard of amt for me, and it was working.

The other woman was sometimes using her on camera (20D flash). She talked me into doing it. This is one where it fired. Also, I had it on f 16, because I had been trying to shoot the other two birds together.
And I forgot, smile.

Exif:
f 16, 800 ISO, 200mm, 1/100, EV 0, AV, Flash fired.
After all is said and done, it is the sweet tea.

Comments

  • GREAPERGREAPER Registered Users Posts: 3,113 Major grins
    edited March 19, 2006
    Love the finished product Ginger. Excellent.
  • ginger_55ginger_55 Registered Users Posts: 8,416 Major grins
    edited March 19, 2006
    Thanks, Greaper! YOu have been a busy nature guy, too, I have noticed. Some good stuff!

    ginger
    After all is said and done, it is the sweet tea.
  • Scott_QuierScott_Quier Registered Users Posts: 6,524 Major grins
    edited March 19, 2006
    15524779-Ti.gifI also like the finished product. The only suggestion I might make is to feather the edge of your oval/circle across a wider area. As it stands, the edge is just that much too abrupt. Did that make any sense?
  • ginger_55ginger_55 Registered Users Posts: 8,416 Major grins
    edited March 19, 2006
    15524779-Ti.gifI also like the finished product. The only suggestion I might make is to feather the edge of your oval/circle across a wider area. As it stands, the edge is just that much too abrupt. Did that make any sense?

    Yeah, I feathered it "25", just can't get it to blend enough. I am pretty much through with it for the time being. Worked on it til 4 AM, may have already said that.

    But yes, it does make sense, and if you could explain how to get a smoother transition and why the feathering is not working for me that well.......please let me know. Really, I am not just being sarcastic. This has come up before. I have increased the feathering in the past to over 50, no real help.

    ginger
    After all is said and done, it is the sweet tea.
  • Osprey WhispererOsprey Whisperer Registered Users Posts: 3,803 Major grins
    edited March 19, 2006
    Hey Ginger. Very nice. You are definitely on to something. The only suggestion I'd make is to perhaps try and make that background fade more naturally (less abruptly) so it looked more like early morning fog. The bird would be very clear...then the close areas of the tree a little more "foggy" and then to full blow fog like you have. The way it is now looks a bit "unatural" IMO. Something didn't look quite right after I looked more closely. At first glance I though .."cool" an early morning fog shot. Just a thought. I would change the % of the "effect" used and gradually increas it as you get farther back from the bird. Make it look more realistic as if you were looking through the fog.

    Like the first one for some reason. I'm never real big on text on frames..but hey...that's your choice. Don't know if that was full frame or not...but the bird is also a bit centered for my tastes. Might crop to move it to the right just a tad.
    Mike McCarthy

    "Osprey Whisperer"

    OspreyWhisperer.com
  • RohirrimRohirrim Registered Users Posts: 1,889 Major grins
    edited March 20, 2006
    15524779-Ti.gif a tad more feathering of the oval would give a more natural effect. Nice portrait.
  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited March 20, 2006
    Good shot Ginger. I agree about the need to make the change less abrupt.
    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!"
  • Scott_QuierScott_Quier Registered Users Posts: 6,524 Major grins
    edited March 20, 2006
    ginger_55 wrote:
    Yeah, I feathered it "25", just can't get it to blend enough. I am pretty much through with it for the time being. Worked on it til 4 AM, may have already said that.

    But yes, it does make sense, and if you could explain how to get a smoother transition and why the feathering is not working for me that well.......please let me know. Really, I am not just being sarcastic. This has come up before. I have increased the feathering in the past to over 50, no real help.

    ginger
    I'll work on this when I get home this afternoon. It seems to me that there is a way to impose an oval, graduated mask. Alter the opacity and gradiant to get the effect you are looking for. Like I said, I'll pull out the books and work on it. When/if I figure it out, I'll post the steps and results here.
  • Osprey WhispererOsprey Whisperer Registered Users Posts: 3,803 Major grins
    edited March 20, 2006
    Just a thought on the feathering, Ginger. Have you tried to layer 2/3 images? Take the image and do varying % of effect and then layer the 2 or 3 images and use different % of the "eraser" tool and "remove" the top layer in varying stages..then combine all 2/3 images? headscratch.gif There are probably other/easier ways to do this...but I've not read the PSCS2 book yet. :Dumph.gif
    Mike McCarthy

    "Osprey Whisperer"

    OspreyWhisperer.com
  • kygardenkygarden Registered Users Posts: 1,060 Major grins
    edited March 20, 2006
    That's great! Almost looks like an artist's drawing form a book. Cool :)
  • saurorasaurora Registered Users Posts: 4,320 Major grins
    edited March 20, 2006
    Just a thought on the feathering, Ginger. Have you tried to layer 2/3 images? Take the image and do varying % of effect and then layer the 2 or 3 images and use different % of the "eraser" tool and "remove" the top layer in varying stages..then combine all 2/3 images? headscratch.gif There are probably other/easier ways to do this...but I've not read the PSCS2 book yet. :Dumph.gif

    15524779-Ti.gif This idea was running through my mind as well...don't have the experience in actual practice myself. I really think your idea was excellent...like the others, if it were not for that ring I would have sworn it was a foggy morning. Good going, Ginger! thumb.gif Don't give up...nail it so you will be prepared for the next shot. (Then give us all the steps, so we can learn from all of your hard work!! Maybe write a tutorial?)
  • snapapplesnapapple Registered Users Posts: 2,093 Major grins
    edited March 20, 2006
    Ginger,

    I love the effect. I like the colors in #1 and the desaturated branches. I think it's probably not possible to feather a vignette enough to get the fade you need. I think you need to do a mask on a layer. The idea of using several layers to get the gradation is a good one. This is such a beautiful image. Looks like it should be in an Audubon book.thumb.gif
    "A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds." - Francis Bacon
    Susan Appel Photography My Blog
  • Scott_QuierScott_Quier Registered Users Posts: 6,524 Major grins
    edited March 20, 2006
    ginger_55 wrote:
    But yes, it does make sense, and if you could explain how to get a smoother transition and why the feathering is not working for me that well.......please let me know. Really, I am not just being sarcastic. This has come up before. I have increased the feathering in the past to over 50, no real help.
    I'll work on this when I get home this afternoon. It seems to me that there is a way to impose an oval, graduated mask. Alter the opacity and gradiant to get the effect you are looking for. Like I said, I'll pull out the books and work on it. When/if I figure it out, I'll post the steps and results here.
    OK, I think I have a handle on it. It was kind of fun.

    Starting image (I used one of mine - hope you don't mind, I figured it would be less rude to do so...)

    60829905-M.jpg
    • Open the image
    • Add fill solid color layer (Layer | New Fill Layer | Solid Color)
    • Select desired Opacity, I went with 80%. You can change it later if you don't like it.
    • Click OK
    • In the color picker, select your desired color. I went with white - it was easy
    • Choose the Marquee tool, ellipse and with your white layer active, draw the ellipse of choice.
    • Feather it (I went with 50px)
    • Clear the selection (delete key)
    • Deselect the Marquee (Ctrl-D)
    • Crop to chice. My choice is probably not the best....
    60829904-M.jpg

    At this point, you can take the photo and put your fancy borders/frames, etc and you're good to go.

    Now then, did I even come close to what you were looking to accomplish?ne_nau.gif

    BTW - This was taken straight from the RAW. I haven't applied any curves, saturation, USM, or anything else. Where those operations happen in the work flow I have not yet determined.
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