In Search of 4Labs' Owl

windozewindoze Registered Users Posts: 2,830 Major grins
edited March 19, 2005 in Wildlife
4Labs posted a great image the other day of a snowy owl that made me somewhat jealous for I never was able to see a owl -and to top it off the Owl was from the Bronx Zoo ( My backyard). So off I went and low and behold its in a section called "Birds of Prey" ( I never knew this ection even existed ) So 4Labs Thank you!!!!


Now this isnt the best image I took but - here's the thing. I used a 20 D with -2/3 EC and the histogram is anything but near the right .... So... Why should I have to be dealing with what appears to me as blown out feathers on the top of his snowy white head :dunno ??
17781495-M.jpg

Comments

  • digital faeriedigital faerie Registered Users Posts: 667 Major grins
    edited March 19, 2005
    windoze wrote:
    4Labs posted a great image the other day of a snowy owl that made me somewhat jealous for I never was able to see a owl -and to top it off the Owl was from the Bronx Zoo ( My backyard). So off I went and low and behold its in a section called "Birds of Prey" ( I never knew this ection even existed ) So 4Labs Thank you!!!!


    Now this isnt the best image I took but - here's the thing. I used a 20 D with -2/3 EC and the histogram is anything but near the right .... So... Why should I have to be dealing with what appears to me as blown out feathers on the top of his snowy white head ne_nau.gif ??
    17781495-M.jpg
    eeek, I feel like I'm a mouse...he looks so intense. awww, he has such cute fuzzy feet! rolleyes1.gif beautiful shot!
  • 4labs4labs Registered Users Posts: 2,089 Major grins
    edited March 19, 2005
    windoze wrote:
    4Labs posted a great image the other day of a snowy owl that made me somewhat jealous for I never was able to see a owl -and to top it off the Owl was from the Bronx Zoo ( My backyard). So off I went and low and behold its in a section called "Birds of Prey" ( I never knew this ection even existed ) So 4Labs Thank you!!!!


    Now this isnt the best image I took but - here's the thing. I used a 20 D with -2/3 EC and the histogram is anything but near the right .... So... Why should I have to be dealing with what appears to me as blown out feathers on the top of his snowy white head ne_nau.gif ??
    17781495-M.jpg[/QUOTE

    Troy If thast is blown out it is barely. Maybe it's time to switch to Nikon?rolleyes1.gif
  • windozewindoze Registered Users Posts: 2,830 Major grins
    edited March 19, 2005
    Im to much $$$ into canon to switch now - BTW, they seem to feed those birds of prey around 4:00. probably a good time to go!
    17786312-M.jpg
    4labs wrote:
    windoze wrote:
    4Labs posted a great image the other day of a snowy owl that made me somewhat jealous for I never was able to see a owl -and to top it off the Owl was from the Bronx Zoo ( My backyard). So off I went and low and behold its in a section called "Birds of Prey" ( I never knew this ection even existed ) So 4Labs Thank you!!!!


    Now this isnt the best image I took but - here's the thing. I used a 20 D with -2/3 EC and the histogram is anything but near the right .... So... Why should I have to be dealing with what appears to me as blown out feathers on the top of his snowy white head ne_nau.gif ??
    17781495-M.jpg[/QUOTE

    Troy If thast is blown out it is barely. Maybe it's time to switch to Nikon?rolleyes1.gif
  • Steve CaviglianoSteve Cavigliano Super Moderators Posts: 3,599 moderator
    edited March 19, 2005
    Very nice Troy thumb.gifthumb.gif


    The head isn't blown out too badly. A few things you may want to try next time. Chimp your shot in the LCD and press the info button til it highlights (blinking) the over exposed areas. Sometimes this is easier to see than trying to look for a small spike at +255 on the histogram. With all the darker tones in this pic, I'm thinking at first glance the histo would look fine. Except for that fine line trailing off to the right. -2/3 EV Comp is a good starting point for white birds, but depending on the light you may have to go even higher. Sometimes on well lit Egrets/Gulls I've had to go as high as -1 1/3 EV Comp. Lastly, shoot white birds using RAW. This gives you way more post processing latitude then jpg. You can bring back much of the detail lost, due to OE, very easily.

    Still, I think you did a very good job with a very difficult to expose subject clap.gif

    Steve
    SmugMug Support Hero
  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited March 19, 2005
    Hey Troy,

    What Steve said 15524779-Ti.gif

    Also I you were using a Nikon you wouldn't be having this problem. biggrinbounce2.gif
    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!"
  • ginger_55ginger_55 Registered Users Posts: 8,416 Major grins
    edited March 19, 2005
    I love that bird. The heck with the "blown" area. Until I started doing birds here, I thought white existed in nature.

    However, I have developed a sensitive skin on this area. Andy and people roam around waiting to tell you what is blown. I think they have a meter or a bell that goes off when I post anything remotely blown.

    So last time I took photos of birds, it was nasty out, grey, windy, very little water, the only birds were at a distance. An assortment of types with a few egrets. I thought I will put this EC thing at almost -2 and no way will anything be blown. The damn egrets were blown a bit. The herons were fine. The pictures sucked in general.

    I thought about why those birds could possibly be blown, the background. You have woods, I had a grey crummy marsh all around my tiny birds. So that is what the meter read. (I didn't even look at the histogram, I forget, gotta remember that, but I think I had the EC so low, the camera wouldn't have gone lower.)

    I love that owl. I have never seen one outside of a zoo, and I don't think I have ever seen one cuter than yours with the little feet, expression and all.

    ginger (I want to pet his little white head, and he would probably bite me)
    After all is said and done, it is the sweet tea.
  • windozewindoze Registered Users Posts: 2,830 Major grins
    edited March 19, 2005
    gotcha Steve - but if you go to -1 1/3 EC - you get a very dark picture which i guess you would say i can ligthen-up if i shot in RAW.... i am not finished with this little white puppy.... i am going to photograph him until i get it right even if i have to go there every day ( which i kinda do already ) BTW is EV what I call EC?????


    troy
    Steve Cavigliano wrote:
    Very nice Troy thumb.gifthumb.gif


    The head isn't blown out too badly. A few things you may want to try next time. Chimp your shot in the LCD and press the info button til it highlights (blinking) the over exposed areas. Sometimes this is easier to see than trying to look for a small spike at +255 on the histogram. With all the darker tones in this pic, I'm thinking at first glance the histo would look fine. Except for that fine line trailing off to the right. -2/3 EV Comp is a good starting point for white birds, but depending on the light you may have to go even higher. Sometimes on well lit Egrets/Gulls I've had to go as high as -1 1/3 EV Comp. Lastly, shoot white birds using RAW. This gives you way more post processing latitude then jpg. You can bring back much of the detail lost, due to OE, very easily.

    Still, I think you did a very good job with a very difficult to expose subject clap.gif

    Steve
  • jwearjwear Registered Users Posts: 8,014 Major grins
    edited March 19, 2005
    Harryb wrote:
    Hey Troy,

    What Steve said 15524779-Ti.gif

    Also I you were using a Nikon you wouldn't be having this problem. biggrinbounce2.gif
    oh really wait until i get my hands on that d70 of mine and i tell it Harry said no blow outs rolleyes1.gif :uhoh Jeff for my option it ain't easy white birds and detail what is taht word oh yea work
    Jeff W

    “PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE ‘JAZZ’ FOR THE EYES…”

    http://jwear.smugmug.com/
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