Dirt Bird

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Phill Luckhurst

BPN Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2015
Messages
126
The Osprey was called “Almost a dirt bird here” which makes us Brits envious of our US friends. The species was effectively extinc (the same old persecution cause) here a few years back but thanks to the efforts of many they now visit our shores in small numbers to breed. Numbers are so small that at the few sites where they can be photographed this can only be done from a paid hide. These cost between £90 for a short session up to £250 a day per person. One such hide take around £4000 a day as the subject is so popular. I am far too tight to pay for any of the paid per session hides in the UK so have to rely on luck. A couple of days ago Lady Luck visited me and an Osprey on migration dropped in at a local lake to feed. It always stayed a little distant from the bank sadly. I only heard about the bird at 1 in the afternoon so by the time I had driven to the lake it was 2pm. With cloudy skies and the sun setting about half 4 I had very little time. The bird repeatedly vanished having been harassed by the gulls. It did however come for a feed a few times . Here it nabbed a small roach in the setting sun. I know it is not perfect but I was really happy just to see this rare for here species. I got quite a few shots of it diving and exiting the lake with and without fish. I was a little gutted to have a perfectly timed talons just hitting the water dive shot ruined by my own ineptitude. That however is part of the fun for me. Shot handheld with the Canon R7 and 200-800 at 800mm with a high ISO and heavy crop. Just wish it was closer. The bird does look very orange but that was due to the setting sun illuminating it.

5H0A0176-Enhanced-NR.jpeg
 
Hi Phill you were fortunate and Lady Luck was on your side that afternoon.

Overall it's a nice capture, you say hefty crop, how much? At 1/1250 you are already on the back foot, your ISO needed to be far higher for greater SS and I might personally have gone f/8-9 just to cover yourself IMHO. SS 1/3200 is a target SS and providing your image is correctly exposed, then any NR is a breeze. Unless the image was under exposed then at ISO 1000 forget any NR.

Irrespective of time of day you could open the whole image up even more as presented, there is a lot more detail you can pullout. The light is nice and the fact the Osprey has a catch is a cool touch.

TFS
Steve
 
I was on auto ISO with very rapidly changing light. Seconds before and after that shot I have images at ISO4000. It was one of those really annoying days where light was stunning in patches. You are spot on about the shutter speed,,I really should have knocked it up a bit.

Would love to hear how I could bring out more detail. Post processing is something I never have been good with. I tend to just do the very basics with sliders.
 
Would love to hear how I could bring out more detail. Post processing is something I never have been good with. I tend to just do the very basics with sliders.

Phill, it all comes back to the original file and capturing the maximum amount of data. I shoot manual and so what you do with EV I do with ISO and keep my f/stop & SS and what I want and don't ever worry about ISO, its just a number, nothing more.

PP to a degree can be learnt, but then its how you then take it forward from the basic cornerstone. Sadly I won't be specific because it comes back to the original capture, understanding the raw converter you use and using Ps for selective tweaks. Plus some folk have taken certain help in the past as a Silver bullet which its not and each image needs to be taken on its own merits unless say its a sequence. But my reference to NR is something to take note, its becoming an embedded tool that is being used incorrectly with lack of understanding in what it really does and when it should be used, and what folk are often worried about on screen would never be seen when printed.
 
The clean image obsession certainly goes too far at times. Years ago I fell deep into that trap after a few people commented on my noisy shot. I can honestly say it sent me in the wrong direction for some time.
 
The clean image obsession certainly goes too far at times. Years ago I fell deep into that trap after a few people commented on my noisy shot. I can honestly say it sent me in the wrong direction for some time.

Hi Phill, I agree images have become almost 'plastic' in their appearance at times, I will admit when I look at my own images shot at say ISO3200 and the BKG looks smooth and when I toggle between with or without any NR there is minimal difference, but also with the upgrades to Ps now its all changed again. But if you do have to apply NR then it's knowing how much to apply and if it looks odd delete and create another with less if its just smoothed out that lovely plumage. What noise do you get in a file shot at ISO 400, 800, 1000 and if you apply too much then you invariably will over sharpen. Sometimes its good to have a hint of grain, it offers authenticity and I will at times just add 1-3 points in not noticeable as such, but it just tips the look.

If you print a 24x16 how far do you view it, probably around a metre, and not at 300%. :)
 

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