[plantej]

Beginner here looking to learn. A post editing emphasis because I was shooting in noon sun and tripod not quite sturdy enough and possibly could have chosen less depth of field but I was worried about getting decent focus at such distance at 450 mm. First time with "the beast" lens. Would a lowered angle of sunlight have improved the details in the feathers? It looks flat to me. The bird was constantly moving so shutter may have been too slow. I applied just a touch of post editing for the first time with LR. Colors are natural, added some contrast and a tad bit of sharpness. Thanks for your time.

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[OldGeaser]

It may be a difference in monitors but your picture looks dark and muddy on mine. I used Photoshop Elements and a Topaz Filter to lighten the shadows and add some pop. Mine might look to light on your monitor?

[aleonx3]

Beginner here looking to learn. A post editing emphasis because I was shooting in noon sun and tripod not quite sturdy enough and possibly could have chosen less depth of field but I was worried about getting decent focus at such distance at 450 mm. First time with "the beast" lens. Would a lowered angle of sunlight have improved the details in the feathers? It looks flat to me. The bird was constantly moving so shutter may have been too slow. I applied just a touch of post editing for the first time with LR. Colors are natural, added some contrast and a tad bit of sharpness. Thanks for your time.

Your original picture looks sharper and more natural to me on my monitor....

[wildman]

Not enough shadow detail and too much pop made it look both artificial and muddy on my gear.

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Last edited by wildman; 07-07-2015 at 12:49 PM.

[OldGeaser]

I agree, Wildman's is much better than mine.

[Bruce Clark]

I think your camera settings are about right. You have got the bird nice and sharp with the really important elements in focus. Yes the plumage is a bit dull looking and you could selectively lighten that up in LR.

Perhaps it not the most flattering pose but birds being birds you take what you can get. If anything I would crop a fraction off the lower left corner to centre the bird in the frame. There is no way I can see of achieving a classic rule of thirds composition with the eye where it is. My crop below downside is you lose the standard print layout. A vignette might focus attention on the bird and away from background, selective blurring of the ground might also be an option.

[plantej]

Well thanks everybody, love the input, helpful pointers.

[DeadJohn]

I would try selectively boosting the shadows and maybe adding clarity on the bird. Or, for less effort, maybe just start by increasing overall exposure letting the white barnacles on the rock get blown out. LR makes it easy to undo and try a different technique if something doesn't work.

Some of the edits above look oversaturated on my monitor. The versions from Wildman and OldGeaser show blotches of red and blue around the eye; I think those are artifacts rather than real.

[plantej]

I would try selectively boosting the shadows and maybe adding clarity on the bird. Or, for less effort, maybe just start by increasing overall exposure letting the white barnacles on the rock get blown out. LR makes it easy to undo and try a different technique if something doesn't work.

Some of the edits above look oversaturated on my monitor. The versions from Wildman and OldGeaser show blotches of red and blue around the eye; I think those are artifacts rather than real.

Thanks duly noted.

[Na Horuk]

I applied just a touch of post editing for the first time with LR.

Apply more.
In this example, the background is more contrasty and full of rough detail, more so than the actual bird. This makes the bird appear almost out of focus. I think you could have shot this one wide open, so that, as you already noted, DoF/bokeh would help you isolate the subject. Shoot in burst mode and delete the photos where you have motion blur or the bird is in an unattractive stance. Get closer. Get lower.

Since you shot at 450mm, the bird must have been pretty far, so reflectors or flash would be difficult, but that could help you with the light. Yes, noon sun does make things look flat and washes out detail. The best you can do against that is watch your angle, move around, maybe put bird feed in an area with better lighting

Technically, your photo is fine, but you notice that it could be better, so you are on the right path. You just need to figure out these little things. For example, how to add sharpness and clarity to the subject, but keep it isolated from the background. What the best sharpness settings are (radious, detail, masking). How to get white balance that brings out detail and makes the subject look alive, and so on. You have some great gear and at the level that you are aiming for, that is what makes the difference. A hundred little things.

[plantej]

Apply more.
In this example, the background is more contrasty and full of rough detail, more so than the actual bird. This makes the bird appear almost out of focus. I think you could have shot this one wide open, so that, as you already noted, DoF/bokeh would help you isolate the subject. Shoot in burst mode and delete the photos where you have motion blur or the bird is in an unattractive stance. Get closer. Get lower.

Since you shot at 450mm, the bird must have been pretty far, so reflectors or flash would be difficult, but that could help you with the light. Yes, noon sun does make things look flat and washes out detail. The best you can do against that is watch your angle, move around, maybe put bird feed in an area with better lighting

Technically, your photo is fine, but you notice that it could be better, so you are on the right path. You just need to figure out these little things. For example, how to add sharpness and clarity to the subject, but keep it isolated from the background. What the best sharpness settings are (radious, detail, masking). How to get white balance that brings out detail and makes the subject look alive, and so on. You have some great gear and at the level that you are aiming for, that is what makes the difference. A hundred little things.

Thanks for the ideas and reply.