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12-23-2021, 04:02 PM - 2 Likes   #1
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Griffons in flight
Lens: Pentax DA 560 f5.6 Camera: Pentax K3 III Photo Location: Central Apennine, Abruzzo, IT ISO: 1000 Shutter Speed: 1/2000s Aperture: F8 

Last sunday I went to a mountain place I have known for many years to take some picture of the griffon vultures living there, and to do some practice with the long lens. The first shot I post here is the one I like best. It is a stitch of two consecutive frames (in each of these two original shots, one or the other of the wing tips was out of the frame). I used Lightroom and Photoshop also to optimize contrast, color and sharpness. Any comment or suggestion is welcome. I also add here some other photos taken in the same occasion, to show the griffons with some natural background. In most of the shots, the reduced sharpness and the nervous background are probably mainly due (I believe) to heat haze. The first shot at 1/2000 f8 ISO 1000, the others at f5.6 or 8, at various ISO (160-2500) and speed of 1/2000-1/3200.



Best wishes to all,
Maurizio

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Last edited by maucard; 12-24-2021 at 12:33 AM.
12-23-2021, 04:28 PM - 1 Like   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by maucard Quote
The first shot I post here is the one I like best. It is a stitch of two consecutive frames (in each of these two original shots, one or the other of the wing tips was out of the frame).
Good job with the stitch, I also like the first image best, followed by the last one (it might be the compression of the image, but I think there are some sharpening fragments visible in the background of the last image, maybe reduce sharpness for the background and/or add more noise reduction)
12-23-2021, 04:34 PM - 1 Like   #3
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A great series of images of a fantastic bird. You were blessed with great light and made the best of it. Great job !
12-23-2021, 06:48 PM - 1 Like   #4
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Not able to comment on the quality of the processing of those images, but I can certainly comment on the fascinating perspectives of those birds in their native environment!
Really like the last shots.
Angky.

12-23-2021, 07:31 PM - 1 Like   #5
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Wow, great images! Really well done! Thanks!
12-23-2021, 11:08 PM - 1 Like   #6
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Impressive images , I love them!
12-24-2021, 12:02 AM - 1 Like   #7
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As I wrote you in the DA 560 thread the 1st image is exceptional. The others are great too. I think the background rendering is typical for the DA 560, not exactly nervous but somehow strange I think it doesn't subtract from the final result as the subject is very sharp, although at some specific distances between the subject and the background the bokeh is not creamy and resembles that of catadioptric lenses.

12-24-2021, 01:26 AM - 1 Like   #8
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Amazing photos! Simply: amazing!
12-24-2021, 04:14 AM - 1 Like   #9
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I like the 1-st, and the 4-th the most. I wonder if you pulled the shadows up, it looks that way. I would play a bit more between light and dark tone curves, white and blacks, and contrast in LR (as result you may bring contrast button back) to compare the results in order to make the head more standing up, and bring more dimensions to the image. But those are great images as is now.
12-24-2021, 06:34 AM - 1 Like   #10
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The first in the series blew me away - and the rest are spectacular. Print and hang!
12-24-2021, 07:57 AM - 1 Like   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by Peter Rockstroh Quote
A great series of images of a fantastic bird. You were blessed with great light and made the best of it. Great job !

^^This^^ - coupled with excellent photography skills and perfect exposures
12-24-2021, 03:12 PM - 1 Like   #12
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Very nice series, amazing composition of the first shot
12-25-2021, 08:07 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by othar Quote
Good job with the stitch, I also like the first image best, followed by the last one (it might be the compression of the image, but I think there are some sharpening fragments visible in the background of the last image, maybe reduce sharpness for the background and/or add more noise reduction)
Thank you for your comment and suggestion, Patrick. I will try to see if I obtain some benefit by enhancing noise reduction in that image, however I fear that that kind of nervous background (if I understood what you mean) is at least in part resulting from the atmospheric conditions (heat haze)...

---------- Post added 25-12-21 at 04:11 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Peter Rockstroh Quote
A great series of images of a fantastic bird. You were blessed with great light and made the best of it. Great job !
Thank you for the very kind words Peter! Yes, I was lucky with the light and with the presence of the birds, that not always may be observed at relatively short distance. And yes, they are beautiful birds, it is spectacular to observe their flight!

---------- Post added 25-12-21 at 04:13 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by angkymac Quote
Not able to comment on the quality of the processing of those images, but I can certainly comment on the fascinating perspectives of those birds in their native environment!
Really like the last shots.
Angky.
Thank you for your comment Angky, I always appreciate to read your kind opinion!

---------- Post added 25-12-21 at 04:15 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by JimS_256 Quote
Wow, great images! Really well done! Thanks!
Jim, thanks to you for the enthusiastic comment!

---------- Post added 25-12-21 at 04:19 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by i_trax Quote
Impressive images , I love them!
Thank you for the very kind and encouraging comment, I warmly appreciate it!

---------- Post added 25-12-21 at 04:37 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by redpit Quote
As I wrote you in the DA 560 thread the 1st image is exceptional. The others are great too. I think the background rendering is typical for the DA 560, not exactly nervous but somehow strange I think it doesn't subtract from the final result as the subject is very sharp, although at some specific distances between the subject and the background the bokeh is not creamy and resembles that of catadioptric lenses.
Dear Pete, thank you again for your kind and expert comments! I'm still learning to use this lens (the 560), do you have it? In some of these photos, indeed, the background looks a little bit on the "catadioctric side", as you say. However, sometimes I obtained a somewhat similar background (at least to my eye) also with 150-450, and I attributed it to the heat haze... I still have much to learn about these long lenses and their rendering at different distances and atmospheric conditions!
Best regards, Maurizio

---------- Post added 25-12-21 at 04:40 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by 5ks Quote
Amazing photos! Simply: amazing!
A warm thank you for the enthusiastic words, I appreciate them very much!

---------- Post added 25-12-21 at 04:46 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by micromacro Quote
I like the 1-st, and the 4-th the most. I wonder if you pulled the shadows up, it looks that way. I would play a bit more between light and dark tone curves, white and blacks, and contrast in LR (as result you may bring contrast button back) to compare the results in order to make the head more standing up, and bring more dimensions to the image. But those are great images as is now.
Thank you for the kind comment and for the suggestion about post processing. You are right, I pulled the shadows up to show well the details of the plumage... When I have time I will try to change something in the post processing in order to enhance the evidence of the head and increase the contrast...

---------- Post added 25-12-21 at 04:47 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by ProfessorBuzz Quote
The first in the series blew me away - and the rest are spectacular. Print and hang!
Thank you for the very kind and enthusiastic comment, I will follow your suggestion to print them!

---------- Post added 25-12-21 at 04:52 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by vijaykishan Quote
^^This^^ - coupled with excellent photography skills and perfect exposures
Thank you for the very kind words, I appreciate very much your encouraging comment!
Warm regards, Maurizio

---------- Post added 25-12-21 at 04:53 PM ----------


---------- Post added 25-12-21 at 04:55 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by fayssal Quote
Very nice series, amazing composition of the first shot
Many thanks for your kind comment !!

Last edited by maucard; 12-25-2021 at 11:13 AM.
12-25-2021, 09:40 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by maucard Quote
Dear Pete, thank you again for your kind and expert comments! I'm still learning to use this lens (the 560), do you have it? In some of these photos, indeed, the background looks a little bit on the "catadioctric side", as you say. However, sometimes I obtained a somewhat similar background (at least to my eye) also with 150-450, and I attributed it to the heat haze... I still have much to learn about these long lenses and their rendering at different distances and atmospheric conditions!
Best regards, Maurizio[COLOR=Silver]
You’re welcome Maurizio! Yes I also have the lens. Unfortunately I have reached my limit here and I can’t post photos with similar rendering but you can see some photos taken with the DA 560 on my Flickr and Instagram. You are right about the DFA 150-450 too. It seems it has to do with the Pentax optical formula or the glass coatings.

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01-06-2022, 07:03 AM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by redpit Quote
You’re welcome Maurizio! Yes I also have the lens. Unfortunately I have reached my limit here and I can’t post photos with similar rendering but you can see some photos taken with the DA 560 on my Flickr and Instagram. You are right about the DFA 150-450 too. It seems it has to do with the Pentax optical formula or the glass coatings.

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Thank you for the link to your airplane photos Pete, they are awesome!! Yes, I've seen some of your photos with a similar rendering of the background, and maybe you are right concerning the Pentax coating. However, I still have to know the DA 560 a bit better, to understand its rendering in different conditions.
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