Kiwi Pentaxians

**zkarj** · 08-27-2018, 07:13 PM

Originally posted by GUB

Yes that has made a difference - was it denoise?

It was noise processing along with some creative effects (including a touch of Orton). I'm using Luminar 2018 seriously for the first time and I'm really quite liking it. It has less direct control than LR, but I'm finding it more responsive and generally easier to deal with, plus it promotes stuff to "style" the image, which I'm really liking.

Here's my next shot – second best encounter of the day. Such a handsome bird, the karearea (NZ falcon). Not quite as good a shot as, by the time I switched to my 55-300, it had left. Another example of my adage — take the shot, then try to improve on it. Rinse and repeat. That way I came away with three shots instead of none.

I actually saw one of these in urban Tawa one day when out for a walk — chasing a pair of tuis down the street at tree-top level.

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Last edited by zkarj; 08-27-2018 at 07:28 PM.

Kiwizinho · 08-27-2018, 07:13 PM

Originally posted by zkarj

I had another look at the shot and decided some of my processing had adversely affected the feather texture. So I have gone back and brushed out the damaging processing from the feather area, as well as brushing in some sharpening. I'm not sure it has a huge effect at this size, where the scale is causing some of the blur, but on my 2000 pixel version it looks markedly crisper.

That definitely looks sharper. Another way to do this would be with Nik Dfine, as the control points allow selective noise reduction to different areas. Sometimes Lightroom's or ACR radial filter will do the job too.

---------- Post added 08-28-18 at 02:16 PM ----------

Originally posted by zkarj

It was noise processing along with some creative effects (including a touch of Orton). I'm using Luminar 2018 seriously for the first time and I'm really quite liking it. It has less direct control than LR, but I'm finding it more responsive and generally easier to deal with, plus it promotes stuff to "style" the image, which I'm really liking.

Here's my next shot – second best encounter of the day. Such a handsome bird. Not quite as good a shot as, by the time I switched to my 55-300, it had left. Another example of my adage — take the shot, then try to improve on it. Rinse and repeat. That way I came away with three shots instead of none.

I actually saw one of these in urban Tawa one day when out for a walk — chasing a pair of tuis down the street at tree-top level.

Nicely framed! The trouble with birds tending to frequent trees, is that it's often hard to get much of the bird without trees getting in the way.

**zkarj** · 08-28-2018, 12:01 AM

Originally posted by Kiwizinho

Nicely framed! The trouble with birds tending to frequent trees, is that it's often hard to get much of the bird without trees getting in the way.

Heh. I was largely constrained by the path, though I did try to get the background and light as best I could in those constraints.

krebss · 08-28-2018, 12:02 AM

Originally posted by MarkJerling

Someone has an autobid on that.

That would be me

richandfleur · 08-28-2018, 04:33 AM

Must check out Zealandia. Can’t believe I haven’t been yet really.

Thinking there and/or Kapiti island this summer.

Class A · 08-28-2018, 09:17 AM

Originally posted by richandfleur

Must check out Zealandia.

It's good for birds and some other wildlife.

However, in terms of scenery the free Otari Wilton's Bush is nearby and as good, if not better than, Zealandia (IMHO).
Zealandia is quite expensive but for sure I'd visit at least once, if you have never seen it.

If you are in the area and want to meet another Pentaxian, shoot me a PM as I live quite close to these natural attractions.

**GUB** · 08-28-2018, 12:44 PM

Yeah but your towny budgie munchers are tame. Here is a proper wild one from the back blocks of Taranaki the other day. Glad i am not that Waxeye!! K1 and Pentax K400-600 mirror @ 600mm.

richandfleur · 08-28-2018, 01:30 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Class A

the free Otari Wilton's Bush is nearby and as good, if not better than, Zealandia

Thanks for the heads up. Will add it to the summer list

**microlight** · 08-28-2018, 01:53 PM

@Rich: I can’t recommend Kapiti highly enough. We were there on an overnight stay and it was beautiful. Because there are no natural predators on the island, the birds are just not afraid of you, and they sit there and let you photograph them from close up.

MarkJerling · 08-28-2018, 03:29 PM

Originally posted by krebss

That would be me

Aha! Sorry - I'll stop bidding it up then!

I'm guessing you're after the lens? I won't mind having the SFXn body if you win it.

Kiwizinho · 08-28-2018, 05:13 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Class A

It's good for birds and some other wildlife.

However, in terms of scenery the free Otari Wilton's Bush is nearby and as good, if not better than, Zealandia (IMHO).
Zealandia is quite expensive but for sure I'd visit at least once, if you have never seen it.

If you are in the area and want to meet another Pentaxian, shoot me a PM as I live quite close to these natural attractions.

Sounds like a toss up between which Pentaxians I might be able to meet up with over summer. :-) By brother has just moved to the Wairarapa, but his in-laws are still in the Hutt Valley, We've also got friends who have just moved back to Timaru and want us to visit them.

MarkJerling · 08-28-2018, 05:16 PM

Originally posted by Kiwizinho

Sounds like a toss up between which Pentaxians I might be able to meet up with over summer. :-) By brother has just moved to the Wairarapa, but his in-laws are still in the Hutt Valley, We've also got friends who have just moved back to Timaru and want us to visit them.

Did I hear Wairarapa? You're most welcome to pop in.

**NZ_Ross** · 08-28-2018, 10:40 PM

Originally posted by Kiwizinho

Sounds like a toss up between which Pentaxians I might be able to meet up with over summer. :-) By brother has just moved to the Wairarapa, but his in-laws are still in the Hutt Valley, We've also got friends who have just moved back to Timaru and want us to visit them.

Also welcome if you are in Timaru

**zkarj** · 08-28-2018, 11:49 PM

Originally posted by Class A

Zealandia is quite expensive but for sure I'd visit at least once, if you have never seen it.

Yeah, $19.50 for an adult. You can visit a second time the following day for half price I think they said. Could be good for a first visit to enjoy the place and a second visit with the camera. I like the walk and tracks – much of it in bush. Otari is also good, although in my experience the bird life is not as dense/visible.

Originally posted by GUB

Yeah but your towny budgie munchers are tame. Here is a proper wild one from the back blocks of Taranaki the other day.

Most things in Zealandia are wild. Sure there are feeders for some and a predator fence, but every bird except the takahe can leave as it pleases. Word around is that surrounding areas have seen a huge boom in kakas hanging out in suburban gardens.

krebss · 08-28-2018, 11:50 PM

Originally posted by MarkJerling

Aha! Sorry - I'll stop bidding it up then!

I'm guessing you're after the lens? I won't mind having the SFXn body if you win it.

Yes, you can have the body although I'm not intending to bid too high and there are many watchers so we'll see how it goes.

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08-27-2018, 07:13 PM	#15287
Kiwizinho Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Blenheim Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,295	Originally posted by zkarj I had another look at the shot and decided some of my processing had adversely affected the feather texture. So I have gone back and brushed out the damaging processing from the feather area, as well as brushing in some sharpening. I'm not sure it has a huge effect at this size, where the scale is causing some of the blur, but on my 2000 pixel version it looks markedly crisper. That definitely looks sharper. Another way to do this would be with Nik Dfine, as the control points allow selective noise reduction to different areas. Sometimes Lightroom's or ACR radial filter will do the job too. ---------- Post added 08-28-18 at 02:16 PM ---------- Originally posted by zkarj It was noise processing along with some creative effects (including a touch of Orton). I'm using Luminar 2018 seriously for the first time and I'm really quite liking it. It has less direct control than LR, but I'm finding it more responsive and generally easier to deal with, plus it promotes stuff to "style" the image, which I'm really liking. Here's my next shot – second best encounter of the day. Such a handsome bird. Not quite as good a shot as, by the time I switched to my 55-300, it had left. Another example of my adage — take the shot, then try to improve on it. Rinse and repeat. That way I came away with three shots instead of none. I actually saw one of these in urban Tawa one day when out for a walk — chasing a pair of tuis down the street at tree-top level. Nicely framed! The trouble with birds tending to frequent trees, is that it's often hard to get much of the bird without trees getting in the way.

08-28-2018, 12:01 AM	#15288
zkarj Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Wellington Posts: 1,291	Originally posted by Kiwizinho Nicely framed! The trouble with birds tending to frequent trees, is that it's often hard to get much of the bird without trees getting in the way. Heh. I was largely constrained by the path, though I did try to get the background and light as best I could in those constraints.

08-28-2018, 12:02 AM	#15289
krebss Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2018 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Posts: 43	Originally posted by MarkJerling Someone has an autobid on that. That would be me

08-28-2018, 04:33 AM	#15290
richandfleur Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Palmerston North, New Zealand Photos: Albums Posts: 1,788	Must check out Zealandia. Can’t believe I haven’t been yet really. Thinking there and/or Kapiti island this summer.

08-28-2018, 09:17 AM	#15291
Class A Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251 Original Poster	Originally posted by richandfleur Must check out Zealandia. It's good for birds and some other wildlife. However, in terms of scenery the free Otari Wilton's Bush is nearby and as good, if not better than, Zealandia (IMHO). Zealandia is quite expensive but for sure I'd visit at least once, if you have never seen it. If you are in the area and want to meet another Pentaxian, shoot me a PM as I live quite close to these natural attractions.

08-28-2018, 12:44 PM	#15292
GUB Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Wanganui Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,760	Yeah but your towny budgie munchers are tame. Here is a proper wild one from the back blocks of Taranaki the other day. Glad i am not that Waxeye!! K1 and Pentax K400-600 mirror @ 600mm.

08-28-2018, 01:30 PM - 1 Like	#15293
richandfleur Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Palmerston North, New Zealand Photos: Albums Posts: 1,788	Originally posted by Class A the free Otari Wilton's Bush is nearby and as good, if not better than, Zealandia Thanks for the heads up. Will add it to the summer list

08-28-2018, 01:53 PM	#15294
microlight Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Hampshire, UK Posts: 2,129	@Rich: I can’t recommend Kapiti highly enough. We were there on an overnight stay and it was beautiful. Because there are no natural predators on the island, the birds are just not afraid of you, and they sit there and let you photograph them from close up.

08-28-2018, 03:29 PM	#15295
MarkJerling Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: May 2012 Location: Wairarapa, New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 20,423	Originally posted by krebss That would be me Aha! Sorry - I'll stop bidding it up then! I'm guessing you're after the lens? I won't mind having the SFXn body if you win it.

08-28-2018, 05:13 PM - 1 Like	#15296
Kiwizinho Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Blenheim Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,295	Originally posted by Class A It's good for birds and some other wildlife. However, in terms of scenery the free Otari Wilton's Bush is nearby and as good, if not better than, Zealandia (IMHO). Zealandia is quite expensive but for sure I'd visit at least once, if you have never seen it. If you are in the area and want to meet another Pentaxian, shoot me a PM as I live quite close to these natural attractions. Sounds like a toss up between which Pentaxians I might be able to meet up with over summer. :-) By brother has just moved to the Wairarapa, but his in-laws are still in the Hutt Valley, We've also got friends who have just moved back to Timaru and want us to visit them.

08-28-2018, 05:16 PM	#15297
MarkJerling Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: May 2012 Location: Wairarapa, New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 20,423	Originally posted by Kiwizinho Sounds like a toss up between which Pentaxians I might be able to meet up with over summer. :-) By brother has just moved to the Wairarapa, but his in-laws are still in the Hutt Valley, We've also got friends who have just moved back to Timaru and want us to visit them. Did I hear Wairarapa? You're most welcome to pop in.

08-28-2018, 10:40 PM	#15298
NZ_Ross Kiwi Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Timaru Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,225	Originally posted by Kiwizinho Sounds like a toss up between which Pentaxians I might be able to meet up with over summer. :-) By brother has just moved to the Wairarapa, but his in-laws are still in the Hutt Valley, We've also got friends who have just moved back to Timaru and want us to visit them. Also welcome if you are in Timaru

08-28-2018, 11:49 PM	#15299
zkarj Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Wellington Posts: 1,291	Originally posted by Class A Zealandia is quite expensive but for sure I'd visit at least once, if you have never seen it. Yeah, $19.50 for an adult. You can visit a second time the following day for half price I think they said. Could be good for a first visit to enjoy the place and a second visit with the camera. I like the walk and tracks – much of it in bush. Otari is also good, although in my experience the bird life is not as dense/visible. Originally posted by GUB Yeah but your towny budgie munchers are tame. Here is a proper wild one from the back blocks of Taranaki the other day. Most things in Zealandia are wild. Sure there are feeders for some and a predator fence, but every bird except the takahe can leave as it pleases. Word around is that surrounding areas have seen a huge boom in kakas hanging out in suburban gardens.

08-28-2018, 11:50 PM	#15300
krebss Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2018 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Posts: 43	Originally posted by MarkJerling Aha! Sorry - I'll stop bidding it up then! I'm guessing you're after the lens? I won't mind having the SFXn body if you win it. Yes, you can have the body although I'm not intending to bid too high and there are many watchers so we'll see how it goes.