Digiscoping first attempt (1 Viewer)

OK, Let me have it

Gear is Nikon V1 with the 10-30mm lens on a Nikon ED82, 30mm e/p
It's uncropped @ 1386mm (I think) and no post-processing

Main problem was I didn't have a remote or cable-release, so I got very few worth keeping.

https://flic.kr/p/oaSAEh

Pretty good first attempt, exposure and sharpness look ok. It looks like it could be rotated anti-clockwise a few degrees.

OK, thanks. Would you do any other processing?

I generally just do levels, saturation, brightness and contrast, resize for web then sharpen.

OK, so in this particular case what adjustments would you make...I mean specifics?

Thanks

That's literally all I do on each photo (in photoshop). Levels...pull the far right slider to the left to brighten up the whites, usually move the middle slider left a little to open up the mid tones and move the left hand slider right a little to give the blacks a little more punch. Then I use saturation...no set formula, just increase until it seems more or less how I remember it (and then a little bit more if you are putting onto the web as the photos tend to look a bit washed out once saved for web). Brightenss & Contrast is very much a case of experimentation...but used sparingly it can help make the picture "pop" a bit more. Resizing for web - usually I make the longest side 800 or 900 and use high quality. I personally like to make a simple frame just to help the presentation, and a copyright stamp, then working on the version that's saved for the web I will either just sharpen or use USM if the sharpen option doesn't look very pleasing.

I certainly wouldn't say my way is the "right way", there's plenty of different work flows and mine is almost certainly towards the "basic" end of the spectrum, but I am happy with it so far. I tend to be of the opinion if it needs too much post processing then it probably wasn't that good to start with. For example, get the angle of the light wrong and no amount of post-processing will make it into a "good" photo. Shoot in the morning or evening with the sun behind you. That is the most important thing in my view. But I'm drifting away from the question now

I'd do basically the same as Robert Scanlon advises, but with a lighter touch. Your original looks a little too dark and dingy, so some levels adjustment is needed. But he's got the whites all the way to blindingly bright, and I'm sure it didn't look like that on a cloudy day. Plus you can no longer see the feathering details at the base of the neck.

Once you learn to use Levels, you can use Curves for greater control. I try to get the perfect exposure in camera, end up using Levels about 1/4 of the time, and Curves maybe 5% of the time, for the trickiest exposures. Note it's always better to underexpose than overexpose. Regions that look black usually have some color info that will show up if you brighten them, but regions that look white really are - they don't retain any info about the original color.

I'd re-crop this to put the eye at the upper right of the frame (1/3 of the way from the top and 1/3 of the way from the right edge).

I don't think it needs any sharpening, and if you resize it a little smaller it definitely won't.

"Save for Web" usually means sacrificing some detail, so always save a copy and then do that step last. The software does a good job of making sure the changes aren't easily visible, but you may notice if you try to make more adjustments later.

nartreb said:

he's got the whites all the way to blindingly bright, and I'm sure it didn't look like that on a cloudy day. Plus you can no longer see the feathering details at the base of the neck.

Click to expand...

edit: yes maybe some bits are a little hot, but it was just a quick spruce up to illustrate a point.

I probably ought to invest in a monitor calibration gadget.

Not wanting to hijack the thread, but if anyone could have a look at this and leave a comment below the photo (not on this thread) as to whether the whites are too hot on their monitors or not, I would be grateful!

http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/500967/ppuser/6036

Thanks very much for your comments - I'll have a try and re-post

I went the other way as i thought it was slightly washed out and over bright.

Its all personal really, so not everyone thinks the same way

Straighten, small amount of contrast brought out a bit of feather detail, auto curves, small amount of noise reduction and slight sharpen. ( Adobe CS5.5 )