Post Processing? (1 Viewer)

scar66

Student Photographer/Birder

• Feb 20, 2015

• #1

Hello!

I would like a bit of constructive crit on this Red Tailed Hawk, manly on crop sizes and post processing.

The picture was taken in a bit of a daze after he almost crash landed on my face while I was trying to do some infrared landscape photography. No time to set anything up, just switch lenses and go, so specs are not perfect. Post processing consists of WB, exposure adjustment, ect in Camera RAW.

Shot on Canon EOS 600D
ISO-100 f/7.1 1/400sec

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7458/16401941288_f551e66ba2_o.jpg

If you guys need the original to compare, tell me and I'll link it as well.

Thank you!

 

Rapala

Well-known member

• Feb 20, 2015

• #2

I'd probably crop it down a bit more, that power line seems to be taking up the frame. As for PP, I'm no expert, but the colors and exposure look pretty good to me. (And BTW, it's a Red-Shouldered Hawk )

 

bryan641

Well-known member

• Feb 20, 2015

• #3

Agree about cropping and exposure looks good, but I'm no expert. Just commenting to note that although it's easier to see the tail in flight, I think Red-tailed is correct -- there doesn't appear to be any banding in the tail except a little darker at the tip. The other colors vary so much in the same species it's difficult to make a call based on the rest of the bird. But I'd love to be educated on other attributes that help distinguish the two species if you're seeing something I'm missing!

Nice shot!

--Bryan

 

Last edited: Feb 20, 2015

Roy C

Occasional bird snapper

• Feb 20, 2015

• #4

The things that first hit me when I saw it was:-
The composition was wrong - bird too small/central in the frame
The Blue background looked over-saturated
The bird needed lifting a bit in the shadow areas.

I have had a very quick and cheerful play with it. You could obviously do a lot better with the original RAW to play with.

 

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scar66

Student Photographer/Birder

• Feb 20, 2015

• #5

Thanks everyone for the tips, I was afraid of smothering the bird in the frame, but I'll definitely try cropping it a bit more.

Roy-- Some very good points. Your example is most helpful!

Rapala-- It was most certainly a Red Shouldered Hawk! I was very much asleep when I posted that; didn't mean to say tailed.

Bryan-- They are hard to tell apart sometimes, definitely. But the banding was much more prominent in flight. I think Rapala is correct on this one!

 

nartreb

Speak softly and carry a long lens

• Feb 24, 2015

• #6

I agree it could use a tighter crop - try it with a 1:1 aspect ratio or a "portrait" (vertical) orientation, see how you like it.

I think Roy C's version is a little bit over-lightened. While it allows you to see more detail of the bird, it loses artistry. The photo was clearly taken on a bright day; the dramatic shadows and deep blue sky show that, and I like the effect. Also, I prefer the wires to be nearly pure black, they're less distracting that way.

Finally, this is unquestionably a red-*shouldered* hawk. First, there's the russet chest and belly with white horizontal bands. Red-tails can be reddish, but any streaking on them is vertical. Second, there's the dramatic black-and-white (almost checkerboard-like) pattern on the folded wings. That's a highly reliable field mark for red-shouldered.

 

Sy V

Well-known member

• Mar 2, 2015

• #7

I would have gone for something like this, but I realise these things are somewhat subjective...

 

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Musoman

PETE - Nikon/Sony Shooter

• Apr 2, 2015

• #8

Bit late here but i also had a go at the photo,..

Re-cropped, de-sat, sharpen Topaz Infocus plugin , de-noised Topaz5 plugin ( CS5 )

 

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B

bejiphotography

Member

• May 18, 2015

• #9

I would go for a vertical crop on this. good capture regardless.

 

kuzeycem

Medicinal Birding

• May 18, 2015

• #10

I would go horizontal crop, bird in the right, a little lightening shadows on the bird and sky, a tad sharpening and noise reduction on the background and the part between the bird's talons&tail.
So pretty much like Roy C's except for the sharpening and nr.

 

T

Turbonetics

Active member

• Jun 19, 2015

• #11

It is quite a nice photo overall.
I agree with most that cropping part can be improved.
Personally I would crop mostly off on the right bottom and slightly on the right top part to keep the bird more on the bottom right side with more space on the top left side which the bird was facing.
Another thing is about the focus seems to be more on its wings than its head/eyes.

 

V

Vijayashankara

Well-known member

• Jul 13, 2015

• #12

Nicely captured Shot...