|
| Group |
Round |
C/R |
Comment |
Date |
Image |
| 69 |
Aug 21 |
Comment |
Thanks for the feedback! I've tried the new Topaz Sharpen AI on it, no luck. And I tried Bev's smudge-sharpen, which is very cool, but didn't help me. I have DXO DeNoise, but having password/panels trouble, but will try that when I hear back from support.
I did use Candy's eye lighten and I did darken a bit more in front. I realize this won't make it in even a local competition because of the tail. Guess it will look cute on Facebook! Thanks everyone! |
Aug 27th |
 |
| 69 |
Aug 21 |
Reply |
Hi Bev! The version above has actually been through AI Sharpen twice with no marked improvement. There is a new version out since this month, so maybe it will make a bit of a difference. Thanks so much! |
Aug 23rd |
| 69 |
Aug 21 |
Reply |
Great ideas, Candy! I am sure a bottom crop and a bit more eye will help, and I'm going to try another program to see if I can sharpen that tail. Always love your feedback! |
Aug 23rd |
| 69 |
Aug 21 |
Reply |
Oh, so nice of you, Bev! |
Aug 23rd |
| 69 |
Aug 21 |
Reply |
Yes, birds DO seem to choose the busy backgrounds! Thanks for your thoughts! |
Aug 23rd |
| 69 |
Aug 21 |
Reply |
Mervyn, in the "realistic" categories, vignetting is not allowed. But I may be able to crop up a bit and darken a few annoying leaves a bit more. Thanks for your thoughts! |
Aug 23rd |
| 69 |
Aug 21 |
Reply |
I definitely needed more focal length, lesson learned.
|
Aug 23rd |
| 69 |
Aug 21 |
Reply |
Thanks, Pierre! I've tried several sharpening techniques on that silly tail with no great success. I just got DXO and will try that. |
Aug 23rd |
| 69 |
Aug 21 |
Comment |
Mervyn, like everyone, I love the foal running along mom. A couple thoughts...perhaps just a bit of warming? The photo seems just a bit too cool to me. And perhaps enhance the catchlights in both mom and baby's eyes so they really speak to us.
Aren't you so glad you didn't put off going to Kenya?! |
Aug 18th |
| 69 |
Aug 21 |
Comment |
A very nice capture and the flowers are very interesting with all their "space antennae"! I do love the flip, but I personally like the composition with two flowers and the "star" making a triangle. Very pleasing colors. And getting the tripod out for your own yard....you get big bonus points in my book for the extra effort! |
Aug 18th |
| 69 |
Aug 21 |
Comment |
Pierre, wonderful that you caught this! In addition to the other comments already made, I did have one additional thought.
Perhaps darkening some of the light sticks would help minimize them and we could enjoy the birds without all the business of the thicket. Perhaps worth a try. Nice job getting them in focus with all the brush! Go, R5! I just got mine! |
Aug 18th |
| 69 |
Aug 21 |
Comment |
Super fun shot, Geoff! Great colors, super crisp, the story is clear (although I thought it was a car's side mirror). Perhaps you can brush your bird on the right with dehaze to bring him back a bit more? If that doesn't work, you still have a fabulous fun composition! |
Aug 18th |
| 69 |
Aug 21 |
Comment |
Good job, Pierre, I would not have guessed that the photo had all that detail hidden!
Jacob, its extremely difficult to get a good shot during the day without fill flash. That's why nature photographers are out at dawn and dusk, as awful as it is to get up in the middle of the night.
The fungi really is gorgous. |
Aug 18th |
| 69 |
Aug 21 |
Comment |
Candy, your background had me thinking you added a texture, but its natural based on your SOOC.
I agree with everyone that the flip was great and the "S" curve makes a great composition. His eye seems a tad light in color to me, they always seem red in our local sandhills? And it looks a bit redder in your original.
A simple photo with so many rich textures and the red/brown colors are beautiful. |
Aug 18th |
7 comments - 7 replies for Group 69
|
| 78 |
Aug 21 |
Reply |
Jim, you are absolutely right. I'm going to reshoot with maybe three lanterns. Stay tuned! |
Aug 23rd |
| 78 |
Aug 21 |
Comment |
Late to the party this month, but everyone has had wonderful feedback! I love Helen adding the cliff, to me, it really strengthens the powerful composition. I understand you want to go close to show detail, but an orca doesn't have nearly as much detail as your owls did last month. Seeing how he is all alone in a hostile climate makes a strong environmental portrait, in my opinion. I like the flip, but would enjoy either. Awesome trip!!
|
Aug 18th |
| 78 |
Aug 21 |
Comment |
As you know, PSA Nature competition has a LOT of rules and your photo must look like the scene, but you can HDR and burn/dodge. So adding a grasshopper would not count as PSA Nature, but, as Terry said, it could be in Open, or your Club Nature, depending on what their rules are.
Ethically, using a dead insect or stuffed animal is fine to me, as long as not breaking any competition rules. I've been taught to never "bluff", so if I put something like this out on Facebook, I indicate what I did. Cooling an insect seems cruel to me, but I don't know anything about it.
Having grown up with tons of grasshoppers, yours didn't look real to me, as their legs are really bent and stick up above their body--he looks very flat to me?
Personally, I'm not a bug lover, but the flower is fabulous, and I'd focus on the flower. I do agree that the junk at the top takes away from your two subjects, and since you aren't in PSA Nature, you can remove whatever you like. Perhaps if the grasshopper was pointed toward the flower (interacting?) instead of away from the flower, it might be more impactful to me.
I have to learn focus stacking, I need to try that in camera on my new R5! What software do you stack with? |
Aug 18th |
| 78 |
Aug 21 |
Comment |
I recommend when Covid is negligible, we all visit Terry in Swindon England (2 hours east of London) and have a workshop with all his very clever ideas! A DD78 meetup!
Terry, It's great! Here are some tiny things I noticed--there is something odd on her cheek? It's flat? I'm not sure if you can minimize it, its the first thing I noticed. I also noticed you might want to pull her skirt down in back and give her a bit more privacy :-0 And perhaps highlight her eyes a bit more? I love her shadow, I'd be tempted to make that more dominant also. Yay for your models! And yay for you! |
Aug 18th |
| 78 |
Aug 21 |
Comment |
Helen, love this and found all versions really interesting! Your final is fabulous. is there any detail in him to lighten him a tad and get just a hint of detail? So he doesn't appear so blocked up? This would be a favorite in our Club competition! |
Aug 14th |
| 78 |
Aug 21 |
Comment |
I loved this shot as soon as I saw it. Mitch's version does help the skew, which was bothering me. The canoe and the palms are really clever. This might be my favorite shot by you, Sunil! |
Aug 14th |
| 78 |
Aug 21 |
Comment |
When Jim sent me the files and I was uploading them, I realized I liked the mono wayyyyy more than the amber. However, I have to say the amber has grown on me, and I might like it even more now, as it is different than most shots.
I do agree the decanter is a tad bothersome. It stops me following the curves. But if the decanter is on the left, it also stops me from following all the pretty curves. Fabulous shot and another creative Terry original! |
Aug 14th |
| 78 |
Aug 21 |
Reply |
Thanks so much, Helen. I do like the idea of adding more, once I get a better shot. In my later images during blue hour, I got a reelection (water was calmer and fish weren't moving the lanterns as much), but I got a lot of noise. I'm going to reshoot and see if I can't try several ideas to add more to the image, per your suggestion. Stay tuned! |
Aug 14th |
| 78 |
Aug 21 |
Reply |
Thanks for stopping by, Stephen! I think Helen's leaf idea, or maybe a lily pad flower composited in might add to the story. It is certainly easy enough to try it several ways. Appreciate your thoughts! |
Aug 14th |
| 78 |
Aug 21 |
Reply |
Thanks, Sunil! I agree focus and two more lanterns is critcal. |
Aug 14th |
| 78 |
Aug 21 |
Reply |
Thanks, Terry! The great news is that this is a repeatable shoot, so I'm going to incorporate everyone's feedback! |
Aug 14th |
| 78 |
Aug 21 |
Reply |
Thanks, Mitch! I'll work on reflections in my reshoot! |
Aug 14th |
| 78 |
Aug 21 |
Reply |
Thanks for your thoughts, Jason! I was on a tripod, but didn't take into account that the lantern was moving much more than I anticipated with my shutter speed. My new mirrorless Canon R5 should help me with focus, when I redo this project! |
Aug 14th |
| 78 |
Aug 21 |
Reply |
All great ideas, Jason. I am planning on reshooting, so I appreciate the feedback. |
Aug 1st |
6 comments - 8 replies for Group 78
|
13 comments - 15 replies Total
|
