This site requires new users to accept that a small amount of member data is captured and held in an attempt to reduce spammers and to manage users. This site also uses cookies to ensure ease of use. In order to comply with new DPR regulations you are required to agree/disagree with this process. If you do not agree then please email the Admins using info@nikondslr.uk after requesting a new account. Thank you.

 Moderated by: chrisbet, Page:    1  2  Next Page Last Page  
A pair of Swans   -   Page   1
Top and Bottom!  Rating:  Rating
AuthorPost



Posted: Mon Mar 7th, 2016 04:46
 
1st Post
Robert



Joined: Sun Apr 1st, 2012
Location: South Lakeland, UK
Posts: 4066
Status: 
Offline
Went on a bike ride yesterday. This was one of my captures.

D300s, 80-200 f2.8 Trombone type 200mm @ f11, 1/800 sec ISO500 (Auto ISO)



Shortly after the first image I caught this:

Same exposure data.



I guess they were feeding on water weeds. At full magnification you can see beads of water on the feathers.



____________________
Robert.

 




Posted: Mon Mar 7th, 2016 08:38
 
2nd Post
jk



Joined: Sun Apr 1st, 2012
Location: Carthew, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Posts: 6970
Status: 
Offline
Nice.
That water must be absolutely freezing!


I really prefer the action of the trombone for zoom rather than the current twist.
I have a 80-200 f2.8 trombone but it is only AF not AFS so it gets used less these days.



____________________
Still learning after all these years!
https://nikondslr.uk/gallery_view.php?user=2&folderid=none
 




Posted: Tue Mar 8th, 2016 17:57
 
3rd Post
Eric



Joined: Wed Apr 18th, 2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4538
Status: 
Offline
Yeah...the D300 is only a minor upgrade on the D200.

;-)


Nice images Robert.



____________________
Eric
 




Posted: Wed Mar 9th, 2016 02:09
 
4th Post
Robert



Joined: Sun Apr 1st, 2012
Location: South Lakeland, UK
Posts: 4066
Status: 
Offline
Thanks Eric, I am finding using A mode which I have in general except when photographing panoramas and starscapes, that I have to work quite hard on the image to get the contrast and definition, image clarity with the D300.

Those Swan images 'straight-out of the can' were rubbish. The swans were pure white, all over BUT using Lightroom and pulling back the highlights and whites, then introducing about 25 points of Clarity and a little vibrance it improved the image a lot. I am finding the new adjustment 'Dehaze' very useful, it really does get rid of annoying distance haze in images. You can of course add haze for effect if you wish.

To get the final touch I still find I have to take the image into Ps and apply levels, I can't find a way of adjusting levels in Lightroom in the same was as I can in Photoshop, I still use the reverse slide technique to find the black and white points. That for me adds the final touch of clarity.

There is definitely a LOT more range in a D300 NEF than there is in a D200 NEF. I would never have managed to pull back those Swans they would have blown the whites completely.

As taken, note the histo not blown at either end:


After processing in Lightroom and levels in Photoshop, note the settings and the improvement in tone and definition:



____________________
Robert.

 




Posted: Wed Mar 9th, 2016 04:30
 
5th Post
Eric



Joined: Wed Apr 18th, 2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4538
Status: 
Offline
Robert wrote:
Thanks Eric, I am finding using A mode which I have in general except when photographing panoramas and starscapes, that I have to work quite hard on the image to get the contrast and definition, image clarity with the D300.

Those Swan images 'straight-out of the can' were rubbish. The swans were pure white, all over BUT using Lightroom and pulling back the highlights and whites, then introducing about 25 points of Clarity and a little vibrance it improved the image a lot. I am finding the new adjustment 'Dehaze' very useful, it really does get rid of annoying distance haze in images. You can of course add haze for effect if you wish.

To get the final touch I still find I have to take the image into Ps and apply levels, I can't find a way of adjusting levels in Lightroom in the same was as I can in Photoshop, I still use the reverse slide technique to find the black and white points. That for me adds the final touch of clarity.

There is definitely a LOT more range in a D300 NEF than there is in a D200 NEF. I would never have managed to pull back those Swans they would have blown the whites completely.

As taken, note the histo not blown at either end:


After processing in Lightroom and levels in Photoshop, note the settings and the improvement in tone and definition:


Hmmm...I think you have over done it.

On my screen those swans aren't white any more, more like grey yearlings. That's borne out by the absence of any spectacular whites on your histogram. In bright sunlight a white swan will have blown out areas, I accept you want to pull them back a tad if the cameras meters don't judge it right. However, I think, in trying to get more definition everywhere on the bird you are loosing the brightness on a sunlight swan that your eyes see.

Just my opinion.o.O



____________________
Eric
 




Posted: Wed Mar 9th, 2016 04:49
 
6th Post
Eric



Joined: Wed Apr 18th, 2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4538
Status: 
Offline
You may disagree ....but in the example below it didn't matter to me that the wing tips were burning out because the definition was clearly evident elsewhere.

Attachment: image.jpeg (Downloaded 19 times)



____________________
Eric
 




Posted: Wed Mar 9th, 2016 13:40
 
7th Post
Robert



Joined: Sun Apr 1st, 2012
Location: South Lakeland, UK
Posts: 4066
Status: 
Offline
No I don't disagree, thanks for pointing it out. :bowing:

I will reprocess them bearing in mind your comments, I appreciate your input.



____________________
Robert.

 




Posted: Wed Mar 9th, 2016 17:15
 
8th Post
Eric



Joined: Wed Apr 18th, 2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4538
Status: 
Offline
Robert wrote:
No I don't disagree, thanks for pointing it out. :bowing:

I will reprocess them bearing in mind your comments, I appreciate your input.


Can I recommend the Plowden technique of establishing max highlight point? I use it all the time.

:lol:



____________________
Eric
 




Posted: Thu Mar 10th, 2016 02:53
 
9th Post
Robert



Joined: Sun Apr 1st, 2012
Location: South Lakeland, UK
Posts: 4066
Status: 
Offline
Currently this isn't available in Adobe Lightroom, most of the adjustment controls in Lr are very competent and work well, after all, Lr shares ACR with Photoshop.

A very important control, levels, as not available in Lr the same form as it is in Ps. In fact I haven't been able to make the histogram adjustments in Lr, work in any useful way to set the black and white points as we can in Ps. I now do most of my image adjustments in Lr but have to export the image to Ps to set the black and white points and apply a stroke border and the copyright text. When I am tired or think 'it's near enough' I don't bother. On some images I am unable to get the black and white points right in Lr, so I have to resort to Ps to make the image better (right).

On the whole I find I am getting 'cleaner' brighter more pleasing images processing in Lightroom but that is probably due to my poor technique in Photoshop. It's just so much easier in Lr, especially for stacks like star trails and time lapse batches.

It does make a lot of difference to an image when the black and white points are right. In this case I'm not sure it's the software fault, I am pretty sure it's me trying, as Eric said to get feather detail on the entire swan area of the image which resulted in a dirty swan.

Right now I have a little digger waiting for me so I must get outside and use it before the owner decides I have had it long enough! It sure beats a pick and shovel!



____________________
Robert.

 




Posted: Thu Mar 10th, 2016 05:52
 
10th Post
jk



Joined: Sun Apr 1st, 2012
Location: Carthew, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Posts: 6970
Status: 
Offline
Is that your digger Robert?
Can you drive it. I guess the answer is Yes.



____________________
Still learning after all these years!
https://nikondslr.uk/gallery_view.php?user=2&folderid=none
 

Reply
1st new
This is topic ID = 1294     Current time is 03:05 Page:    1  2  Next Page Last Page    
Nikon DSLR Forums > Photography > Photography > A pair of Swans Top

Users viewing this topic

Post quick reply

Go to top
Go to end
Messages
Home
Recent topics
Unread posts
Last posts
Splash

Current theme is Modern editor



A small amount of member data is captured and held in an attempt to reduce spammers and to manage users. This site also uses cookies to ensure ease of use. In order to comply with new DPR regulations you are required to agree/disagree with this process. If you do not agree then please email the Admins using info@nikondslr.uk Thank you.


Hosted by Octarine Services

UltraBB 1.173 Copyright © 2008-2025 Data 1 Systems
Page processed in 0.0715 seconds (69% database + 31% PHP). 83 queries executed.