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Archive 2015 · Thistle eater

  
 
ben egbert
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Thistle eater


Some kind of finches were eating thistles as I stopped for lunch at Strawberry Reservoir.

I sold my bird lens when I moved to Utah, but I missed it and recently got a 100-400 mk2 to allow me to get back into it. This is my first bird shot in several years. Like to get some suggestions for comp, processing etc. I can post a sooc if you like.






Edited on Aug 05, 2015 at 09:09 PM · View previous versions



Aug 05, 2015 at 06:28 PM
georgetd
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Thistle eater


I like the general composition, but I don't like those colorful splotches in the lower left. Actually, I'd just clone them out, which seems like it should be easy. That'd leave the bird and thistle on basically a flat background color.

Quickly done job to illustrate







Aug 05, 2015 at 06:52 PM
sbeme
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Thistle eater


Sharpness, detail, color, pose are excellent.
To some degree I like the echo of color in the OOF flowers lower left. The problem is visual weight and how to keep the balance between subject and BG. I agree with one solution, illustrated above. Here is a different direction with a couple of thoughts in mind.
Another consideration here. The grey background makes a subtle statement. In keeping, a less saturated BG element is quieter and more consistent.
1. I wanted to preserve some of the color echo in the lower left. I desaturated in that area.
2. I wanted to illustrate a tighter crop because the image felt a bit too airy above. A matter of taste.
3. I couldn't include the larger OOF flower and still feel the image had balance.
4. Just wanted to see a tighter crop! Maybe even a bit more off the top as I now look at the repost.


Scott






Edited on Aug 07, 2015 at 07:19 AM · View previous versions



Aug 05, 2015 at 07:18 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Thistle eater


Thanks guys, both reworked versions have merit. I considered eliminating the OOF thistle but I really liked it and how well the lens blured it.

I have a couple more I am working, will show them later. Very pleased it the lens and the camera. I struggled to get focus on all my prior bird cameras, but this one and probably the 5D3 are great. I have not even micro adjusted the lens yet.



Aug 05, 2015 at 07:58 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Thistle eater


Here is a different one with more OOF background.







Aug 05, 2015 at 09:07 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Thistle eater


And this is flawed by the junk in front of the bird. I was using my truck as a blind so I could not move without scaring the bird. But I could not resist a bluebird. I do like the way the background was rendered, too bad it does not do the same to the weeds.









Aug 05, 2015 at 09:11 PM
beavens
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Thistle eater


Ben,

Just gotta say that you're nailing these captures - tack sharp!

Cheers,

Jeff



Aug 05, 2015 at 10:32 PM
georgetd
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Thistle eater


I really like the yellow oof elements in the second thistle picture. Those seem to add to the shot quite nicely.

Also, I've tried a few bird shots, and exactly 0 have been as good as any of the shots you've posted here in this thread. I just haven't figured it out yet.



Aug 06, 2015 at 01:30 AM
lighthound
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Thistle eater


+1 @ Jeff's comment. You are nailing these shots Ben! Man.... I want your setup so bad I can almost taste it. You got yourself a nice combo here. Congrats again on the new toys.

Not much to add other than I like Scott's crop suggestion @ tighter on all of these shots. That Blue bird shot is crazy nice and would look even better cropped down a little. Hell, it ain't like you don't have the pixels Ben!


I'm starting to see a divorce in my near future.

Dave



Aug 06, 2015 at 10:07 AM
ben egbert
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Thistle eater


Thanks guys. The way I crop birds is to try to get the upper 1/3 intersection on the eye with the bird looking into the wider section. I often can't get the eye exactly there without making too large a crop, but I almost always get the height. Sometimes vertical works best, other times horizontal. I don't like square, but 4x5 and 5x7 are good for non landscape stuff.

Your vehicle is a great blind. I moved it so that I had some thistles with clear background and waited. The birds will come, I got 25 shots, but getting the bird clear, good pose and eye contact eliminates most.

Oh, yes, always have the sun at your back. This was diffused light which is even better.



Aug 06, 2015 at 10:19 AM
lighthound
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Thistle eater


Hope you don't mind but I couldn't resist playing with your Blue bird shot.

Took some Roundup weed killer to it, a crop and a few other tweaks.

Dave







Aug 06, 2015 at 10:26 AM
RustyBug
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Thistle eater


Yes, nice stuff ... btw, what was your working distance for these?


Aug 06, 2015 at 10:33 AM
ben egbert
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Thistle eater


Just a guess, the first was closest with the longest lens because I had the 1.4 X attached. Probably 20 feet. The bluebird was the furthest, probably 40 feet and no extender. The other finch was in between and again with no double, maybe 25 feet.


Aug 06, 2015 at 11:16 AM
ben egbert
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Thistle eater


lighthound wrote:
Hope you don't mind but I couldn't resist playing with your Blue bird shot.

Took some Roundup weed killer to it, a crop and a few other tweaks.

Dave


Nice clone job. I should probably give it a try. But I am working on my landscape shots from the trip. No good scene, but I practiced WB and color on them and will start a new thread to see if I am making progress.



Aug 06, 2015 at 11:18 AM
Christian H
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Thistle eater


The second image of the pine siskin is rather lovely!


Aug 07, 2015 at 06:34 AM
AuntiPode
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Thistle eater


Consider a bit of a crop:







Aug 07, 2015 at 06:57 AM
RustyBug
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Thistle eater


ben egbert wrote:
Just a guess, the first was closest with the longest lens because I had the 1.4 X attached. Probably 20 feet. The bluebird was the furthest, probably 40 feet and no extender. The other finch was in between and again with no double, maybe 25 feet.


Thanks. What would you say is the range up to which you can still get good feather detail?



Aug 07, 2015 at 07:52 AM
sbeme
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Thistle eater


Again, beautiful capture on the second bird. IQ outstanding.
I'd go for a crop intermediate between the original and Dave's version, losing some from the top, less from the left.
Scott



Aug 07, 2015 at 08:41 AM
ben egbert
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Thistle eater


RustyBug wrote:
Thanks. What would you say is the range up to which you can still get good feather detail?


The bluebird is near the limits here. You can be further away from large birds, other stuff besides feather detail become interesting. What I have found though is that atmospheric effects will start to eat your image quality after a 100 feet or so. The best bird guys know how to get close.



Aug 07, 2015 at 09:07 AM
ben egbert
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Thistle eater


AuntiPode wrote:
Consider a bit of a crop:


Thanks, looks good and I see you punched it up a bit. For some reason, I tend to over process landscapes and under process birds. My original has a bit of work in ACR, then sharpened in Photoshop.



Aug 07, 2015 at 09:10 AM
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