I am developing a new editing style, calling a Crunch Series. It seems to work much better for Bald Eagles and some but not all other birds and wildlife. The settings I came up with in LR are more suited to images with white and earth tones so I will need to make adjustment to brighter images for this effect I think.
C&C welcome, bottom 3 are uncropped
NIKON Z 9AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens500mmf/5.61/2500s500 ISO0.0 EV
NIKON Z 9AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens500mmf/5.61/4000s500 ISO0.0 EV
NIKON Z 9AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens500mmf/5.61/2500s500 ISO0.0 EV
Full uncropped image
NIKON Z 9AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens500mmf/5.61/1600s500 ISO+1.3 EV
Full uncropped image
NIKON Z 9AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens500mmf/5.61/1600s500 ISO+1.3 EV
Full uncropped image
NIKON Z 9AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens500mmf/5.61/1600s500 ISO+1.3 EV
First of all like your eagle images and full image un-cropped is intense and awesomely powerful!
About the processing, mixed emotions, it is more a 'style' than a reality but that is your privilege and choice. Kudos for working on a new method, it may come around to something pretty sweet. So In #1at first glance it caught my eye but not naturally. There does appear to be some gray/blue in the shadow on the head and grayish on top of forward most part of the tail. #2 shows some blue fringing around head feathers where they transition to the dark brown. The whites just appear a bit too manipulated, looks like brown noise was combed in? Just my observations as you continue to tweak your processing
Karl
Imagemaster wrote:
Does not work for me. Even when I view bald eagles in real life at a distance of 20-30 feet, their heads look pure white, not shades of grey. JMO
Yeah that's kinda the point. They aren't meant to look like a SOOC image, but a little more dramatic. I have processed these normally as well. Just an alternate style of processing like i said.
Karl Witt wrote:
First of all like your eagle images and full image un-cropped is intense and awesomely powerful!
About the processing, mixed emotions, it is more a 'style' than a reality but that is your privilege and choice. Kudos for working on a new method, it may come around to something pretty sweet. So In #1at first glance it caught my eye but not naturally. There does appear to be some gray/blue in the shadow on the head and grayish on top of forward most part of the tail. #2 shows some blue fringing around head feathers where they transition to the dark brown. The whites just appear a bit too manipulated, looks like brown noise was combed in? Just my observations as you continue to tweak your processing
Karl...Show more →
Thanks for the feedback. I wasn't really looking for a critique in the sense of what is different from this to what a normal edit would have been. It's meant to be a bit dramatic.
What's interesting is these edits are selling over the normal edits. When given the choice by customers. I was just looking for other photographers thoughts.
Eric214 wrote:
Yeah that's kinda the point. They aren't meant to look like a SOOC image, but a little more dramatic. I have processed these normally as well. Just an alternate style of processing like i said.
Sure, just a matter of taste. One can make all sorts of changes to SOOC images for whatever reason they want.
I like your alternate PP approach. I think you achieved the more dramatic look you were going for.
I particularly like the second one and the full frame close up.
So many Bald Eagle shots are processed to look like plastic.
What you have done is a much more dramatic and interesting.
Yep for sure. everyone has their taste. Nice image in that link you provided. Though in that image the whites are a bit blue and a lot of denoising there with what looks like a bit lost detail? I am not trying to make the white feathers look as white as possible but natural with detail in the whites as well. There are plenty of Adult Bald Eagles with dirty feathers, not always pristine white. But these edits are just accentuating what is already there.
Here is what I am talking about, all cropped 100% or 1:1 with noise removal, minimal overall editing which is more my style
Cropped 100%
NIKON Z 9AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens500mmf/5.61/1600s500 ISO+1.3 EV
Cropped 100%
NIKON Z 9AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens500mmf/5.61/1600s500 ISO+1.3 EV
Cropped 100%
NIKON Z 9AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens500mmf/5.61/1600s500 ISO+1.3 EV
dclark wrote:
I like your alternate PP approach. I think you achieved the more dramatic look you were going for.
I particularly like the second one and the full frame close up.
So many Bald Eagle shots are processed to look like plastic.
What you have done is a much more dramatic and interesting.
Dave
Thank you Dave for your feedback/C&C. It's funny that people like the 2nd image more then the 1st as I thought I was a bit too heavy with what I am calling that crunch look. I though the 1st image between the 1st and 2nd would be the one liked more. Photography/art is maybe the most subjective thing there is
I do have a friend who us very heavy handed with noise removal that gives that plastic look as you mention. I think he just makes the eye look as clean as possible and he just removes/destroys all detail. He shoots an A1 with 600f4 so he has the gear for sure. It's just his editing. Like Imagemaster said, different tastes...
Wow I do find these very dramatic, and like the effect on the body, my first thought was that is a dirty bird. I certainly understand they are not all pristine but most of those I've seen up here in Washington have whiter heads than this, so it doesn't really jive with me.
Jim Dockery wrote:
Wow I do find these very dramatic, and like the effect on the body, my first thought was that is a dirty bird. I certainly understand they are not all pristine but most of those I've seen up here in Washington have whiter heads than this, so it doesn't really jive with me.
Thanks for the feedback Jim. I agree the whites are usually whiter, even with dirty Eagles. That's why i also posted a few of how i normally edit my eagle shots.
I think I'm generally getting the feedback and reaction i thought I'd get. Some like it, some don't. I'm getting very positive reaction to this style from non photographer customers which feels normal, never know what they will like and wanted some feedback from actual photographers. Thanks again!
I like #2 to #4 out of this fine set, Eric! To a certain degree, I care less whether the files have been PP’ed much or not, as long as they look good to you, the photographer. That’s what counts.
