workflow write up comin up in about 1 hour Tom Outstanding sounds good tom f wrote:
Outstanding images ... anxious for you to share your workflow!
Hey Harsha by lookin' at the quality of your images I don't think you need to learn anything anymore your work is tops brother!! harshaj1 wrote:
Nello
These are outstanding. I think you nailed the PP work flow. Details are amazing. Now you need to write a book about the work flow so we all can learn. 1 and 2 are my top picks.
Harsha
Ooops, sorry to dissapoint you Tony maybe the "cloudy" look you're seeing is because of the cleaner files. I'm tryin to keep the bgs / surroundings as clean as possible thus little detail there I don't think there's less detail on the birds itself as te sharpening method is the same as last time (7-9 in DPP Raw tab and USM after re-sharpening 50-80 w 0,6 radius). Imagemaster wrote:
Great shots, Nello, but I think this new workflow sucks in comparison to your previous one.
First shot looks a bit "cloudy" and few other shots seem to have less detail. Am I wrong
Tony
Ok here it goes..tryin' to keep this as short as possible...remember this for 40d files:
1. - open the Raw in Canon's DPP...do all the necessary adjustments.. sharpening usually anywhere between 7-10 (max).I also use the 2nd tab and play w curves to turn down blown highlights and open deep blacks. On the 3rd tab take the Chroma NR slider at max. 10 (kills it completely) and Luminance NR slider to 1 (DPP luminance NR is very strong). Now convert to jpeg.
2 - Now you need to create a 2nd jpg file which will be very very clean...blast it w luminance NR as hard as you can I use NoiseNinja at max. settings but you can use CS3's Luminance NR slider at max (+10) although I think the results w CS3 are quite dissapointing as it smears colours and edges
Anyaway, now you have a 2nd full-res jpeg file which is super clean but no detail on the bird
3. - Open in CS3 the 1st "regular" jpg and resize it for web w bicubic-sharper method. Now apply USM w radius 0,6 and anywhere between 50-90 (depending on ur taste). Now you have a resized file w plenty of detail but kinda noisy bgs
4. - Now open in CS3 the super-clean NR bombarded full-res jpg and resized it to the same size as the 1st file but this time smoother gradients method
5. - Use the move tool and slide the cleaner jpg over the sharper jpg. Now hit Add layer Mask and click it (Opacity and Fill options set at 100%). Now bring back the bird and / or perch w the brush at 100% hardness.
Simple no? you got ur very sharp bird from the sharper file and super clean bgs from the clean file! Best of both worlds
If you need to you can bring back some detail in the bg / surroundings by using a brush w only 1% hardness
6. - Now sabe the file as jpeg at max. setting in CS3.
Hope I was clear enough...if you have any questions pls ask
Btw I know you can use a single file for this trick (w Smart Objects) but I found that having a 2nd clean full-res file downsized it's even more effective
Thanks, for sharing your secrets, Nello!! That really is molto generoso of you!!
I've always shied away from using layers, because unless you know what you're doing, it's easy to make matters worse instead of better. Well, for me it is, anyway. I'm soooo glad I just picked up CS3 off a popular auction site. Time to get down to business and actually start trying to learn something!!
Nello Milanese wrote:
Ooops, sorry to dissapoint you Tony maybe the "cloudy" look you're seeing is because of the cleaner files. I'm tryin to keep the bgs / surroundings as clean as possible thus little detail there I don't think there's less detail on the birds itself as te sharpening method is the same as last time (7-9 in DPP Raw tab and USM after re-sharpening 50-80 w 0,6 radius).
Hey, young fella. Not trying to give you a hard time. Well maybe a little.
Since I was impressed with Nello Workflow #1, I would really like to see some comparison shots with your original workflow and your new workflow. How about showing us #1, 5, 6 & 7 images from this thread done using both workflows. We can then see the differences.
All this, of course, when you have time and are not horsing around buying houses, etc.
I'm a bit too late w the replies here but thx Thang Thang wrote:
amazing set Nello. Look at the detail - wow. The top 2 shots got my BIG vote!
I hope you can pick up something useful from my write up Anyway other guyz here have far more knowledge in this field Dave for instance Glad you liked the little robin! scubacrazy wrote:
I, as a beginner, would be very keen, as I definitely DO give a cr@p !!
please post workflow, I need to learn , as I sometimes think I really don't have a clue!
All great shots. Love the robin.
Yeah I hope this is the end of my research....for now thunderbird wrote:
Great set, Nello. Looks like the new workflow worked out for you.
Congrats on reaching the end of your PP research!! Now I won't have any new techniques to add to that.
Andy
Thx Larry I like ur avatar btw. is it a stuffed egret? Larry Williams wrote:
It seems to me that you have perfected your PP work flow, nice captures, great detail. Larry
Hard not to like the grebes bentley59 wrote:
Great shots. The grebe is just great.
Will i'm feeling like i'm squeezing every last detail out of this sucker now if I only had deeper pockets to pick up a 500 trenchmonkey wrote:
Looks like you're milkin' that combo for all it's worth, Nello!
FYI....I'll be in full mating plumage April 1st this year, I usually wait for Tax Day.
Thx Hung! I explained everything on page 3 went from a single file PP to double-file workflow I'm feeling this method gives me more flexibility...but what the heck do I know? Hungtran10 wrote:
hello nello. i just like saying that! cool series. my fav is #1. so what do you do differently in pp now?
- hung
Wes..I sharpen 2 times. First in Raw (at almost max. setting) then once again when I resize the full jpg for web posting. I know many others sharpen only in jpeg! I guess you can try both methods and see what works best for ya WetFootWes wrote:
Great shots all. As a user of a 50D and a 100-400 (my 2nd one) your sharpness is great. How many steps are you taking to sharpen?
Wes
Dan i'm shooting mainly in Milan area...and rarely anywhere within' Lombardy
Hey you can try to spot the Unicorn found in Tuscany last year for real: http://www.florence-journal.com/florence/2008/06/unicorn-found-in-tuscany-wildlife-park.html Doc_photo wrote:
Very nice images. Who needs a 500, when you have a 40D & 100-400! I just got mine as well and the 100-400 works so much better than on the 20D.
Thank you for sharing.
Wondering where in Italy you took the images. Will be in Tuscany at the end of the month. I won't be bringing that combo, but if I have time I'd love to see some wildlife.
Grazie,
Dan
Ooooooh dude don't go there you're throwing salt over the wound
i'm on pills tryin' to get over it once again out of Champions League...once again w an english team
Might as well face it...we're too strong for the championship yet we suck in Europe Anti Matter wrote:
Fantastico, Nello!!! They are all just stunning, my friend!!!
New workflow, eh? Care to share??!! lol What ever you're doing, keep doing it!!
Not to change the subject or anything but...what happened to INTER!!!
Oh well, only 1 more year till the World Cup!!
Cheers!
Franko lol!
Thx Morris! stay away from the gators will ya morris wrote:
These are great Nelo.
Morris
Yo Josh you got a good pair of eyes botha' Yeah I think I kinda' went sloppy w the brush on #6 Glad you liked the 1st 4 of them Josh S wrote:
Nello, with all this talk of crazy PP flows you're making me think that I'm not doing enough. It looks good though, sharp and nice clean BG's. Sometimes you can see some blurry edges... Like, 6 - but maybe I'm just making that up. I don't want to nit-pick or make your PP to-do list any bigger!
Great shooting. I can't pick a favourite, but if I had to it would be from shots 1-4.
Josh
Oh yeah I love my copy it's a UW model..2008! I actually ordered 2 (1 for a friend) and both of them UW models are tack sharp. chupacabra31 wrote:
Looks like you got an awesome 1-4! Love the robin best!
Dave, I call it PP evolution path sometimes we hit dead-ends, sometimes we see the light at the end of the tunnel Dave Good wrote:
Nice series Nello, number 1 would be my pick, beautiful. I suspect we all adjust our PP workflow a little as we progress, yours is obviously working for you.
Dave
I thought you knew by now..crazy details are my specialty comp. on the other hand reko wrote:
Crazy detail, these look great, love the grebe.
Good luck Frank..it looks like you need it if you have any questions drop me a PM...i'll try to help if I can If not put ur bet on Dave Anti Matter wrote:
Thanks, for sharing your secrets, Nello!! That really is molto generoso of you!!
I've always shied away from using layers, because unless you know what you're doing, it's easy to make matters worse instead of better. Well, for me it is, anyway. I'm soooo glad I just picked up CS3 off a popular auction site. Time to get down to business and actually start trying to learn something!!
Ciao!!
Frank
Rob...that's the main benefit of this workflow I could get good detail even w the previous flow but wasn't always happy about the bgs Rob Tillyer wrote:
Great series Nello, thanks for including your workflow. This makes for some very clean photos, great job.
Rob
Thx Doug means a lot buddy Doug Bentlage wrote:
Outstanding series Nello, killer shots with great detail and color! Congrats on the new workflow, you have nailed it!
Doug
Indeed Ron..I saw a few of them too...usually for beginners but pretty good stuff nonetheless! surfnron wrote:
Thanx Nello for the info.
Anti - there are a lot of good tutorials on both sharpening and layers on utube.
Ron
Give it a try Vern..you might like it..or maybe you'll fall asleep halfway through it happened to me after a looooong day VernH wrote:
What a great series, the post processing looks wonderful, Thanks for sharing.
Vern
You're welcome b.a.smith wrote:
thanks for the info Nello
Thx Ed! not as stunning as your owls though Ed Robertson wrote:
GREAT JOB NELLO #1 IS STUNNING. Ed
Hey M. I have a whole gallery of IF shots w the 40d IF Gallery
I think it tracks really good..it might not be a MkIII but in a 5-6 burst I get 4 keepers usually. Here's the 100% crop and sorry for the delay http://www.pbase.com/nellotodica/image/110282926/original.jpg
This jpg has only a small +1 NR applied in Canon's DPP. (ISO 400) mabidally wrote:
I'm not one to spend too much time on PP but must agree these shots look very good indeed.
Have you tried the autofocus of the 40d for BIF's with the 100-400? Cud you possibly show a 100% crop of No 5.
Outstanding sounds good 
I don't think there's less detail on the birds itself as te sharpening method is the same as last time (7-9 in DPP Raw tab and USM after re-sharpening 50-80 w 0,6 radius). 
