Well at this point... its 'a bird' but there are more coming.. Went out walk abouts today. caught this egret landing.. I have 2 more of it whilst it was flying at low altitude over the lake, they require further processing so they are coming later...
Theres a nice big sea eagle floating around my area the past few weeks. Never close enough for me to catch a worth while photo... So I've been wandering down towards where it circles in hopes of catching a closer look...
Good shot of a very difficult subject – white bird against a dark background!
I had a quick play in CS3; I did a Shadow/Highlight, some Burning/Dodging and a Smart Sharpen which overall, I think revealed more of the subtle tones in the Egret’s white wings. Here’s the “after and before” photo.
heres number 2, which in the series of 3 shots is actually shot number 1. Im going all george lucas with my release times..
i had a play with dodge/burn shadows/highlights and smart sharpen... I still need to learn more about whats going on when i use those functions, but I can see the effect they have...
No worries. I’m still at the beginning of the learning curve with CS3! I now need to sit down and consolidate my knowledge so I can apply it consistently and in a targeted manner; at the moment I tend to rush in and tweak things which is fun, but sometimes you don’t quite remember how you got to the result!
For me, the 2 big lessons I’ve learned, from moving to a functionally rich DSLR such as the Canon 40D and the amazing powerful CS3 are:
DSLR Camera.
Always take the best shot you can. Try to get the best data in the camera and don’t rely on post capture processing.
CS3.
The image you seen on your screen is just the tip of the iceberg. If you have managed to achieve objective 1 above, then you can literally “develop” the image in CS3 to display the tonal range “hidden” in the data.
I've just sort of "Jumped Ship" from the Nikon camp to the Canon camp... and already feel rather limited by the 350D compared to my D80, however the AF system/lens selection on canons cant be beat... I think im gonna have to have a grand nikon ebay sale and splurge on a 40D or a 5D if funds permit.
having another go at that shot, same sort of rush together as usual.. however I think i get the idea.... Oh, I changed the crop a bit too... just to mix it up a bit..
I have never used dodge/burn tools before, nor have I ever really applied any post processing sharpening masks to photos... Im starting to think they should all be incorporated into my standard work flow.
Nice shots Alex, I particularly like the second one you have posted. How the brid is flying/gliding above the water with its wings shaped like an arc. Very cool.
Good stuff Alex. This was the 1st time I've used Dodge/Burn too, as I had to process your photo quick time. I'm seriously looking at Layers and Adjustment Layers in particular, as they are more powerful and don't modify the underlying data like Dodge/Burn.
Yeah... I've played with some masks today.. but I think i need to buy a book on photoshop to explain the correct method to apply certain masks and adjustment layers half the time I do more harm than good...
Splendid work.
We've got to have a bit of a field trip together on the last Friday of Astrofest.
Take a walk down to the river and see what we can see.
Thanks Jjj, I was actually considering photography during the days (or, as much of them as Im awake for...) - astronomy during the nights for Astrofest...
Im definitely up for the walk down to the river
Dennis, Your more than welcome to join us have a little birding expedition
With luck.. I'll have a new toy to play with... mwa ha ha ha haaaa...
Oh... Just found these two from today too...
1 - This guy just popped up to say hello.... Theres heaps and heaps of them in the lake where most of my recent photos were taken.. however they are VERY camera shy... you point the lens at them, all you usually capture is ripples...
2 - Lift off! Pretty happy with that. Focus missed by a hair...
who'd have thunk it would turn out to be a processing tutorial
like that turtle.
my theory/motto/whatever in photography is to get it right the first go. while raw images hold alot of data that can be drawn out, over altering an image can have dire effects, especially when veiwed full size (10mp or whtever rather than reduced for web) which will effect the way it is printed. if you get the exposure and focus right at the time you shoot you can really make something special out of it with a minimum of PPing, or still have a great print straight from the camera
of course astrophotography is all about extracting data from images
my theory/motto/whatever in photography is to get it right the first go.
I agree David, nothing beats getting it right first go.
But you'll find there's still a need for some PP even if it's to sharpen the original.
Even in film days, most if not all photographers who developed/printed their own negs, did some level of 'PP'.
I agree though that there is a fine line between 'bringing out detail' and 'overdoing the PP'.
For me, reading other people's techniques on photog forums is very helpful and they can be applied to astro work too so it's in everyone's favour to ask and learn.
Im going all george lucas with my release times.. 
