America IDOL is really boring at this time in the program.
The time usually gawking at the big screen on Idol night was better spent tonight on the Mac Pro!
The days are getting longer and warmer. One of these days my great photo escapes will have to end. Raised beds and Peas are coming soon.
Tonight was another great experience with the Bird's. Now I know the stars are aligned...at least for two days. Another incredible night with my Pheasant friends. What an incredible photographic blast! Except how I'm to explain the swamp mud, grass and "yuk" stains on my work pants. About a mile back from the Farmington Bay my tires locked up. There he was. The bird that looks like he is made up for the lead in an opera. Red mascara? Blue neck. The girl pheasants see their men a little different than the girls I dated. I was soon on my belly waiting for his grand entrance.
These days there is a lot of chatter about the over use of photoshop in the workflow. If framing and sizing a photo is over use, put me behind bars. At times I may turn down the exposure and dodge back areas as I saw them in person. Guilty I am of using NIK's software to adapt a photo to "midnight". I have used it on occasion. It is really obvious. Not really a natural look but kinda edgy?
I wonder what my friends that view this blog think. Here's the American Idol connection. At the bottom of this blog is a blue highlighted "comment". I would really be interested in your like or dislike of a photograph adapted to the "midnight" look. You can leave comments anonymously. The first (#1) is the "midnight". The second (#2) is the actual photograph. What do you think?
The shot was taken with my 200-400mm lens with the 1.7 extender. I shot it wide open but with a .67 lower exposure value. The white on the neck of the bird would burn out at normal exposure. The dodging option may be needed. The photograph was taken on my belly (big as it is). My wait for the bird to approach me was about 30 minutes. Really makes me appreciate my bed and pillows.
#1
#2
3 comments:
This is great. OK, since I do images as a career, and analyze differences in processing, my perspective will be a bit away from the photographic realm and more to the image processing.
Looking at the pheasant, it looks like the original pic's colors are not brilliant, possibly overexposed. Whites are saturated so the color is not as rich. In the midnight, the colors seem a brighter hue. Very appealing.
There seems to be a bit of a loss in texture of the midnight pheasant. Looks like the processing has put a soft blur (glow) that slightly subdues the texture. Probably not visible to the normal viewer though. A bit of unsharp masking maybe needed? I don't know, I guess it depends. I tried it on the picture and it's a toss-up.
The midnight does wonders for the background. Darkening the distant background brings out the richer colors in the midground and the out-of-focus foreground now adds depth to the photo. I love it.
Sorry for the rambling. I enjoy your pics every day.
OF
Ok so I preface my comments with this...I have no authority to speak as to which photo is better. I am an amateur in the true sense of the word. That being said here goes. It is hard for me to decide which one I like most. The pheasant in the "midnight" version is rich with color and I love the mood. The shadows in the foreground and background add a sort of vignetting effect. Very cool...
Both are great dad, I think I like the second one better because he stands out from his surroundings more...vivid colors against a light BG. I like #1 though, because of the Vignette and the softness. You're awesome!
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