Processed OK

[Bear Dale]

This Little Pied Cormorant was on our front lawn the other day, first is the SOC shot and second was process in PS.

What are your thoughts? Processed OK?

[ameerat42]

Jim. Cannot answer as such because I don't know the processing details, however...

The SOOC image has good highlights and mid-tones and only "suffers a bit" from somewhat deep darks.
The "Processed" image shows (perhaps a bit too much) lightening of the darks in bringing out the details,
and a burning out of some of the highlights.

What I would have done (and did) with the SOOC image as a BASIC step is a Pshop Shadows/Highlights with a
restriction of the tonal range to about 15% for SH, and an adjustment to the Mid-tone Contrast to 20.

This leaves the Highs alone, and lightens the darks just enough to see some detail and not appear as a
black glob, AND it "adds some tonal interest" to the mid-tones.

Note: all this just fixes up the tones a bit. If you think colors need fixing that's different.

Seewatcherthink here...

Jim-Cormorant...
jim-cormorant.jpg

[Bear Dale]

ameerat thank you for taking the time out with that edit and for explaining how you did it. I have printed that out for future reference.

Your edit is so much better, its showing the feather detail in the cormies right wing, but it is not over brightened like my edit. Really happy to see what you managed with the jpeg.

Much appreciated.

[ameerat42]

For many "normal" situations the in-camera jpeg processing is quite OK.
Here it's done the whites well, but darkened the blacks a bit. A stop of
exposure the other way might have done the reverse.

[RobCr]

Good composition. I like the lighter water colours in 2. I think they set off a better contrast to the bird. I agree that the highlights could be reduced. The sharpening looks a bit over done to me though.

Rob C

[Bear Dale]

Thanks Ameerat & Rob

- - - Updated - - -

I'm liking the cropping power of the D850.

[ameerat42]

Serius stuff!

[Mark L]

Recon your fist photo looks the best so far.
The black in the wing is wonderful.
The whites in the head seem to be the problem for me.

27808032619_5f9f73da5a_ha.jpg