Great Blue Heron (Two Photographs)
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My lens followed this bird as it walked up onto this tree trunk. Every shot I took (over 30) had some issue, usually a branch that obscured a part of the bird. Even this shot required an application of de-hazing to get just that little bit better. At this stage the bird was shaking the fish quite violently and fortunately my shutter speed was high enough to stop motion. It’s challenges like these that make nature photography fun, something your audience probably won’t see in the final product. I tried this shot in black and white (see below) not quite the same impact.
Great Blue Heron (Two Photographs)
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The same bird cropped differently and in colour and black and white. Working like this lets you see the options you have for a final piece of work; the Portrait format in colour for a magazine or book, and the black and white more for framing on a wall.
Red-Winged Black Bird (Three Photographs)
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Red-winged blackbirds are not my favorite bird. It takes some skill in exposure to get details in the feathers with exposure compensation and then it often does not work. It also requires some work in post-processing. These birds have a temper, and their song is grating. But they are a sign of spring, so all is forgiven. These three shots, in my view, illustrate the difference between creative photography and birding photography. In the former I am looking for the eye and posture and probably a black and white treatment. In the later I want true colour, and a good depiction of the bird.
Chickadees (Three Photographs)
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You can always count on Chickadees, anytime of the year, always hoping for food. Flying right at you and just missing. They seldom perch like this one did and patiently wait for their portrait to be taken.
Green Heron (Three Photographs)
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Every year I hope to get one or two scenes of a heron hunting and this one did not disappoint. The stare, the sudden movement, and the tasty morsel in the beak. Classic Green Heron, determined, poised and fast.
Difference of Seconds (Two Photographs)
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You will see that in one photograph the duck’s “smile” is more pronounced. This is the reason I take several shots of subjects in the wild. My aim is never to shoot just another Mallard, but shoot a photograph that has some impact.
Photolemur 3, Part Two (Two Photographs)
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This is not an HDR. I took this photograph and let Photolemur do the basics. I used plug-ins for noise reduction, tonal contrast and for the black and white. The photo is cropped and some debris in front of the beak was removed. I also removed a magenta colour cast that Photolemur did not fix. I don’t think the software will work with every subject and nature shots of animals may be the most challenging for Photolemur. While I am impressed with the results there are a few more things I need to try before making it a full-time part of my processing. Note: Photolemur does do noise reduction. I was wrong,
