The Birds of Ft. Desoto...

Quoting Splashy: "UNDEREXPOSE it by about 1 stop, then lighten it up with LR brush."

I definitely don't want to start anything, but IMO I disagree with that method. That would result in loss of detail and extra noise on the subject. If you were going to do anything like what you say, it would make more sense to just properly expose the subject and in PP just darken the background.

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Originally Posted by jprzybyla

There are many ways or post processing and image depending on what is desired as the final outcome. There are some images that just beg for a High Key workup, I believe this is one of those. I have continued to work towards that in the image posted below.

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Joe, I strongly agree with you, this shot works fantastic as a high key image. Really beautiful work!

BTW, jumping back to your comment about flash: I agree, flash is not typically a good option for this kind of wildlife. Being less intrusive to the animal and getting multiple shots of it in movement while observing is a great way to work it. That person shooting from really far away sounds crazy. You'd have to have some serious gear to get any kind of worthwhile shot from that distance, and even then, the shot would be nothing compared to one shot from a reasonable distance!

That said, flash and a B. Beamer are probably useful for smaller more active subjects such as birds flitting about in shady areas. Of course I know nothing about that kind of work other than what I've read, but I have purchased a flash and B. Beamer recently and plan to learn it.

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Originally Posted by flyingSquirrel

Quoting Splashy: "UNDEREXPOSE it by about 1 stop, then lighten it up with LR brush."

I definitely don't want to start anything, but IMO I disagree with that method. That would result in loss of detail and extra noise on the subject. If you were going to do anything like what you say, it would make more sense to just properly expose the subject and in PP just darken the background.



Joe, I strongly agree with you, this shot works fantastic as a high key image. Really beautiful work!

BTW, jumping back to your comment about flash: I agree, flash is not typically a good option for this kind of wildlife. Being less intrusive to the animal and getting multiple shots of it in movement while observing is a great way to work it. That person shooting from really far away sounds crazy. You'd have to have some serious gear to get any kind of worthwhile shot from that distance, and even then, the shot would be nothing compared to one shot from a reasonable distance!

That said, flash and a B. Beamer are probably useful for smaller more active subjects such as birds flitting about in shady areas. Of course I know nothing about that kind of work other than what I've read, but I have purchased a flash and B. Beamer recently and plan to learn it.

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Hi Matt, I just have this thing about a flash and nature photography. I hate a flash going off in my face and I extend the same to the birds and animals. I once had a heated argument with another photographer over his using a flask, the on camera flash. We were photographing a Great Horned Owl nest with mother and owlets. He was using the on camera flash from about 100 feet from the nest. Every time his flash would go off the mother would close her eyes, definitely disruptive of their natural behavior. It was only her dedication to her young that kept her on the nest. For small birds what I do is pick a branch that has good light and background and wait for the bird to come to it. If it works you have a great image, if not that's nature photography.