GB Heron family: I want lessons in how to become a better photographer

[Bubbahotep]

I took this last week and I would like you to critique this photo. In particular I want to know how I can make it better. That is, what would you change? What would you do instead? To soften the blow of the critique, please preface your comments with your general impression of the photo before diving into what you would do to improve it. (Hopefully, you'll like it enough.) I look forward to your comments or perhaps I should say, "Have at it."

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[raptor photo]

It is a very nice shot! Both of the birds are sharp, the chick is just reaching up, and I like the backlight. Lower the highlights, because some light parts of the herons are blown out with no detail. It would be ideal to have the flying bird facing towards us, so maybe visit this sight again to try to get that shot. You have a tough cropping situation here. Do you have any more room above and below, because that would make it more balanced. I would crop/ clone out the thing in the lower left corner, and same with the other nest. Maybe clone out the log behind them too but that is fine.

 

[Butlerkid]

First, this is a beautiful image that has a LOT of potential! The position of the birds and interaction is very nice.

If when asking for critique you would post a jpg rather than an .html file it would be much easier for members to respond. That way we could see what works best for the image. Also, are you shooting raw and if so, what raw processing s/w are you using?

Without the above information, I would say that the image is reasonably sharp and very interesting and has great potential!

If this is a raw image, have you already done some processing on it? With the back lighting I would have applied some negative exposure compensation in camera. Easy to do since you can see the histogram in the viewfinder and the results of the exposure comp in the viewfinder also. The shutter speed is very fast, which sent the ISO higher. Have you applied any NR that may be impacting the sharpness of fine details?

So I would start with lowering the exposure. Then setting a black point and white point. This would bring back the contrast of the white and blacks in the image which are not present in this version. Just these adjustments might do a lot to enhance the image. Then deal with ISO noise and sharpness.

 

[Bubbahotep]

It is a very nice shot! Both of the birds are sharp, the chick is just reaching up, and I like the backlight. Lower the highlights, because some light parts of the herons are blown out with no detail. It would be ideal to have the flying bird facing towards us, so maybe visit this sight again to try to get that shot. You have a tough cropping situation here. Do you have any more room above and below, because that would make it more balanced. I would crop/ clone out the thing in the lower left corner, and same with the other nest. Maybe clone out the log behind them too but that is fine.

First, this is a beautiful image that has a LOT of potential! The position of the birds and interaction is very nice.

If when asking for critique you would post a jpg rather than an .html file it would be much easier for members to respond. That way we could see what works best for the image. Also, are you shooting raw and if so, what raw processing s/w are you using?

Without the above information, I would say that the image is reasonably sharp and very interesting and has great potential!

If this is a raw image, have you already done some processing on it? With the back lighting I would have applied some negative exposure compensation in camera. Easy to do since you can see the histogram in the viewfinder and the results of the exposure comp in the viewfinder also. The shutter speed is very fast, which sent the ISO higher. Have you applied any NR that may be impacting the sharpness of fine details?

So I would start with lowering the exposure. Then setting a black point and white point. This would bring back the contrast of the white and blacks in the image which are not present in this version. Just these adjustments might do a lot to enhance the image. Then deal with ISO noise and sharpness.

Thanks you for your helpful comments. This is why I posted this photo: I liked the image but I thought something was not right. I will focus on lowering the exposure and play with the white and black points. The issue is that I never learned how to do this, partly because my processing software, Affinity Photo, does not have that feature. I think there is a more laborious work around that does something analogous to setting white and black points. I will return to this forum post with a new processed photo, hopefully within a week.

Thanks again.

 

[Bubbahotep]

I wasn't able to completely restore the blown out highlights. Do you have any suggestions?

I wasn't able to set a gray point where I wanted to as doing so would blow out the highlights more. Any thoughts on how to control that? Masking?

All the same, I think this is an improvement. Thanks again. I welcome your comments as they are making me better at taking pictures.

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[raptor photo]

Definitely an improvement. I would still widen the crop. For the highlights, just masking then lowering the exposure won't necessarily bring back detail but at least make the lack of detail less noticeable.

 

[Bubbahotep]

I can't widen the crop but I was able to attach part of another photo from that sequence of photos so that the image now has more nest and breathing room.

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[MrFotoFool]

You captured the peak action perfectly. The position of the bird flying in is ideal and I love how both the other adult and chick are looking up at it.

800mm has very shallow depth of field, even with a lens with a smaller maximum aperture of "only" f/6.3 . While the landing heron is sharp, the other adult and chick are slightly soft due to being beyond the plane of focus. In my opinion, if you could have shot at an aperture of around f/11 it might be better. However with the action happening that fast it's hard to adjust the aperture quickly enough to capture the peak action like you did.

 

[Winston Churchill (Sir)]

I like the action and composition. I am not into softening the blows - but I am fair and try and give a comment which actually teaches you something.
I will add one comment to those above - (all valid I don't have to repeat it)
You were quite "far" from the action. Just because it is a long lens - doesn't mean it will be optimally sharp at that distance -
I would say that this is a big part of your problem with the photo - distance.

But - if the birds were closer, and you shot with a shorter lens (to fit it all in) - you in all probability would have had a better quality picture.
I look at it this way - If the photo isn't good enough - you are not close enough.

 

[CentralCoast]

Good job

 

[Bubbahotep]

You captured the peak action perfectly. The position of the bird flying in is ideal and I love how both the other adult and chick are looking up at it.

800mm has very shallow depth of field, even with a lens with a smaller maximum aperture of "only" f/6.3 . While the landing heron is sharp, the other adult and chick are slightly soft due to being beyond the plane of focus. In my opinion, if you could have shot at an aperture of around f/11 it might be better. However with the action happening that fast it's hard to adjust the aperture quickly enough to capture the peak action like you did.

I will try lowering aperture next time. I understand your point. Hopefully, the resulting higher ISO won't result in too much noise. I'll only know by trying.

I like the action and composition. I am not into softening the blows - but I am fair and try and give a comment which actually teaches you something.
I will add one comment to those above - (all valid I don't have to repeat it)
You were quite "far" from the action. Just because it is a long lens - doesn't mean it will be optimally sharp at that distance -
I would say that this is a big part of your problem with the photo - distance.

But - if the birds were closer, and you shot with a shorter lens (to fit it all in) - you in all probability would have had a better quality picture.
I look at it this way - If the photo isn't good enough - you are not close enough.

Thanks. What you says makes some sense but let me counter with an alternative hypothesis (otherwise why would any of us purchase an 800mm lens). I think the issue is the backlighting. I have taken other heron photos before where the herons were front lit and were shot at F8 using a 500mm f5.6 with a 1.4 teleconverter. IMO, those photos have acceptable detail. Returning to the photo in this post, I was perhaps "pushing" the 800mm to its limit by shooting a backlighting subject. That said, I just got the lens and Z8 so I hope my technique will improve as will my results.

 

[Matthew Jones]

I think it's a great scene , the clean up on the re-posted image is looking great , I'd be proud of your shot , and your well on your way to great photography

 

[Winston Churchill (Sir)]

I will try lowering aperture next time. I understand your point. Hopefully, the resulting higher ISO won't result in too much noise. I'll only know by trying.


Thanks. What you says makes some sense but let me counter with an alternative hypothesis (otherwise why would any of us purchase an 800mm lens). I think the issue is the backlighting. I have taken other heron photos before where the herons were front lit and were shot at F8 using a 500mm f5.6 with a 1.4 teleconverter. IMO, those photos have acceptable detail. Returning to the photo in this post, I was perhaps "pushing" the 800mm to its limit by shooting a backlighting subject. That said, I just got the lens and Z8 so I hope my technique will improve as will my results.

Oh you are not wrong about the backlighting at all. That just made the distance a bigger problem. There are several technical aspects to keep in mind with any photo - and lighting is just about the most important of them all.
When one actually does get away with producing a good photo in a challenging situation - it is because one knows how to handle that specific situation properly on a technical level. If you don't manage, it might simply mean it was probably just not possible. Some shots you walk away from. Some you try - you learn, and try again. Don't for a minute think I don't try even if I know it's not going to work. I sometimes just can't resist
The Z800 is a really beautiful lens. But don't make the mistake to think you can shoot "further" - I am not sure if you saw this thread?

Minimum image size on the sensor

I am using a Nikon Z6 as well as a Nikon Z8. When photographing birds, very often, a 500 mm or more is not enough; some birds are just too small/too far away. Shooting in APS-C mode is also not enough. Currently, I am using a F-mount 500 mm f/5.6 lens (belonging to a friend) with the FTZ...

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