Portrait of a Bison

[PAUL50]

This photo was taken in 2019 in Yellowstone. I have re-edited it in Lightroom with a little help from Photoshop and would like a critique from the group. It was shot with a D850 and a 200-500mm lens and a 1.4 TC. Once again, the photo is actually sharper than it appears here - any thoughts on export settings would be appreciated as well. It was exposed at 1/20, F/16 and an ISO of 640. Today I wouldn't have shot it at 1/20 or f/16 even though I was on a tripod, considering that I was at 650mm, but I was younger and dumber then. Had I shot it today, I would have shot wide open and somewhere around 1/800. Your thoughts, comments and critique would be appreciated.

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[Niels.hr.Hansen]

Think that you ISO would go up, know the D850 is good at handling it, but with a tripod and a calm animal I would suggest.
Use auto-ISO, don't use wide open but 1-2 steps up, so probably f/8. Handheld I think 1/400 or 1/800 would be good. On a tripod I would start with the same, but work my way towards slower shutter speeds in order to have lowest possible ISO.

On the exports settings - I'm not an Adobe user, so terms might be different in LR/PS - for JPEG I would say that you shouldn't go below a quality factor of 95

 

[PAUL50]

Think that you ISO would go up, know the D850 is good at handling it, but with a tripod and a calm animal I would suggest.
Use auto-ISO, don't use wide open but 1-2 steps up, so probably f/8. Handheld I think 1/400 or 1/800 would be good. On a tripod I would start with the same, but work my way towards slower shutter speeds in order to have lowest possible ISO.

On the exports settings - I'm not an Adobe user, so terms might be different in LR/PS - for JPEG I would say that you shouldn't go below a quality factor of 95

Thank you for your comments. I do use auto ISO now, although did not when I shot this photo. I also use back button auto focus as well today. I think you're right about not wide open, rather seek the sweet spot of the lens. I'm terrible at hand holding, just can't keep the rig steady so I shoot everything now on a tripod.

 

[Woody Meristem]

That's a great portrait. To my eye the bright portions on the left side are distracting, I'd try to darken them up somewhat, just how much would be a matter of taste.

 

[MorganP]

Very Nice.

 

[NorthernFocus]

Compositionally I like how you've placed the animal's head/eye in the frame. It's a matter of taste but you may consider either cropping down below the ridge of the back or adding more space above it if you have the pixels. Having the slit of BG above the animal's back is distracting to my eye. IMO either more or less would work better. Processing looks good. Maybe add a vignette to subtly darken the bright grass at left of frame. That would also help the previously mentioned bright slit above the back.

Due to the way that the D850 processes images there is virtually no difference in noise performance at ISO800 versus ISO400. That's what lab results show and I have to say it seems to hold up in the real world. So once you hit ISO400 you might as well take the extra stop of ss and shoot at ISO800. I try to be aware when I'm shooting auto ISO and do just that.

 

[PAUL50]

Compositionally I like how you've placed the animal's head/eye in the frame. It's a matter of taste but you may consider either cropping down below the ridge of the back or adding more space above it if you have the pixels. Having the slit of BG above the animal's back is distracting to my eye. IMO either more or less would work better. Processing looks good. Maybe add a vignette to subtly darken the bright grass at left of frame. That would also help the previously mentioned bright slit above the back.

Due to the way that the D850 processes images there is virtually no difference in noise performance at ISO800 versus ISO400. That's what lab results show and I have to say it seems to hold up in the real world. So once you hit ISO400 you might as well take the extra stop of ss and shoot at ISO800. I try to be aware when I'm shooting auto ISO and do just that.

Thanks for your comments. I see the problems with the bright background and grass, it was similarly pointed out to me by another commenter, and it makes sense to me as I look at it now. Thanks, too, for the comment re ISO. I wasn't aware of that and will experiment with it. Today, although I still have the 850, for wildlife I tend to go with the D5. It seems to handle higher levels of noise better. Thanks again. Appreciate it.

 

[NorthernFocus]

Thanks for your comments. I see the problems with the bright background and grass, it was similarly pointed out to me by another commenter, and it makes sense to me as I look at it now....

I wouldn't go so far as to say the bright BG is a problem. I know conventional wisdom says that the eye is drawn to bright areas of an image. But IMO small bright areas are more of an issue in that regard(like the small area at upper right). To my own eye bright BGs aren't that big a deal. That said a vignette can take advantage of bright BG to make it highlight the central subject. I'll take a clean bright BG versus a busy dark one any day.

 

[PAUL50]

I wouldn't go so far as to say the bright BG is a problem. I know conventional wisdom says that the eye is drawn to bright areas of an image. But IMO small bright areas are more of an issue in that regard(like the small area at upper right). To my own eye bright BGs aren't that big a deal. That said a vignette can take advantage of bright BG to make it highlight the central subject. I'll take a clean bright BG versus a busy dark one any day.

Yeah, I’m going to play with it a little and I’ll repost. Be curious to see what you think. I think I see what you mean. Thanks.

 

[PhilcTx]

...any thoughts on export settings would be appreciated as well.

I've seen more than one report/test/claim that LR's Export JPG Quality setting outputs the same image quality at 93 as a setting of 100.

So I usually Export with JPG Quality 93, Resolution 300ppi (if I know image will only be used on a computer screen resolution 72ppi) and Color Space sRGB

 

[PAUL50]

I've seen more than one report/test/claim that LR's Export JPG Quality setting outputs the same image quality at 93 as a setting of 100.

So I usually Export with JPG Quality 93, Resolution 300ppi (if I know image will only be used on a computer screen resolution 72ppi) and Color Space sRGB

Thanks. I’ve also come across a video Steve has done for how to sharpen for screens using an action he’s created that works really well. Once I select the photos all I do is hit the action button and it automatically sets up the photo through a sharpening process via PS the works really well. The video is listed on the website.

 

[Jeffrey Davidson]

This photo was taken in 2019 in Yellowstone. I have re-edited it in Lightroom with a little help from Photoshop and would like a critique from the group. It was shot with a D850 and a 200-500mm lens and a 1.4 TC. Once again, the photo is actually sharper than it appears here - any thoughts on export settings would be appreciated as well. It was exposed at 1/20, F/16 and an ISO of 640. Today I wouldn't have shot it at 1/20 or f/16 even though I was on a tripod, considering that I was at 650mm, but I was younger and dumber then. Had I shot it today, I would have shot wide open and somewhere around 1/800. Your thoughts, comments and critique would be appreciated. View attachment 28348

I general, I agree with your own criticisms. it's sharp, great detail and exposure and I like the composition. Younger yes but not dumber; we all learn and hopefully improve with experience and knowledge. Happy New Year.

 

[PAUL50]

I general, I agree with your own criticisms. it's sharp, great detail and exposure and I like the composition. Younger yes but not dumber; we all learn and hopefully improve with experience and knowledge. Happy New Year.

Thanks. Appreciate the comments.

 

[EricBowles]

What I like most is the frost on top of the head of the bison - it tells a lot about the time of year and the day. It's certainly sharp. I do think your ideas for alternate settings are more appropriate.

I like your choice of having the bison head entirely in soft shadow. The glint of sunlit hair on the back/shoulder and ears makes a nice accent.

I'd prefer not to have the two background bison. They are intersecting your subject, and that's a negative. While out of focus, they attract attention. While they are not terrible, you are asking for critique and your photography is good, so this is the kind of next level comment that elevates your game. Ask yourself this - did you purposely position the background animals or were you concentrating so much on the subject that they were incidental? Great photos usually have an added level of precision with that kind of detail.

In a future opportunity, I'd try to pay more attention to posture and position of the subject. The head is turning back across the body, and the pose is a little awkward. With portraits of any type, the "pose" or positioning is very important. Portrait photographers are critical of every little detail, and it applies to wildlife portraits. The perfect leg, head, and shoulder position is always important. That's one of the advantages of a fast frame rate.

 

[PAUL50]

What I like most is the frost on top of the head of the bison - it tells a lot about the time of year and the day. It's certainly sharp. I do think your ideas for alternate settings are more appropriate.

I like your choice of having the bison head entirely in soft shadow. The glint of sunlit hair on the back/shoulder and ears makes a nice accent.

I'd prefer not to have the two background bison. They are intersecting your subject, and that's a negative. While out of focus, they attract attention. While they are not terrible, you are asking for critique and your photography is good, so this is the kind of next level comment that elevates your game. Ask yourself this - did you purposely position the background animals or were you concentrating so much on the subject that they were incidental? Great photos usually have an added level of precision with that kind of detail.

In a future opportunity, I'd try to pay more attention to posture and position of the subject. The head is turning back across the body, and the pose is a little awkward. With portraits of any type, the "pose" or positioning is very important. Portrait photographers are critical of every little detail, and it applies to wildlife portraits. The perfect leg, head, and shoulder position is always important. That's one of the advantages of a fast frame rate.

Thanks Eric. This is exactly the quality of critique I'm looking for to up my game. Much appreciated. You're correct that while I was aware of bison behind the main subject, I wasn't thinking of the impact that they would have on the final photo. They very definitely were incidental to what I was trying to do. As I look at the photo now, I see the point and at the f/ stop I used, I was lucky those other bison weren't much sharper. In the future, I'll definitely pay more attention to what is in the entire field of view. That was my first trip to Yellowstone and my first attempt at shooting large mammals in an environment like that. One lesson I only began to learn on that trip was to anticipate the settings I would need given the time of day, available light, subject matter, and what I am trying to accomplish regarding subject isolation - much of that I later learned through reading Steve's books and, as I'm sure you can tell, at that point I hadn't read them yet! LOL! The lighting I owe to having gotten an early start. It was about 7 AM when I took the shot, the sun was still low, but there was enough light to illuminate the face, although I did have to back off the shadows a little in Lightroom. Thanks again for your comments and advice.

 

[John Woodworth]

I find the depth-of-field at f16 here to be "refreshing" compared to the usual fare of sharp eyes and everything else fuzzy. This allows us to appreciate the pattern in the bison's and the rime along his back.

I think the composition is good. It has a dynamic feel to it, as if the bison and the observer are just becoming aware of each other.

The golden color of the grass is just great.

I would imagine pulling this shot off at 1/20 s, and getting such a sharp picture, was a minor miracle. Using manual mode and auto ISO, a la S Perry, you might have been able to ramp through some faster f-numbers which might also have given a selection of focus depths to choose from. Assuming you had time given what appears to be a "decisive moment" type shot.

The only slight flaw I see, pointed out above, is the distraction of the OOF beasts in the background. Maybe some hocus pocus in Photochop would do the trick.

A phabulus image.

 

[PAUL50]

I find the depth-of-field at f16 here to be "refreshing" compared to the usual fare of sharp eyes and everything else fuzzy. This allows us to appreciate the pattern in the bison's and the rime along his back.

I think the composition is good. It has a dynamic feel to it, as if the bison and the observer are just becoming aware of each other.

The golden color of the grass is just great.

I would imagine pulling this shot off at 1/20 s, and getting such a sharp picture, was a minor miracle. Using manual mode and auto ISO, a la S Perry, you might have been able to ramp through some faster f-numbers which might also have given a selection of focus depths to choose from. Assuming you had time given what appears to be a "decisive moment" type shot.

The only slight flaw I see, pointed out above, is the distraction of the OOF beasts in the background. Maybe some hocus pocus in Photochop would do the trick.

A phabulus image.

Thanks John, appreciate your comments. Today I shoot manual mode, let the ISO float to different levels depending on the camera I’m using, and also use back button auto focus in group area auto focus mode. With the D5 I’ve also programmed two buttons on the front of the camera to auto focus using single point and 9-point dynamic auto focus. I also have programmed a button on the D5 for single point exposure, although I rarely use it. When I shot the bison all I had was group area or 9 point dynamic auto focus and shutter release on the same button and I was primarily thinking “I’m not missing this shot” so I cranked down the aperture hoping to get the shot sharp. With that rig at that hour the world must have held its collective breath to have gotten the photo sharp. I wouldn’t do that again today. I’m thinking now that at f/8 and maybe 1/500 s I could have kept the ISO low and still have gotten the same or similar shot. I am going to make a copy of the shot and try to make the two stray bison in the background disappear and also darken the bright spots in the background. I’ve gotten some really great advice on this site from numerous folks on how to improve the shot, and shooting in general, and I’m much appreciative of the advice.

 

[John Woodworth]

Thanks John, appreciate your comments. Today I shoot manual mode, let the ISO float to different levels depending on the camera I’m using, and also use back button auto focus in group area auto focus mode. With the D5 I’ve also programmed two buttons on the front of the camera to auto focus using single point and 9-point dynamic auto focus. I also have programmed a button on the D5 for single point exposure, although I rarely use it. When I shot the bison all I had was group area or 9 point dynamic auto focus and shutter release on the same button and I was primarily thinking “I’m not missing this shot” so I cranked down the aperture hoping to get the shot sharp. With that rig at that hour the world must have held its collective breath to have gotten the photo sharp. I wouldn’t do that again today. I’m thinking now that at f/8 and maybe 1/500 s I could have kept the ISO low and still have gotten the same or similar shot. I am going to make a copy of the shot and try to make the two stray bison in the background disappear and also darken the bright spots in the background. I’ve gotten some really great advice on this site from numerous folks on how to improve the shot, and shooting in general, and I’m much appreciative of the advice.

It's a great shot.

Possibly the bison can be Selected using "Subject" in Photoshop since it stands out so sharply from the backgound.

The background is so out-of-focus in the problem areas that it might be easy to clone in the nice grassy area on a separate layer.

Issue will be to make it look natural with no halos.

Would love to see the result.

 

[PAUL50]

It's a great shot.

Possibly the bison can be Selected using "Subject" in Photoshop since it stands out so sharply from the backgound.

The background is so out-of-focus in the problem areas that it might be easy to clone in the nice grassy area on a separate layer.

Issue will be to make it look natural with no halos.

Would love to see the result.

Thanks John. I’ll give it a try and repost.

 

[bleirer]

It's a good shot overall but since you put it in for 'critique' I'll look for problems. The main thing I notice is a bit of a halo near the eye on the left and along the jaw area. I don't think it is a sharpening halo. Did you make a selection or maybe apply the dodge tool along that edge? If so the select and mask tool in Photoshop might give a better selection. Maybe try the refine edge tool or even the hair tool. Either will take some hand work to clean up.

While in Photoshop if you want the background blurrier you could try the blur tools under the filter menu, maybe iris blur? Mask to protect the subject if needed.

Also I might use the patch tool on that tiny bright spot top right corner, just make it all dark.

 

[Dave Douglass]

Great grab of a killer subject but, if this were my shot I would look at making it even more of a head shot by cropping some off of the top, and right side of the frame.

 

[dwillar]

This photo was taken in 2019 in Yellowstone. I have re-edited it in Lightroom with a little help from Photoshop and would like a critique from the group. It was shot with a D850 and a 200-500mm lens and a 1.4 TC. Once again, the photo is actually sharper than it appears here - any thoughts on export settings would be appreciated as well. It was exposed at 1/20, F/16 and an ISO of 640. Today I wouldn't have shot it at 1/20 or f/16 even though I was on a tripod, considering that I was at 650mm, but I was younger and dumber then. Had I shot it today, I would have shot wide open and somewhere around 1/800. Your thoughts, comments and critique would be appreciated. View attachment 28348

Where is the rest of the animal?

 

[PAUL50]

Where is the rest of the animal?

Behind him!

 

[dwillar]

Let me rephrase this: Where is the rest of the photograph? You ask for a critique. Do you really want a critique or not?

 

[PAUL50]

Let me rephrase this: Where is the rest of the photograph? You ask for a critique. Do you really want a critique or not?

Yes, of course, certainly didn't intend to offend. The rest of the animal was completely blocked by the butt of another bison wrecking a full body shot. Accordingly, I had to make the photo a portrait. I've had another commenter suggest that if I'm going to make it a portrait, I should have cropped tighter yet and I think he has a point. I'm going to re-edit the photo taking most of the suggestions - tighter crop, remove the background Bisons, and try to eliminate the bright spots in the background. The original photo was shot with a D850, and the initial crop wasn't very deep so I should have plenty of pixels to work with. If the photo ends up working, and if I need more pixels to print a reasonable size, I have Topaz Gigapixel and can enlarge it for print purposes. But more to your point, since the animal is completely blocked passed its shoulder with the butt of another bison, I can't get a full body shot.