Successful Hunt- trying to optimize very cropped image

[NWGuy]

Got this snap shot (literally, I saw things happen and snapped the camera up and snapped several shots, no time for fancy in camera adjustments), and would really like to get the bottom (uncropped) photo to something like the top, heavily cropped image. Because of distance and the lens I had at the time, trying to get a sharp image without overdoing sharpening. I hit it with NoNoise AI (using On1 processor) , then cropping, then doing adjustments. I also can do this in LrC. Suggestions? Would one of the resize programs make a difference (my understanding is not).

Successful Hunt by a Biggs killer whale with harbor seal prey in its mouth, showing off to a adolescent.

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[NorthernFocus]

If you already have On1 then you have it's resize module. Just give it a try. Some images do well and others don't. Certainly do noise reduction prior to resizing but sharpen after.

 

[bleirer]

You just don't have that many pixels on the subject. Since you have lightroom and Photoshop you could try the super resolution under the enhance menu (right click in lightroom). Look carefully for artifacts though, I seem to get 'squiggles' sometimes. In Photoshop I'd try the super zoom, it sometimes works better, supposedly AI driven. That would be under filters/neural filters. Also try preserve details 2.0 under image size, see which one is better.

You could try a little dehaze in Lightroom or with the camera raw filter in photoshop, sort of local contrast.

 

[NWGuy]

Thanks for the comments, I'll work on it today. Yeah, I get that it's pixel shy, but one gets what one gets. I'm just excited to get such a shot. Using this to try to convince my wife of my 'need' for the 800 mm PF. Not working so far, sigh.

 

[agrumpyoldsod]

Topaz Gigapixel AI is the best current enlarger I have used -- apply this with a 2-4 times enlargement to see if you obtain better outcomes. Do this on the RAW file and select DNG as the output and edit this file as though it is a RAW file.

 

[Wink Jones]

I have had great results with the On1 Resize AI and also with the On1 NoNoise AI. I watched a Scott Kelby video where the resized image had better detail than the beginning image. If I am remembering correctly, the comment was made that when looking for a good AI resize program to look at ON1 and Topaz and buy whichever was the best price at that time.

Oh, by the way, great snapshot!