Greater Spotted Woodpecker

[Jon]

I would appreciate any comments or views on these images. I have normally been using Bridge and Photoshop CS2 but I have gone back to Rawshooter on these because I found it a easier to control the highlights.

I think I may have made the colours a bit on the dull side, I am not sure how they will look to you as I have recently bought a new monitor and have not got it calibrated correctly just yet.

It may be a case of me not having a great deal of experience or indeed skill in the use of Photoshop so I would welcome any comments. I am not sensitive so please fire away! Jon

[matt_xyz]

these are excellent images Jon, very little to suggest by way of improvement. To my eye the top one may be a touch underexposed, particluarly the bird's body, but I realise images look different on different monitors. I certainly can't fault the sharpness or composition.

Did you take these from a hide?

Matt

[Jon]

Hi Matt, yes all taken from a hide in the back garden. It is an Ameristep Doghouse blind. At last I have the knack of putting it up and down quickly.

I agree the first one looks a little under exposed. I used the Rawshooter auto exposure button at first but I decided the white areas were over cooked. Now I appear to have undercooked! Jon

[matt_xyz]

it's a fine balancing act isn't it, particularly when it comes to white feathers. I really do think these shots are excellent though, particularly the first one.

You're fortunate to get GSWs in your garden, I have quite a large garden with some mature trees at the bottom but I've never seen one.

Matt

[aeshna5]

Jon, great images-if I'd taken them I would be quite chuffed with myself!

[Jon]

Yes I reckon I am lucky but recently a neighbour has ploughed up the adjacent field and unsettled many birds. I did hear a Green Woodpecker on Sunday so I am keeping my eyes peeled.
No Field fares or Red wings yet and most of the little birds like Gold crests and Wrens have gone into hiding. I did however get a group of 8 Black caps last week. Jon

[matt_xyz]

I'm still shooting predominantly in JPEG, mainly because I have yet to master editing RAW images. Also, RAWshooter doesn't support my 400D, although I've played with RAW images from my FZ30. Does RS allow you to select an area within an image and change the levels of just that selection? That is something I have yet to figure out. I do that a lot to JPEG images in PS Elements, e.g. if white feathers are over/under exposed but the rest of the image is OK. I realise that adjusting levels as a whole can still help, but sometimes it's nice to change just a certain area of an image. It doesn't seem possible to do this on the Canon RAW converter that came with my 400D. I suspect this is something you can't do to RAW images but I'm not sure why.

Matt

[Jon]

Rawshooter doesn't permit partial selection, you just have to adjust the area you are particularly concerned with. I have little doubt that Photoshop is the ultimate. I did subscribe to Digital Photography and they supply free Cd's explaining Photoshop and other software pro grammes.
Don't be afraid of using RAW, I think I am correct in assuming your camera will shoot RAW and JPEG simultaneously, in which case you have nothing to lose. In many instances you will find the settings you have used are OK and if you use the auto settings in Photoshop then in many instances you will get the image you hoped for without further adjustment.

I don't know if Rawshooter is still available as a freebie but if it is you may want to give it a try. Come to think of it I may have a copy of it on one of my Cd's if I can find it I will send it to you if you wish.

[matt_xyz]

thanks Jon, I do have RS but it doesn't support the 400D and I was told there will be no further updates. I will therefore have to use the Canon converter supplied with my camera (which is quite good actually) or upgrade to PS Elements 5 (CS is out of the question!). I currently use Elements 2 which doesn't have a RAW converter.

I do plan to start shooting in RAW, it's mainly inertia that's prevented me from doing so up until now.

Matt

[Ollie]

I have to agree with Matt's comments on these Jon, they look fine on my monitor. It's always difficult to decide how much adjustment to make to any image. I also believe that each individuals eyesight can possibly make a difference as well as monitor settings. Also personal preferences differ with some people liking a more saturated image than others. My way of looking at it is if I am happy with the final image then most other people probably will be as well.
Roger