From Green Hawfinch to Brown!

[PMG]

I posted my hawfinch shot with the awful green sheet background some time ago. Tonight I received a pm from Mark Hope about altering the background in Photoshop! The coincidence is that a couple of days ago whilst trying to alter a white out sky in one of my very recent red kite shots I discovered how to use the magic marker in paint shop pro! And suddenly I could see an immediate use for this marvellous gadget to get rid of that awful green background!

I spent some time on it and was very pleased with the end result. There are still slightly green reflections on the birds beak and feathers in places it being such a sunny day when that was taken (wot sun and me - yes occasionally it happens!) I've no doubt if I felt the need I could refine it still further but I've proved a point to myself that if the dire need arose I could rescue a background if the subject was important enough to warrant the time and patience needed.

I've lived and learned as they say!



Regards
Pauline

[Ollie]

Nice job Pauline, I can remember the original and this does look better. Mind you I would be pleased with any Hawfinch shot let alone one as good as this.
Roger

[PMG]

Thanks Roger - the better half and myself are hopeful that one will turn up again like the original 5 did in April 2004! We hope we will be at the caravan and our big bird table should lightening strike twice and another one pop up to feed throughout April. . .

That was another lesson learned - when a bird appears a few times in the same place don't ever assume your opportunity to get the camera on it will last - even with a huge bird table and all the food it could desire - it still disappeared not to return as far as we know.

Pauline

[nightshade]

What a nice shot,a really handsome bird,
Do they really bite off ringers fingers?
I can believe it looking at that beak but
is it documented?

[PMG]

I haven't actually seen one being handled but heard folk say there is enough power in that beak to break small bones? How true this is I don't know but cracking open cherry stones is regular food for them so I should think a frightened bird in the hand could take the tip off a finger?? I don't think I want to put it to the test!!

Pauline