Cropping Using PSE: Since my longest lens is 270mm, I cannot always fill my lens frame with the subject, which in this case is a hawk. What I had thought I could do and preserve the...

Moose Loc: North Carolina

Since my longest lens is 270mm, I cannot always fill my lens frame with the subject, which in this case is a hawk. What I had thought I could do and preserve the quality of the photo was to, in PP with PSE, zoom in on the bird, thus enlarging the image to almost full frame, and then cropping the areas that I do not want in the picture. This works, however, I find the number of pixils is reduced significantly from about 4mp to less than 1 mp. I wanted to preserve a high pixil rate for enlarging, which isn't happening. Maybe I've not processed it correctly through PSE. Appreciate any help you can provide. Can't afford the long lens, so I'm hoping to limp by using the steps I outlined above.

Sunrisepano Loc: West Sub of Chicago

But I saw on CSI where they had a digital picture of a license plate that consisted of 6 pixels and they pulled out a 7 digit number.
Welcome out of television and into the real world. Professional photographers have always talked about PPF (pixels per face). Yes, a computer can take that 1 mp and upsize it to 4 mp (or more), but it is taking 1 black pixel and turning it into 4 black pixels, 1 red pixel into 4 red pixels. That's what you get in the real world. television's CSI would probably identify 32 different chemicals from looking at that one pixel.

Eblong Loc: Colorado

Sunrisepano wrote:

But I saw on CSI where they had a digital picture of a license plate that consisted of 6 pixels and they pulled out a 7 digit number.
Welcome out of television and into the real world.

There is that.

One thing to consider is the quality of the "negative". I keep the camera set to the highest resolution possible so that when I crop to capture a distant object, it is at the very least recognizable, and if possible, still high quality.

If only CSI - like magic were possible (sigh...).

Paw Paw Bill Loc: d

sunrisepano is correct...you will have to get closer to your subject with the size lens that you currently own. It takes patience, time and patience, time and .... Well, you get the idea. Many award winning photos of wildlife are because the photographer spend weeks planning, waiting and much shooting to get there.

I have plans myself for a particular shot that I will share when it's done. I have been looking for the correct location for this setup for two months now. When I find it, I expect it will take a month to get the correct light and subject position to complete this 'dream shot'. And all that is 'if' I can get it to all come together. Also spend over a thousand for a lens to get the right 'stuff' for the shot. The lens will be useful for many other things, but my determination for specifications came from the needs for this one shot.

Moose Loc: North Carolina

Fortunately I do shoot with "fine" resolution so the cropped image has the most pixils for that size. I haven't seen the printed version yet, but am hoping it will be decent enough.

Eblong wrote:

quote=Sunrisepano But I saw on CSI where they had... (show quote)

Moose Loc: North Carolina

Bill, I'm afraid I'll never achieve the level that you are in photography. I just don't have the patience and time. I attended a presentation by a professional who spent hours each day just watching two igrets and their young, just to get the right picture. I have to admire you folks for your passion and endurance. Lastly, buying an expensive long lens is another problem, especially in these bad financial times. I don't want to face a divorce if I went out and bought one. :-)

Paw Paw Bill wrote:

sunrisepano is correct...you will have to get clos... (show quote)

Eblong Loc: Colorado

There is a resize feature in PSE that will do some smoothing as a picture is enlarged, but it'll never be CSI-quality.

Moose Loc: North Carolina

Folks, thanks for the candid responses. Looks like my idea is only going to bring mediore results. :-(

Moose Loc: North Carolina

Bruce, what feature are you referring to. I just played around with the variouos options and didn't see it, or didn't
recognize what your were referring to.

Eblong wrote:

There is a resize feature in PSE that will do some smoothing as a picture is enlarged, but it'll never be CSI-quality.

blue64 Loc: Washington, Pa. USA

I use a program that helps with increasing or decreasing photo sizes... might want to look at something like this.. And I don't work for this company...

http://www.ononesoftware.com/products/suite/perfect-resize/?ind

Moose Loc: North Carolina

Thanks Blue, I 'll check that out. I have one of their products already. Pretty pricey $99.95. Hope I can find it discounted some place.

blue64 wrote:

I use a program that helps with increasing or decreasing photo sizes... might want to look at something like this.. And I don't work for this company...

http://www.ononesoftware.com/products/suite/perfect-resize/?ind

Hoosier in GA Loc: Milledgeville, GA

Not having a LLooonng lens, I've been using a Kenko teleconverter (1.5) with my Nikon 70-300mm lens. Yes, I manually focus, but have been very pleased with results. I purchased this one on e-bay for $75 used. I did research it before I bought. It does try to auto-focus....but takes too long if at all. This takes my lens up ton 450mm.

Moose Loc: North Carolina

Thanks, I'll definitely check into the tele-converter.

sah2o wrote:

Not having a LLooonng lens, I've been using a Kenko teleconverter (1.5) with my Nikon 70-300mm lens. Yes, I manually focus, but have been very pleased with results. I purchased this one on e-bay for $75 used. I did research it before I bought. It does try to auto-focus....but takes too long if at all. This takes my lens up ton 450mm.

jimberton Loc: Michigan's Upper Peninsula

blue64 wrote:

I use a program that helps with increasing or decreasing photo sizes... might want to look at something like this.. And I don't work for this company...

http://www.ononesoftware.com/products/suite/perfect-resize/?ind

this is a great program...you can upsize a photo 1600% and it will look great....providing it was a good photo to start with. i have used this program when it was called by another name. (genuine fractals). great program if you need to resample a photo larger.