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Why does this look artificial
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Oct 21, 2016 10:44:23   #
Psergel Loc: New Mexico
 
Other than exporting this to jpeg...it is SOC with only the LR default sharpening (25) and a small adjustment in exposure (-.45).

Why does this look so phony?

I played with it quite a bit (lower highlights, contrast up and down, clarity etc etc) and it still looks kind of like a fake Heron agains a fake background. It's not.


(Download)

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Oct 21, 2016 10:46:03   #
Leitz Loc: Solms
 
Psergel wrote:
Other than exporting this to jpeg...it is SOC with only the LR default sharpening (25) and a small adjustment in exposure (-.45).

Why does this look so phony?

I played with it quite a bit (lower highlights, contrast up and down, clarity etc etc) and it still looks kind of like a fake Heron agains a fake background. It's not.

It will look quite natural when Admin moves it to the appropriate section.

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Oct 21, 2016 10:58:41   #
WayneT Loc: Paris, TN
 
Possibly if you had opened up you aperture slightly to fade out the background (increase the bokeh) it would have given you a little better depth.

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Oct 21, 2016 11:04:55   #
davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel
 
Psergel wrote:
Other than exporting this to jpeg...it is SOC with only the LR default sharpening (25) and a small adjustment in exposure (-.45).

Why does this look so phony?

I played with it quite a bit (lower highlights, contrast up and down, clarity etc etc) and it still looks kind of like a fake Heron agains a fake background. It's not.


A suggestion is that the bird is lit and focused perfectly to get the effect shown. The is nothing else in the scene that is lit well or in focus. The background/foreground is not only out of focus, none of it is in direct contact with the bird's body. That may be what is creating the effect of "perfectly artificial." Surprisingly, shooting birds offers the opportunity to get images as this. Very nicely done.

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Oct 21, 2016 11:22:28   #
pendennis
 
I'm with WayneT. The bird is perfect. It seems to me, though, that there's not quite enough separation with the background; it seems a bit too much in-focus with the bird. As it is, the overall scene is a bit busy.

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Oct 21, 2016 11:48:11   #
Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska
 
WayneT wrote:
Possibly if you had opened up you aperture slightly to fade out the background (increase the bokeh) it would have given you a little better depth.

Increase bokeh?

That is not possible. Bokeh is a quality not a quantity.

A wider aperture would increase the background blur and thus provide more separation from the subject. The quality of the blur would probably remain the same and thus the bokeh would not change.

Unfortunately the perspective of this shot is where the problem is. A viewpoint that looks up at the bird and off into a tree and the sky just does not look right, and particularly with grass obscuring the bird's feet. Perspective is a part of the composition that can't be changed in post processing.

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Oct 21, 2016 12:39:30   #
terry44 Loc: Tuolumne County California, Maui Hawaii
 
lack of bokeh, you could create a bokeh in your software. The bird looks great.
Psergel wrote:
Other than exporting this to jpeg...it is SOC with only the LR default sharpening (25) and a small adjustment in exposure (-.45).

Why does this look so phony?

I played with it quite a bit (lower highlights, contrast up and down, clarity etc etc) and it still looks kind of like a fake Heron agains a fake background. It's not.

Reply
 
 
Oct 21, 2016 13:03:12   #
mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey
 
terry44 wrote:
lack of bokeh, you could create a bokeh in your software. The bird looks great.

You mean background blur, not bokeh. Bokeh refers to the quality of the blur, not the actual presence of blue.

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Oct 21, 2016 13:14:22   #
Psergel Loc: New Mexico
 
Leitz wrote:
It will look quite natural when Admin moves it to the appropriate section.

This wasn't meant to be a post processing question if that's what you're suggesting.

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Oct 21, 2016 15:11:13   #
robertjerl Loc: Corona, California
 
Psergel wrote:
Other than exporting this to jpeg...it is SOC with only the LR default sharpening (25) and a small adjustment in exposure (-.45).

Why does this look so phony?

I played with it quite a bit (lower highlights, contrast up and down, clarity etc etc) and it still looks kind of like a fake Heron agains a fake background. It's not.


It doesn't look phony, and you can see it was really in that setting by the grass around the bird.

It does have a great DOF with almost the whole scene in fairly sharp focus and the bird mostly being sharper. Most people go for isolated focus on just the subject. Plus the whole thing is more or less well exposed and pretty evenly exposed also.

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Oct 21, 2016 17:17:24   #
Leitz Loc: Solms
 
Psergel wrote:
This wasn't meant to be a post processing question if that's what you're suggesting.

I was merely suggesting that you not be surprised to see it moved, as it was posted in Main Photography Discussion in direct opposition to Admin's Forum Rules. As for which section is appropriate, each one has helpful guidelines.

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Oct 22, 2016 05:56:04   #
avemal Loc: BALTIMORE
 
Great shot. Leave it as is. 🐤🐤🐤🐤🐤🐤🐤🦆🦆🦆🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓

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Oct 22, 2016 06:29:24   #
John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK
 
Psergel wrote:
This wasn't meant to be a post processing question if that's what you're suggesting.


Perhaps the FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION would be the place. Put your shot in there and see what replies you get. Sometimes it's harsh, but its always honest and truthful.

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Oct 22, 2016 08:31:44   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
WayneT wrote:
Possibly if you had opened up you aperture slightly to fade out the background (increase the bokeh) it would have given you a little better depth.


That was my first thought - too much in focus. It looks like the picture of the bird was added to a sharp picture of the trees.

EDIT: As for what section it is in - too many sections.

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Oct 22, 2016 09:13:18   #
Architect1776 Loc: In my mind
 
Apaflo wrote:
Increase bokeh?

That is not possible. Bokeh is a quality not a quantity.

A wider aperture would increase the background blur and thus provide more separation from the subject. The quality of the blur would probably remain the same and thus the bokeh would not change.

Unfortunately the perspective of this shot is where the problem is. A viewpoint that looks up at the bird and off into a tree and the sky just does not look right, and particularly with grass obscuring the bird's feet. Perspective is a part of the composition that can't be changed in post processing.
Increase bokeh? br br That is not possible. Boke... (show quote)


Very good analysis.
I really learned some good pointers from this.
Thank you for the insights.

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