Picture of the Day
Feb 2, 2012 10:52:42 #
We spent the day at a local Aquarium yesterday..Have a ton of pictures to review and decide how I think they should be edited to their best advantage..at least as I see them. It's rare when I think they can't be improved to some degree. None have been touched yet, I've been too busy cataloging and keywording. Here is one stand-out from a bird exhibit they had.
Feb 2, 2012 10:54:09 #
Actually, I think they are fine...the composition is good...the lighting is nice (they are brighter than the background) and the ONLY slight criticism I would have is the lack of clarity...the aren't sharp enough...it looks like a too slow shutter speed and somebody might have move a bit or something.
Feb 2, 2012 11:24:12 #
Feb 2, 2012 14:46:19 #
rpavich wrote:
and the ONLY slight criticism I would have is the lack of clarity...the aren't sharp enough...it looks like a too slow shutter speed and somebody might have move a bit or something.
Thank you for commenting. I was kind of surprised by your observation of lack of sharpness and clarity because that looked pretty good to me on my screen. I had a new bridge camera out for a test run so I'm looking for that type of thing. I'm wondering if its the reduction in size here that makes it seem so since the feather detail appears sharp to me full sized. I was more concerned about the color saturation appearing contrived. I punched it up a bit.
Feb 2, 2012 15:24:50 #
Elle wrote:
quote=rpavich and the ONLY slight criticism I wou... (show quote)
It just looks soft to me...that's all. Adding sharpening to a "not so sharp pic" doesn't really help much...it gives it a weird look...see this blow up of your bird:
As opposed to this pic of my dog that is razor sharp...(and that picture is a blow up that's 3:1...
I noticed that your shutter speed was 1/30...did you use a tripod?
Too much artifical sharpening
Gracie 3:1 blow up
Feb 2, 2012 16:47:53 #
There is no doubt that your photo is very sharp. I'm going to have to look at the original picture without the sharpening for comparison blown up x3 but better yet would be something with similar fur. No tripod was used. What kind of equipment were you using, camera/glass? The birds were taken with a Nikon P7100 on an auto setting. I did not want to check it manually where my bad choices might effect results.
Feb 2, 2012 19:14:28 #
Well...I can tell you that holding steady at 1/30 with no tripod is close to impossible...I know I couldn't do it!
It probably LOOKED like it was sharp but I'd almost guarantee that it wasn't.
The rule is minimum shutter speed is 1/lens length at a minimum....and it's even harder for me....I'm shaky.
It probably LOOKED like it was sharp but I'd almost guarantee that it wasn't.
The rule is minimum shutter speed is 1/lens length at a minimum....and it's even harder for me....I'm shaky.
Feb 2, 2012 19:16:18 #
Feb 3, 2012 20:58:39 #
Elle wrote:
We spent the day at a local Aquarium yesterday..Have a ton of pictures to review and decide how I think they should be edited to their best advantage..at least as I see them. It's rare when I think they can't be improved to some degree. None have been touched yet, I've been too busy cataloging and keywording. Here is one stand-out from a bird exhibit they had.
On my monitor they are sharp. Can see every feather and the wood grain on the perches.
Feb 4, 2012 03:44:11 #
Can you post the original? Then I could compare....but I have to say...if you got a track sharp image at 1/30 of a second while hand holding id be amazed.
Feb 4, 2012 15:44:58 #
rpavich wrote:
Can you post the original? Then I could compare....but I have to say...if you got a track sharp image at 1/30 of a second while hand holding id be amazed.
Here is the original untouched photo.
Feb 4, 2012 16:12:19 #
Elle wrote:
Here is the original untouched photo.
Here is the original untouched photo.
Thanks..that sheds a lot of light on the subject.
I see that (and should have realized) that your flash fired automatically...that would explain how you could hold 1/30. :)
On to the pic...yes, it is blurred.
It SEEMS like it would be in focus but it's not. You have to look close to see it.
Pic #1 is the crop size that I used. It's similar to the crop size that I used on the pic of my dog with her tongue sticking out...it shows all.
Can you see that there are actually two edges to the feathers (and all objects in the picture?) That is movement...and no amount of sharpening gets rid of that.
See this pic of my dogs eye blown up to 400%...there IS a difference.
My advice would be to use a high shutter speed (enough to keep this from happening) and if you use flash, still keep it high.
Crop size that you see in lower picture
Blur from movement.
This is her eye blow UP 400% and it's still sharp
Feb 4, 2012 16:25:39 #
Thanks for the advice. I could see the difference clearly when compared to your pup's pic. As I mentioned, the camera was on a test-run, the first day of use. The settings were on auto rather than manual. I'll know to check them further the next time out.
Is that reflection in her eye an umbrella?
Is that reflection in her eye an umbrella?
Feb 4, 2012 16:34:59 #
Yes...that reflection is my light/umbrella. I was also testing... :)
I just want you to know that I'm not being hard on you...I have huge problems with focus and I've learned a lot by making huge mistakes...so I know bad focus when I see it...lol. I throw a lot more pictures away than I keep. :)
The best piece of advice I could give you would be to keep your shutter speed high and go on manual. I know that manual seems scary but it's not really. I never took a DSLR pic in my life before Dec 2011 when I got my camera.
Then when it was suggested to me to go manual I never thought I could do it but i did and found that it's not hard at all.
You can do it and your pictures will thank you for it...If I can get sharp pictures in manual mode anyone can!
Good luck with it.
I just want you to know that I'm not being hard on you...I have huge problems with focus and I've learned a lot by making huge mistakes...so I know bad focus when I see it...lol. I throw a lot more pictures away than I keep. :)
The best piece of advice I could give you would be to keep your shutter speed high and go on manual. I know that manual seems scary but it's not really. I never took a DSLR pic in my life before Dec 2011 when I got my camera.
Then when it was suggested to me to go manual I never thought I could do it but i did and found that it's not hard at all.
You can do it and your pictures will thank you for it...If I can get sharp pictures in manual mode anyone can!
Good luck with it.
Feb 4, 2012 18:55:59 #
I can't argue with your attention to focus when you come up with a picture as sharp as the one displayed here as an illustration. You've come a long way in a short time and if I take away a little more knowledge (or pay closer attention to detail) it's all good. Thank you.
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