Awww, that's just cold! :-)

Thanks for this very cool method! I have been unhappy with a lot of my dodge and burn results in PS CC, and will try this one out asap!

I have a Nikon D7100 and just recently acquired the Tamron 18-270 f3.5 and I absolutely love it! I was using a Nikon 55-300 f4.5 as my intermediate-length tele and find the Tamron is every bit as crisp, clean and quick as the Nikon. In fact, at the longer lengths, the Tamron autofocus works much more quickly and accurately and provides less vignetting than the Nikon. This is my first non-Nikon lens and for the price, I will from now on always consider Tamron as an alternative to the more expensive Nikon lenses.

Thanks for the info rmalarz - much appreciated!

I have the AF version, so I guess that makes it a no-go, right?

Hi all! I have heard competing opinions (imagine that!) on the use of tele-extenders as far as clarity, focus, noise, etc. are concerned I have a Nikon D7100 and use a Nikkor 80-400 4.5 for longer shots. Is there a decent extender (maybe 2x?) that will allow me to get those up-close-and-personal shots with some of the wildlife here in Montana while still maintaining a crisp, clean image? I would appreciate any input on this topic, and any recommendations on the appropriate extender, Nikon or other manufacturer (if appropriate) as I feel a GAS attack coming on! :-)

No bull! Those are not animals to mess with, especially in rut. They can very easily attack, because, well, when they're looking to mate, they are a crazy lot. Men, take note!! Very cool images, Jederick

really nice color saturation and contrast! very pleasing...

Be sure that the layer to which you want to apply the brush tool is selected in the layers panel in PS. Sounds simple, but I have had that happen where one of the adjustment layers was selected instead of the target layer and a few tools were grayed out. This also applies to the drop-down menus in the tool bar at the top. Hope this helps!

Maybe he's just a sad and lonely guy who finds his peace in bashing others?

Absolutely true! If some people have enough time on their hands to post a snarky comment, why not use it instead to go out and shoot more pictures?? And props to the members who seriously consider ALL questions from other members, no matter how basic they might seem, and try to help as best they can.

National Bison Range, Charlo Montana

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I sharpen as a final step using PS. One method I have found helpful is to make the background layer a "smart object" and then create a duplicate layer of the background. I use a hi-pass filter on linear light blend mode on that duplicate layer. I then add a layer mask, invert to black, and paint white over the areas to be sharpened. You can add as much or as little sharpening as you'd like by adjusting the opacity on the duplicate layer. Also, you can sharpen specific areas of the image and not necessarily the whole thing. Play around with it and you might find it adds depth and dimension without sharpening areas better left alone!

Wow - just went through some of these adjustments on my D7100 and the minimum shutter speed / max ISO setting in Auto ISO is a game changer for me! When in A mode and the light was low, even with Auto ISO engaged I would still get some blurring when the shutter speed dropped precipitously. Setting the minimum shutter and letting Auto ISO handle the changing light at a given aperture seems to work really well for me. I know it might not be the way a "pure" image might be taken, but heave ho, mates, for me it's all about the end result and not missing great opportunities. Thanks for the tips, guys (and girls!)

I am a passionate amateur with much, much to learn, but my photo mantra is, "This is what I see...do you like it?" To me, snapshot, straight out of the camera, heavily processed, not processed, DX, full frame, etc. etc. just don't matter - if the image expresses my vision and my artistic statement, it's worthwhile and valid. If it doesn't, even if it's technically awesome and shot on a $20,000 setup, it's not worth the pixels it takes to render it. The exception is probably if you are a pro and shooting an assignment where someone else's vision may require you to temper yours, but that's about money and not necessarily personal artistic expression. My images make me happy, and if they make you happy too, well, then so much the better. Remember, Van Gogh only sold one painting in his life, and that was to his brother Theo to help him make rent! IMHO