Todd Grivetti
November 2020 - Reading My Thoughts
About the Image(s)
About: “Reading My Thoughts.”
I captured this image in 2016 during a trip to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for Mike’s Camera annual Fall Free trial day. This really was not a significant set up. I shot this hand-held.
Camera: Canon EOS T3
Lens: Canon 75-300mm f/4-5.6 focal length 300mm
Settings: ISO 200, Tv 1/500, f/5.6
Post production: Adjusted profile to match camera landscape mode. Added exposure, contrast, reduced highlighting. Shadowing adjusted to darken then background. Under color sliders, I increased yellow to bring out the beak and eye. I used the radial slider to adjust sharpness primarily to the eye and beak. I used a second radial slider to adjust the head and neck sharpness, clarity and texture. I really wanted to focus on the eye.
This round’s discussion is now closed!
9 comments posted
Eagles as such majestic creatures that they make great portraits. I think your composition with the up turned head angle adds to the arrogance of the bird. Your camera settings also created a clean background that separates the subject from the background.
I think the subject is a bit soft and that detracts from image quality. Hand holding a 300mm lens at only 1/500 may well be the problem. When hand holding a rig shutter speed is your best friend. Your ISO is only 200 and that could easily be increased as modern camera can easily handle ISO level of 800. My suggestion would be to bump up the ISO and then increase the shutter speed.
Posted: 11/14/2020 09:17:21
I think the subject is a bit soft and that detracts from image quality. Hand holding a 300mm lens at only 1/500 may well be the problem. When hand holding a rig shutter speed is your best friend. Your ISO is only 200 and that could easily be increased as modern camera can easily handle ISO level of 800. My suggestion would be to bump up the ISO and then increase the shutter speed.
Posted: 11/14/2020 09:17:21
Thank you for the input. For me, I have a difficult time raising the ISO, especially then. Now, I have a more understanding of the "exposure triangle" and working on shooting more in Manual mode the priorty modes (Tv, Av, P). Which really makes me think and adjust. A tripod would have definitely been a friend for these shots. Posted: 11/15/2020 10:09:15
Todd
I shoot most of my wildlife using RAW, Manual mode and Auto-ISO.
But with close ups of bald eagles you would have to under expose just a bit so you don't blow the whites. Posted: 11/15/2020 10:24:59
I shoot most of my wildlife using RAW, Manual mode and Auto-ISO.
But with close ups of bald eagles you would have to under expose just a bit so you don't blow the whites. Posted: 11/15/2020 10:24:59
Excellent point Larry. I did shoot this one in Av priority with -0.3 exp. bias which the camera tends to over correct. I was shooting RAW which allows those changes post-production. I have heard that if you are shooting anything with a white background (such as snow), to add exposure bias so that the camera is "tricked" into adjusting to the right exposure. A lot of experimentation I guess. Varies among who you listen to. Posted: 11/21/2020 08:22:21
Excellent point Larry. I did shoot this one in Av priority with -0.3 exp. bias which the camera tends to over correct. I was shooting RAW which allows those changes post-production. I have heard that if you are shooting anything with a white background (such as snow), to add exposure bias so that the camera is "tricked" into adjusting to the right exposure. A lot of experimentation I guess. Varies among who you listen to. Posted: 11/21/2020 08:22:22
I'm always inspired by an eagle shot like this. You might try selectively lightening the eagle, increasing the white point, and adding as much sharpness as you can without getting too grainy. All with the adjustment brush in Lightroom or equivalent. Thanks. Posted: 11/18/2020 16:37:12
Thanks for the tip Michael. I'll play around and see what this looks like. I feel that my other issue is the ISO, shutter and f/stop. I shot this at 5.6 and could tightened it down more to f/8-f/10 and could have definitely gotten a tigthter and sharper image. Posted: 11/21/2020 08:28:32
Love eagles. This photo just seems a bit soft. I know everyone else was mentioning something around those lines as well. What i wonder is, since its already a darker moody image, how would it look in black and white with the clarity bumpped up? Posted: 11/19/2020 19:10:49
I converted to B&W and it doesn't do it justice even with adjusting the filters in LR. I played some presets in B&W as well. but maybe it just me. It actually became more grainy looking and that could definitely be the camera as I was shooting an older Canon EOS T3 18MB Cropped Sensor, with a standard Canon kit lens as well. I feel it all within the glass as well. Kit lenses are cheap and I have had this lens for 10 years plus.
I have uploaded it in B&W using a little bit of red filter. It still is soft to me even with sharpening. I also added Optics changes as well. Posted: 11/21/2020 08:57:06
I have uploaded it in B&W using a little bit of red filter. It still is soft to me even with sharpening. I also added Optics changes as well. Posted: 11/21/2020 08:57:06