Michael Weatherford
November 2024 - Yellow Headed Vulture
Original
About the Image(s)
I captured this image while floating in a small boat with ten other people on a tributary to the Rio Negro River in the Brizillian Amazon northwest of Manaus. Considering that I would be shooting handheld from a moving boat I took along a Nikon Z8 with the Z400mm f4.5 lens. Leaving off the 1.4x teleconverter which I us
13 comments posted
My entire description did not get posted - I was shooting from a boat carrying nine other people, so nearly all my shots required a lot of processing. Extreme crops and whatever else I could think of. The Topaz programs helped tremendously. Like it or not, AI is here. Posted: 11/12/2024 14:26:02
I have attempted to repost your entire description 5 times in the last hours. It will not post the entire description. I have placed the full description below.
I captured this image while floating in a small boat with ten other people on a tributary to the Rio Negro River in the Brizillian Amazon northwest of Manaus. Considering that I would be shooting handheld from a moving boat I took along a Nikon Z8 with the Z400mm f4.5 lens. Leaving off the 1.4x teleconverter which I usually attach to it for birds. Thanks to Nikon, Lightroom and Topaz I ended up with a few decent shots. This is a Yellow-headed Vulture eating a fish. I downloaded into Lightroom Classic and did initial processing in Topaz AI. Accepted its edits and used its removal tool to get rid of distracting bright objects. Finished up in Lightroom to try to lower the highlights/brightness of debris on which the bird was standing. Also adjusted color and brightened shadows. Posted: 11/13/2024 19:14:47
I captured this image while floating in a small boat with ten other people on a tributary to the Rio Negro River in the Brizillian Amazon northwest of Manaus. Considering that I would be shooting handheld from a moving boat I took along a Nikon Z8 with the Z400mm f4.5 lens. Leaving off the 1.4x teleconverter which I usually attach to it for birds. Thanks to Nikon, Lightroom and Topaz I ended up with a few decent shots. This is a Yellow-headed Vulture eating a fish. I downloaded into Lightroom Classic and did initial processing in Topaz AI. Accepted its edits and used its removal tool to get rid of distracting bright objects. Finished up in Lightroom to try to lower the highlights/brightness of debris on which the bird was standing. Also adjusted color and brightened shadows. Posted: 11/13/2024 19:14:47
Thanks so much! Posted: 11/13/2024 21:36:03
Interesting bird, one I've never seen
It is tough top get great images under your conditions so for what you had you did the best job possible. For me the dappled highlights are a deal breaker as I feel they make the image look too busy. You have also pushed the processing pretty hard and have created that plastic look to the dark potion of the bird's body. The Perry Video talks about how to reduce this.
If this were mine and I wasn't likely to get another chance to reshoot the bird, I'd pend a great deal of time using the new tools in Lightroom and Photoshop to fix the burned out sections in log and also trying to match the bright area on the bird's back to the rest of the body. Posted: 11/16/2024 20:44:47
It is tough top get great images under your conditions so for what you had you did the best job possible. For me the dappled highlights are a deal breaker as I feel they make the image look too busy. You have also pushed the processing pretty hard and have created that plastic look to the dark potion of the bird's body. The Perry Video talks about how to reduce this.
If this were mine and I wasn't likely to get another chance to reshoot the bird, I'd pend a great deal of time using the new tools in Lightroom and Photoshop to fix the burned out sections in log and also trying to match the bright area on the bird's back to the rest of the body. Posted: 11/16/2024 20:44:47
I'm pretty sure I'll never see one of these again. That goes for many others I saw on the trip. I came away with some pretty good shots - will post one of them next month. I am happy to have Topaz Photo AI and Gigapixel, which gave me half decent shots of most of the birds. They may look a little plastic, but at least I have something. I could make lemonade out of lemons and create a collection "Plastic Birds of the Amazon". Order yours now!! Posted: 11/19/2024 00:01:17
Well, as long as you have Gigapixel I'd like a 40x60 inch print on metal of an Amazon Kingfisher. I'll get my own frame. Can you guarantee delivery by Christmas? Posted: 11/19/2024 03:14:50
No problem. Here's the image in the highest quality plastic. I think I've got an old piece of tin out behind the barn. Posted: 11/19/2024 12:53:06
I accept your kind offer. This is a good shot. You should post this. Posted: 11/19/2024 21:45:36
Michael, that is a top image to process. I've never seen a bird like that myself. Thanks for sharing it with us. Posted: 11/20/2024 16:21:08
Thanks. I appreciate the comment. Not the greatest image, I know, but glad to have gotten something I can use. Posted: 11/20/2024 17:09:04
Ah,I travel the world vicariously! That is an amazing subject and an amazing capture! The little tiny white spot doesn't bother me nor does the dappled light, because the unusual subject is in fine detail.
I compared your original with what you posted. Now that I've seen what Topaz can do, I think I'll save all my Diet Coke bottle returns to see if it is something I can afford in this lifetime! Posted: 11/20/2024 16:47:23
I compared your original with what you posted. Now that I've seen what Topaz can do, I think I'll save all my Diet Coke bottle returns to see if it is something I can afford in this lifetime! Posted: 11/20/2024 16:47:23
Thank you my dear you are very kind. Topaz can't do miracles but sometimes can save an image you might otherwise throw away. I can hear Larry's voice whispering to me, "There's no substitute for getting it right in-camera." Look for a Black Friday sale. Posted: 11/20/2024 17:06:19
Ha ha, I can hear that voice, too! I frequently look through Gordon Laing's boo ("In Camera") for inspiration, but I still need a lot of practice. Posted: 11/20/2024 17:16:44