Marie Costanza
September 2023 - Flirtatious Blue Jays
Original
About the Image(s)
I took this image during July with my Nikon Z8 camera. I used a Nikon Z 100-400 VRS lens. The settings were as follows: ISO:10,000, 400 mm, F 5.6, 1/2500. Since it was a dark cloudy day, I had to really crank up the ISO in order to have a fast shutter speed. After cropping in Lightroom, I used Topaz to get rid of the noise and sharpen the birds. I also removed some distracting parts of the tree and the pinecone that was hanging down.
This round’s discussion is now closed!
12 comments posted
Hey Marie, You captured some interesting behavior with this image. Unfortunately it seems quite soft to my eye with the focus point being on the tail of the nearest bird. I think you could get more depth of field opening up the lens and using a slower shutter speed of 1/1000. I hope this makes sense. Bruce Posted: 09/08/2023 14:26:24
Thanks, Bruce. Your suggestions are useful! Posted: 09/22/2023 09:24:09
Marie, I always enjoy the "personality" that we see when one zooms in on an image. Your camera did an amazing job at eliminating noise when the ISO is so high. This is one of the benefits of purchasing a new camera. Technology has greatly improved the high ISO settings. Thanks for this view of the life of a blue jay! Posted: 09/08/2023 15:29:34
Thank you, Mary. I don't typically like blue jays because they tend to bully other birds, but watching their behavior is very interesting! Posted: 09/22/2023 09:25:01
Marie, the super crop and the very high ISO took a stake on the image, and of corse, worsened by the removal of the noise. Since the birds were kind of stationary, as Bruce said, a lower shutter speed would have needed a lower ISO. Anyway; there is a nice interaction of the two blue Jays, Perhaps a mother feeding an adult chick. Posted: 09/09/2023 11:46:02
Isaac, Thank you for your comments. The one bird kept flying around while I was photographing their behavior; thus, I kept the shutter speed fast. You do make good points, though. Posted: 09/22/2023 09:26:45
Marie, have you used Topaz Photo A1? Assuming you captured it in Raw, that allows you to process and crop the image before doing any Lightroom work and this may help to sharpen more of your beautiful jays better.
In case you haven't used Photo A1 in this way, it's accessed via Lightroom, File > Plug in extras. Topaz engineers are now working almost exclusively on this product: the older Sharpen etc will eventually die (or not supported). Posted: 09/11/2023 02:35:29
In case you haven't used Photo A1 in this way, it's accessed via Lightroom, File > Plug in extras. Topaz engineers are now working almost exclusively on this product: the older Sharpen etc will eventually die (or not supported). Posted: 09/11/2023 02:35:29
Adrian, Thank you for your comments. I have used AI, but I have not been using it on my raw images via the plug in extra that you suggested. Very useful advice!! Posted: 09/22/2023 09:27:21
(Groups 36 & 47)
Marie, great capture of their body language and interaction. I always find it hard to isolate birds in trees because of the many branches and foliage. You did a nice job with the crop to make the birds stand out. As Adrian mentioned Topaz Photo AI is a great tool. I use it frequently as my first step in PP. Posted: 09/11/2023 07:50:21
Barbara, Thank you for your comments; I appreciate your thoughts. Posted: 09/22/2023 09:29:21
Hi Marie,
Beautiful shot of this pair of Jays. It's my first time seeing them, and the colors are stunning. You managed the noise and loss of quality very well after applying such a high ISO. I use a Sony camera, and whenever I raise the ISO beyond 1000, the noise and loss of quality become so noticeable that it sometimes ruins the image. I agree that Topaz does a fantastic job removing noise and sharpening the image, but I wish I didn't have to use it. It would mean that cameras could handle low-light situations much better. Posted: 09/16/2023 00:03:45
Thank you for your comments, Maria. You certainly make valid points! Posted: 09/22/2023 09:30:19