Pei-Fan Mu
March 2025 - Immortal Bird
Original
About the Image(s)
I just came back from Japan Hokkaido photographic trip with my friends.
Grus japonensis is a very gentle and beautiful bird. She has another name as "red-crowned crane" or "Immortal bird". They are very elegant species. Whey flying, it moves with noble posture. Especially the dance they perform, is often moving and fully of harmony.These movements are an important way for them to court and maintain social bonds, showcasing the wonders of nature.
I use Sony A1 with 328. 1/3200, f/4.5, Iso 100.
I use camera raw to adjust the brightness of the entire photo and increasing the saturation of the yellow leaves. I sharpened the black parts of the birds and enhance the details, and make the bird's features clearer and drawing more focus to its elegant appearance.
14 comments posted
Very nice to have caught both birds with their winds extended. On the far left there is a discontinuity of the boundary between snow and forest that is unexpected. I'd like it more if the partial bird on the left were absent. As a title, I'd suggest "Let's Go to Tasmania". Posted: 03/03/2025 13:35:59
I love the title "Let's Go to Tasmania". They love dancing very much, they are all good dancers. Posted: 03/09/2025 11:09:19
This is very nice. I like how you have done it. I did a quick edit of the original, not your final version, and did the following:
-Cropped it in so that the two birds are more in your face.
-Removed the birds in the background.
-Brought up the shadows particularly in the background forest.
-got rid of some blown out areas.
-adjusted the white balance of the snow so that it more pure white.
What do you think? Posted: 03/06/2025 15:04:59
-Cropped it in so that the two birds are more in your face.
-Removed the birds in the background.
-Brought up the shadows particularly in the background forest.
-got rid of some blown out areas.
-adjusted the white balance of the snow so that it more pure white.
What do you think? Posted: 03/06/2025 15:04:59
Word for word what I was going to say, Ed! Nice job! Getting the snow the right color is key. Snow is tough! Posted: 03/08/2025 19:42:24
I am agree with you very much. Thanks a lot. Posted: 03/09/2025 11:09:52
Very good capture of these two birds 'in action' and Ed did a great editing!! The left most partial bird can be cropped but is it allow to remove object(s) in the original for competition? I wonder how judge can determine if any object(s) was/were removed from the original as PS 2025 can remove/generated fill (content aware fill) with perfection. Posted: 03/07/2025 17:36:56
As far as competing, Jean, in PSA Nature, you cannot remove anything. It is a reality based category (just like PSA Travel and PSA Photojournalism).
The judges can tell by pixel-peeping as AI does not have the same pixel density as the original. Judges will disqualify images and sometimes ask for the original image. And, of course, its based on the honor system.
Other categories, like PSA Color and PSA Monochrome, allow any changes as long as it is not AI. Sky replacements allowed if the sky was also photographed by the photographer. I know of no competitions by any group that currently allow AI made changes.
You can click on each of the categories to read definitions and rules. https://psa-photo.org/page/division-definitions Posted: 03/08/2025 19:57:43
The judges can tell by pixel-peeping as AI does not have the same pixel density as the original. Judges will disqualify images and sometimes ask for the original image. And, of course, its based on the honor system.
Other categories, like PSA Color and PSA Monochrome, allow any changes as long as it is not AI. Sky replacements allowed if the sky was also photographed by the photographer. I know of no competitions by any group that currently allow AI made changes.
You can click on each of the categories to read definitions and rules. https://psa-photo.org/page/division-definitions Posted: 03/08/2025 19:57:43
This photo is not going to competition. I have one or two photo are very nature which I would like to go for competition in the future. I love Ed's editing too. Posted: 03/09/2025 11:11:23
Pei-Fan, what an exciting trip! I'd love to see these cranes! If you are not competing, how Ed edited your image was exactly what I would recommend.
Nice shot! Posted: 03/08/2025 20:00:08
Nice shot! Posted: 03/08/2025 20:00:08
Thanks a lot. I was enjoying whole the process, it's a wonderful experience. Posted: 03/09/2025 11:12:20
I really liked this shot! The poses of the two main birds are well captured, and your post-processing is nicely done. However, some adjustments could help make the birds stand out more, and straightening the image would enhance the overall composition. I've attached a quick edit for reference. Posted: 03/10/2025 22:49:54
Nicely done!!! Posted: 03/12/2025 14:29:18
Thanks Sunil, very appreciated. Posted: 03/13/2025 02:59:06
My friend, Mitch Heydt, is in Hokkaido, and just put this image out on Facebook. I think his snow is a little too magenta, but gives you the idea about a clean background and the magenta snow actually creates a nice separation from the white of the cranes. . Posted: 03/22/2025 14:17:07