Head Shots - Portraits - Communal thread

BillN_33

BillN_33

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some of you may have noticed that I quite like "Head shots"

so I thought that I would start a thread, that I hope you will join in, to discuss such

two from last night - not particularly good because they are large crops, but they should start the thread off

what I always do, (because they are large crops), is to reduce the background noise - the free Define 2 is good, then get rid of any almost blown white, (if you blow the whites on head shots they become too dominant and the shot is no good), work on the eye a little and sometimes smooth the edges, (I feel that strong "digital edges are really noticeable)

anyway here are my first two - please join in and add comments

Green finch - always messy eaters
lacks a bit of sharpness this image ...... I have not added much sharpness
ISO 720 - f4 - 1/1000 sec
GF_head_2.jpg



Blue Tit
ISO 1000 - f4 - 1/1000 sec
BT_head_2.jpg




and a better couple

a Weaver
ISO 110
Weaver_head.jpg



BouBou
ISO 1000
BB_head.jpg
 
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Neil Burnell said:
Good idea on the thread Bill, the last shot steals it for me!

I've not been birding long enough to have a selection of head shots, only this one of a Mandarin.

Click to expand...

That's really good

what ISO Neil - any processing tips?
 
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BillN_33 said:
That's really good

what ISO Neil - any processing tips?
Click to expand...
ISO 3600 Bill, and a huge crop!

Processing I generally use High Pass sharpening on a setting from 1.0 - 2.0 , I then do a new visible layer (command+shift+E) and give his layer a luminance so I'm happy than the image has very little noise in the background. Finally I would make a layer mask on the luminance layer and start to paint back in the detail on the subject. It's really very quick and easy, I use this for my macro images as well, it just helps the images pop and the smooth background with less visible noise really helps.
 
This is a very good idea, Bill.

We've all got shots where we were too close with the prime lens! :)

Neil Burnell said:
ISO 3600 Bill, and a huge crop!

Processing I generally use High Pass sharpening on a setting from 1.0 - 2.0 , I then do a new visible layer (command+shift+E) and give his layer a luminance so I'm happy than the image has very little noise in the background. Finally I would make a layer mask on the luminance layer and start to paint back in the detail on the subject. It's really very quick and easy, I use this for my macro images as well, it just helps the images pop and the smooth background with less visible noise really helps.
Click to expand...

Thank you for posting this, will give it a whirl tonight (y)
 
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Cool idea, I'll go with these:

7224%20EDpp.jpg


7480%20XDpp.jpg


​
 
BillN_33 said:
I don't recognise that bird Daniel?
Click to expand...
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Both juvenile Barnacle Geese!

If I remember well, the top one is a female,
the bottom one with the bumpy forehead is
a male I was told!
 
Kodiak Qc said:
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Both juvenile Barnacle Geese!

If I remember well, the top one is a female,
the bottom one with the bumpy forehead is
a male I was told!
Click to expand...

presumably they are captive if you have them in Austria?
 
Kodiak Qc said:
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Nope! …taken at the marsh with all the other wild birds
Click to expand...

just checked they pass thru in winter in the Adriatic

but just seen another source that says they breed in Austria
 
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Swanseajack said:
Can I join in!
Click to expand...
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Fure sure…
but only if you let me follow your sweet soft mid day tones
with the heavy weather mid evening purple iridescence of
this male Tufted Duck…

7780%20EDpp.jpg
 
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Coot (Foulque Macroule in French!)…
in the light of a late March afternoon's low Sun…

7290%20EDpp.jpg
 
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Greylag Geese
in the light of a March mid-day's Sun…


7508%20EDpp.jpg
 
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…my daughter commented:
—"…one must have been camera shy!"


7504.1%20EDpp.jpg


 
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This girl was having a splash and a ball at it!


C8798%20EDpp.jpg
 
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