More bird pics

RickMezza

RickMezza

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Edit My Images
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Well, on the old forums we had a few bird pics which were great, so I thought I'd post a couple from the weekend to welcome in the 'new' forums.
A very obliging Robin - I know they're as common as muck but he posed so well for us.
...just a pity I could'nt manage to get the whole thing in the frame ...Doh !!! :bonk:

Robin.jpg


Robin2.jpg


Rich
 
Oooh nice. Really sharp. Prefer the 2nd one, although I'm sure there's a crop there somewhere. :)
 
The first one is an amazing photo..

Any chance you could tell us the shutter, f setting etc...

Thx
 
excellent! first one is very good indeed, great model you got there!
 
Thanks for all your comments, but I'm really kicking myself for 'chopping off' its foot in the photo. :(

Data as requested:
Nikon D70 (handheld)
Sigma 70-300 @ 230mm
Aperture priority @ f5.6 and 1/500 sec
Centre-weighted
sRGB

Rich

rob_lin said:
The first one is an amazing photo..

Any chance you could tell us the shutter, f setting etc...

Thx
Click to expand...
 
love the pictures, i dont like the background though, sorry.
 
Nice sharp images but seem a bit oversaturated to me. Probably hence Boons comment on the OOF grass.
 
RickMezza said:
Thanks for all your comments, but I'm really kicking myself for 'chopping off' its foot in the photo. :(
Click to expand...
That birds feet haven't moved between those two shots Rick! ;)

Robin3.jpg
 
First one does it for me, that pose is great, he's the bees knees isn't he!
 
CT said:
That birds feet haven't moved between those two shots Rick! ;)

Robin3.jpg
Click to expand...

Oooo thats clever. Super job. :clap: :clap:
Now I'm gonna have to learn how to do a photoshop job as good as that.
Any tips CT ??? :geek:

Thanks,
Rich
 
RickMezza said:
Now I'm gonna have to learn how to do a photoshop job as good as that.
Any tips CT ??? :geek:

Thanks,
Rich
Click to expand...

It coud be better tbh - it was a bit rushed.

There's so many ways to tackle this Rick. The way I did it briefly is....

Open both pics side by side in PS (et al)

Increase the canvas size of pic 1 to accommadate the missing foot.

Increase the size of pic 2 until the the robin matches the size of the bird in pic1

Using the freehand select tool, select a portion of pic 2 which includes all the wooden post, both legs of the bird and the lower part of his undercarriage. Don't include the tail. You can do this as roughly as you like as long as you have all the relevant bits.

Cut out the selection and paste it into pic1 as a new layer (NOT a selection) Line it up with the Robin in pic 1 for as good a match as possible. Reducing the opacity of the new layer so it's semi-transparent may help a lot.

Note any areas in the underyling original image which don't fit with the new selection and just clone them out using the green background colour. While you're doing this cut and paste your new robin as a new image so he's handy. You can do this as and when you need to to get everything right.

Finally paste your robin back into pic1 as a new layer, and remove any superfluous background in the new layer leaving just the robin himself. You can either use the eraser to do this or chop out the unwanted bits using selective masks.

When you've finished combine/flatten the layers and save the pic. There's not a full 'how to' there Rick but there's enough info there to get the hang of what's required and do the job with a little messing about.

I'll be chuffed if you do it mate - it's just practise is all, and being a bit of an anorak. ;)
 
There you go Richard - and you are already a very well qualified anorak :geek: :D
 
Thanks for taking the time to explain it all CT, I'll give it a go when I have time.

...and Mini, I've got a different anorak for all my many intersest :D
 
Well CT (if your looking), I've had a go and here is my effort. :woot:
I'm pretty pleased with it actually - (no one will ever know, he he he :D ) , though I couldnt get the grass backgound to match exactly and blend in well.

Anyway, I learnt a lot whilst doing it so thanks so much for your help (y)

FullRobin.jpg


Rich
 
RickMezza said:
Anyway, I learnt a lot whilst doing it ...

FullRobin.jpg
Click to expand...

That's the whole point Rich. :) I'm impressed! As you quite rightly say, it's the techniques you pick up and start to understand that you'll use on your pics in future, and not necessarily for this sort of drastic manipulation, when you realise their other possibilities.

Cracking job!
 
See! I told you he was an anorak :geek: :LOL:

Joking aside, that's a really good attempt - there'll be no stopping you now!
 
I'm sure Rich wont mind if anyone else wants to use his pics to have a go at this. It's not too difficult, and it employs a lot of useful techniques, which will really get you up and running with editing skills. It doesn't matter if you cock it up or how many times you do it.... getting in there and having a go is the best way to learn. :)
 
CT said:
I'm sure Rich wont mind if anyone else wants to use his pics to have a go at this.... :)
Click to expand...

No problems, anyone can have a go.
As a Photoshop newbie, I had some good fun and learnt a lot too.

Thanks CT (y)

Rich
 
I prefer the first shot, though both shots are really good! :)

But my jaw just dropped seeing CT's photoshop. :notworthy:
 
Gandhi said:
Well spotted to start off with there CT.
Click to expand...

Well that's because of all the photo restoration work I've done Spencer. You wouldn't believe the grotty distintegrating pictures people want restoring, so it's second nature to me to spot the shortcuts which sometimes make the impssible possible, and save a lot of tedious work in the process.


I never really think of doing stuff like that with PS
Click to expand...

Why should you? - we're photographers primarily, and I'm sure Rich would still have rather not missed that foot off in the first place. ;) The nice thing about this though is that it's a real life problem which someone has encountered, not some dry-as-dust 'how to' and it's an excellent job for anyone to have a go at for that reason - and to pick up some basic techniques in the process.
 
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