Puffins In Daisies

Grendel

Grendel

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Paul
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From Skomer Island, July '09

Skomer%20Puffin%20III%20lo%20res.jpg


Skomer%20Puffin%20II%20lo%20res.jpg


Skomer%20Puffin%20IV%20lo%20res.jpg
 
It`s taken you nearly a year to post them Paul :D
Lovely shots, the last one is a great capture (y) I just wonder what it is thinking ;)
 
Good set there Paul, have to agree though, that last one is spot on :D
 
The last one is the best...great shot
 
Really like the way the Puffin is looking out to sea in the last one.
 
Some nice memories these have brought out of my mind Paul, shot aren't half bad either ;)
 
Thanks Guys :)

Karl, these were all VERY close. Shot with a Sigma 10-20. You'd be amazed how close you can get to the Puffins on Skomer. They are completely comfortable with the presence of people around them :)
 
Thanks Susane :)

Funny isn't it... I came so close to not posting No3 because the Puffin was looking away from the camera! Yet it appears to be the most popular shot. Looking again, I can see why, yet I didn't see it originally. Just goes to show how useful c&c on TP can be :)
 
This is a great set. I especially like No. 3, the little chap looks so relaxed which give the picture a serene feel :)
 
Yep, No3 is a corker, it's got a nice 'Monarch of the Glen' feel to it. :)
 
Thanks again everyone, much appreciated :)

Daniel, lol @ teletubbies :LOL:
 
Superb my fav is #3 great idea to use the 10-20 :)
 
O.K. I have looked and looked put my glasses on and I cannot see that this is a photo:shrug: It is way too good to be a photo more like an oil painting.

Can you tell me how you did this and what PP you have done and as I said in another thread if I could get anywhere near as good a photo as this then I will be one happy bunny.(y)
 
X2 Paul, what PP have you done bud?

I like the images,especially the one looking out to sea...........(y)
 
Taking the first shot....

This is a JPG of the original shot, unedited

Original.jpg


EXIF:

Exposure: 1/250 sec
F-Number: f/10.0
Exposure Program: Aperture Priority
ISO Speed Rating: 200
Exposure Bias: -0.7 EV
Focal Length: 20.00 mm

As you can see, it's quite under exposed, but that's deliberate to make sure I held the highlights in the white area of the puffin. Past experience has taught me how easy it is to blow feather detail.

In ACR I adjusted the exposure and tweaked the white balance. I also added +25 on the clarity slider and +30 on vibrance.

Into Photoshop -

I cropped it to a better composition.

I cloned out the sad looking daisy in the foreground and replaced it with a prettier one from a different shot.

I then adjusted the levels to fine tune the exposure and in Curves, added an S curve to boost the contrast.

I increased the saturation to +14. This is what really brings out the greens and blues.

I sharpened it using the high pass filter method at +2.5 pixel ratio.

Finally, I added the border, and that's it really.

Oh and I always give the reduced size JPG a little sharpen using USM at approx 30, 0.3, 0 to bring back the detail :)

End result -

Skomer%20Puffin%20III%20lo%20res.jpg


EDIT: Just to say, I think what really makes these shots so different is being able to shoot them at such a wide angle. It's a privilege you rarely get shooting wildlife but with the puffins on Skomer you can put the lens an inch from their beak and they just wink at you :love:
 
Thanks bud.
 
Hi Paul,

Thanks for the explanation of how you reached the excellent final result. The tip about under exposing to maintain the feather detail is something I will keep in mind next time I'm taking pictures of the swans at the canal as I have blown feather detail too many times to mention.

Please excuse my ignorance, but what does 'ACR' stand for?

I really appreciate you posting the JPEG and then the post process, because that is how newbies like me learn.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
ACR = Adobe Camera Raw

The default RAW processor with Photoshop :)
 
Thanks Paul. I don't have Photoshop so wouldn't have known that. Cheers
 
Thems ok I suppose.













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something half as good when i go this year..

MD
 
I'm sure you will Dave, although it'll be a bit hit and miss getting them to sit on your perspex sheet :D
 
That third shot stands head and shoulders above the other two, it conveys the isolation and vast expanse of ocean where the bird spends most of its life, the feeling that the bird cannot wait to return to it's more natural habitat, the sea, once all this breeding and chick raising is over.(y)
 
I'm hoping to go to Skomer this year, these are really inspiring images(y) Thanks for PP tips too!
 
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