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Canon DSLR Challenge | all galleries >> Canon SLR Challenges - FAQ >> CSLR - Best of... >> Best of 2008 > Egret - 2nd(tie) by Melbob
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16-JUN-2008 Melbob

Egret - 2nd(tie) by Melbob

Melbourne


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Canon DSLR Challenge24-Jun-2008 17:57
Nicely done Bob, this looks a lot cleaner now. Best regards, Najinsky
Victor Engel22-Jun-2008 23:49
Is this a new version? It doesn't seem to have the problems I was noticing before. But now I'm wondering, do egrets' legs really bend like that? I'd never noticed before. -- Victor
Canon DSLR Challenge21-Jun-2008 15:29
Thanks Naj, I had another look by dropping the brightness and I could more clearly see what you and Victor were concerned about. It was quite 'dirty' around the egret and the background generally. Not wanting it to be a "Hot White' image prompted me to leave detail but it was difficult to get it even.

So worked it again, I think it is better with still some water ripples so that its legs dont look like they have been chopped.

Thanks guys.. I'll get better one day?. Regards Bob
Canon DSLR Challenge20-Jun-2008 13:25
I agree with many of Victor's points on this Bob. While I love the Egret image itself, its integration with the background doesn't work for me. The artefacts from the levels grabs the attention and then the strange uneven-ness of the backdrop distracts further.

I think it would look better on an almost pure white background but I think the Egret would need close selecting to eliminate it's 'shadowy halo'. Regards -Najinsky
Canon DSLR Challenge19-Jun-2008 11:47
Thanks for the comments Lydia, CJ, RK and Victor. I think the effects you are seeing Victor are the results of the masking/levels adjustments.

Lighting was in the 'lap of the gods' in a local park/pond and I used flash with some +exposure comp'.

I shot Raw and developed the jpg twice, the second time boosting exposure and dropping saturation and contrast mainly to get the appropriate highlight without blowing out the highlights.

Blending the two exposures requires some fiddling around the perimeter of the subject and that can sometimes leave a slight halo effect.

I guess the level of this depends upon one's monitor setting, mine looks ok, but if I back off the brightness some effects come into play. (Must calibrate my monitor properly one day?)

Regards Bob
Canon DSLR Challenge18-Jun-2008 02:25
There's something that bothers me about this picture, but I can't quite place it, but I'll try. At first glance, it looks too manipulated. I see some sort of halo around the bird. Furthermore, there is detail in the water on the left but not elsewhere.

-- Victor
Photogenix17-Jun-2008 20:48
This is fabulous Bob. The Egret looks almost 3D. -RK
Canon DSLR Challenge17-Jun-2008 17:29
I LOVE this Bob - Beautiful! Nice exposure, composition, pose, and very elegant! :-) CJ
Canon DSLR Challenge17-Jun-2008 16:39
Perfect, Bob. ~Lydia