Scratching That Itch
by Ashley Vincent
Canon EOS 7D, EF 500mm f/4L IS USM + 1.4x Extender @ 700mm, Aperture Priority @ f/8 (1/1600 sec), -2/3 EV, ISO 400, Tripod, JPEG from RAW, About 60% of Full Frame
Apologies for my sudden disappearance, but between family and visiting friends I haven't been able to make the time for posting up anything new these past couple of weeks. Anyhow, back here with you now!
The subject you see here is one I've posted before, a male Marico Sunbird, but in a somewhat more interesting pose!
While others may (as they have in the past!) argue against this, I feel I get better results by under-exposing a shot like this than I do by vamping up the ISO on my 7D. The aim with either of these methods is to increase the shutter speed, but in my experience the noise introduced by under-exposing then lightening the image up in post-processing works better and offers the additional benefit of preventing blown highlights in the subject and the perch.
The only thing I'm a little less than happy with is that lightening up the image as a whole appears to have created something of a subtle (or perhaps not so subtle!) halo around the Sunbird. Unless I'm imagining this, if you can see it too and can offer any suggestions as to how I can fix this without darkening the image again I'd be very grateful.
Critique, suggestions and comments are always welcome.
Comments
12 commentsI'm afraid I'm going to go with the "others". Shooting toward the sky is unlikely to be successful with a -2/3 ev, but exact needs would depend in part if you are using spot or matrix metering. I don't know the capabilities of the 7D, but would expect it to handle much higher than the ISO 400 that you used here. If you are processing in ACR (or almost anything), masking the bird versus the background will help with the halo (although I have a halo problem and should not give much advice here until I solve my own issues :), and allow you to manipulate the subject versus the background. However, there is just no substitute for getting the exposure right in camera.
That said. It's still an interesting and pleasing image.
Ken Archer
Skip Harris
1. the histogram for the image shows values are clustered in a narrow central spike with long tails to shadow and highlight sides. This compresses the contrast in much of the image making the colors look flat overall.
2. the 1200px version is highly pixelated from being overly compressed - it is only 143.6 KB in size.
3. there's an obvious halo around the bird, most easily seen with a threshold layer by dragging the pointer "through" the narrow central spike of data.
4. 1/1600 sec @ f/8 and ISO 400 is the equivalent of the "Sunny 16" exposure, so if this was shot in normal mid day light I don't see how it was under exposed. What was the light like, and how did you meter the exposure? What did the histogram look like for this image on the camera LCD?
5. halos are most often the result of excessive use of clarity or vibrance in ACR, or of excessive use of shadow/highlight in photoshop trying to fix bad exposure.
6. get the exposure correct at the time of capture and you'll not need to spend time trying to recover in raw conversion, you'll avoid halos, and you'll minimize noise for whatever ISO you chose to use.
My preference is to add compensation any time you have a dark bird against a light background. Even with an image like this, it is relatively easy to bring the sky (background) tones back down if you don't like their brightness level. If adding exposure compensation requires increasing ISO to maintain shutter speed, then NR is the solution to the background noise.
Yes, the halo is pretty evident in this version. I don't think the halo is from vibrance or clarity in ACR. I think it is from bringing up the tones in the bird and it spilled over into the background.
Your take on underexposing is interesting. I still think the right answer is to get the exposure right on the subject and let the chips fall where they may for the rest of the content in the image.
Great capture, and the pose is a total hammer for me - like this a lot !!
About the exposure thing I am not sure - as you have come to learn I usually underexpose, besides from birds flying in the sky. In this particular case I am not sure.. Shame: you have to go back and try again
Grtz, Hans
Technical issues aside, this is a beautiful bird in a terrific pose. I must confess to always bumping up the exposure when shooting with a bright sky background, but then I have never used a 7D. How did you lighten up the bird, drop me an email.
Cheers
Ken
Ray