Song Sparrow + RAW file

Gallery: AvianPosted January 3, 20181,663 views7 comments

Please let me know if ID is incorrect. Glenlake Park, Decatur, Georgia, sitting on the ground.

12/17/2017, 10:15:35 AM
Canon EOS 7D Mark II EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM +1.4x III @560mm
f/8, 1/125, ISO 800
Aperture priority, Evaluative metering
Processed in CC PS 2018 using Adobe Camera Raw filter and layer mask, cropped on left and top for composition.

I used Adobe Camera Raw to change the exposure for the whole image. Then I created another layer and layer mask and moved the contrast all the way down and shadows and blacks all the way up for the whole image, then removed all of that for the sparrow and about half of it for the foreground. This is a new approach I tried. I do all my photography in the field and cannot always avoid objects in the background even if I am able to move left or right, so I wanted to see how this worked.

Any feedback would be appreciated. Please see the larger version. Thank you.

Comments

7 comments

Comment posted by Daniel & Loana on January 3, 2018 at 12:07 PM

Hi Barbara, I like the low POV you achieved for this shot.
Perfect details on the subject.

D&L

Registered on October 7, 2008, 166 Posts, 3044 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on January 4, 2018 at 1:09 PM

Barbara, I am not sure what you did, but I would love to see the RAW image.

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on January 4, 2018 at 1:17 PM

Worked pretty well, I'd say, Barbara. I'm not familiar with the technique, but the results are nice. I like the low angle you got on this one and the pose is excellent.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Barbara Graham on January 4, 2018 at 1:23 PM

Phil, not sure how to show you the RAW image as a RAW image, but here is the RAW image with nothing done but converting it to a 1200-pixel size. It was overcast and had been raining off and on that morning.

Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments

Comment posted by Hans Overduin on January 6, 2018 at 11:57 AM

Hello, Barbara, I love the low angle and the sort-of-surprised pose of this Sparrow. Well done. Cheers, Hans

Registered on August 31, 2011, 491 Posts, 3807 Comments

Comment posted by Shirley Freeman on January 6, 2018 at 3:06 PM

Great capture, Barbara, and really nice post processing, in my opinion. I really like what you did. I can't help you with the ID though.

Registered on May 27, 2017, 77 Posts, 844 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on January 6, 2018 at 3:48 PM

Yes, a Song Sparrow.

I like the point of view and the overall composition. Lightening the background as you did was a good choice and was done nicely. I'd consider going darker with the foreground where the sparrow is to see what that looks like.

The sparrow isn't as sharp as I'd like to see it.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments