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DPChallenge Forums >> Individual Photograph Discussion >> What can you do with this picture?
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06/09/2014 08:40:56 AM · #1
Ok, I know this is prob, my worst night picture like ever..

I am learning to try to edit this thing and all I am doing is making this worse LOL!
Maybe it is just one of these pictures that I could not make it any better because the picture is crap to begin with.

I was practicing my ISO, F stops and shooting at night plus learning the P mode because I never shot in that mode before
I do like this little birdie and if it can be salvageable, then I would like to do so. I was not actually planning on saving any of those practice shots, but this bird just came and landed there at the last moment, by the time I had changed my settings she was gone.

If you are bored and wish to play with it, please feel free to do so, I would really like to know what you do differently.
I have been playing with it in photoshop and lightroom

Oh yes, it was raining out too :-))



Message edited by author 2014-06-09 08:45:54.
06/09/2014 08:54:50 AM · #2
if it's only a jpeg you're going to be hard pressed to get much detail out of it due to the compression.
if you have the raw you can work with that to bring out the detail you want a lot more easily.

right now i'm at work and can't do anything, perhaps someone else will be able to help you before tonight though when i'd get a chance.
06/09/2014 09:08:25 AM · #3
Hmm if you still have the original full-sized (ie uncropped etc) file, it would be easier to work from.

To be honest I quite like it, it's eerie and the composition is very simple with the robin right at a third. Most people probably won't like the noise, but if you do too much NR then it make for an unnatural looking pic.

I'll try playing with it a little and see what happens.
06/09/2014 09:15:37 AM · #4
sure let me upload the original version.. this was my cropped and edited version, thanks for the help guys..

it does make it a bit eerie doesn't it LOL

It was in JPG, usually I shoot in RAW but because I was practicing and doing tons of shots just to get used to settings, its when I lost the bird after the fact of setting it in RAW and my regular settings I use :-))

Message edited by author 2014-06-09 09:16:39.
06/09/2014 09:18:44 AM · #5


The original was really, really dark LOL!

Message edited by author 2014-06-09 09:18:57.
06/09/2014 09:43:52 AM · #6
Ok, here's my quick edit on your first version but now that you've uploaded the original, I'll have a crack at that too.

I did very little to it. First off, I added 50% brightness. Then I dodged all around the bird to help separate it from the bg. Used it on the shadows setting at 50% exposure, and a 58pixel size brush with 0% hardness. Using the same dodge settings (apart from smaller pixel size, like 20) I lightly traced over the edge of the wire fence but left the shadows cast by the fence untouched. Burned the beak a few times with the brush set on midtones at 20% and 9pixels in size. Also burned the whited-out patches on the bird, just lightly - like one pass apiece. I left the eye alone cause it's even more eerie that way.

After finishing with this version I then desatted it, and that helps reduce the colour noise a lot! :-) I've seen coffee table books of spooky, haunted-looking places obviously shot with a huge ISO...and left that way. In b/w, very effectively spooky.

LOL just looked at your original and yep, that's dark!!! I'll have fun with that one once I get back in a few hours :-)

Message edited by author 2014-06-09 09:48:09.
06/09/2014 09:44:23 AM · #7
i like what you did with it too.
06/09/2014 09:48:44 AM · #8
Whoa - that's a cool shot. Amazing the original is so dark yet so much detail was recovered. It looks almost like an eerie painting. I can just imagine the huge, rickety old house in the background.
06/09/2014 10:51:37 AM · #9
LOL Thanx Jules

I tried to edit this it was really, really, really grainy LOL Still extremely dark

I was not sure what I was doing wrong, but I was assuming it was the ISO or the fact I had it on the setting P

I noticed with the D60 I have, the higher the ISO the more grainer it seems to be... it does ok on 800 or 600 or less... but anything passed that, all it goes to is 1600 it gets really bad

EDITED TO ADD THIS, it was the other picture I liked better though with the mouth open LOL


This one is the original I had at Aperture: 5.6 It came out better, but that was when the bird first landed on the tomato cage
ISO: 1600
Shutter: 1/60

Message edited by author 2014-06-09 11:37:54.
06/09/2014 12:56:08 PM · #10
Originally posted by jgirl57:

I noticed with the D60 I have, the higher the ISO the more grainer it seems to be...

Yes, noise increases at higher ISO settings -- this is true of every camera AFAIK.

Moved thread to the appropriate category ...
06/09/2014 01:59:28 PM · #11
Here is my edit. I think I breathed some life (and death) into it and it is now suitable for framing.

06/09/2014 02:01:28 PM · #12
Ok I bow to Art's edit... here is my attempt..



did a lot of ditzing with it at 300% where I could move every pixel...
06/09/2014 02:02:30 PM · #13
hahahah! More ways than one bringing life into it! Thanks Art
Godzilla'd in his own true form LOL!
~~~~
Sorry, Paul, thank you for moving it

Message edited by author 2014-06-09 14:04:17.
06/09/2014 05:09:59 PM · #14
LOL love Art's version! Usually you do get Godzilla in there somewhere :-)

ETA: Yeah, as a fellow Nikon person I too had problems with shooting at a higher ISO with the D40 and D90. That was pretty much the only reason I ever had Canon envy.

However, I have a challenge entry from last year shot at 1000 ISO on a rainy day that did very well, and that was with the D90.

As for the A, S and P modes...I dunno. I know some people swear by them and do well with them, but FWIW I prefer to be in full control of what's going on. But do what works for you!

Message edited by author 2014-06-09 17:26:09.
06/09/2014 05:23:31 PM · #15
I think Godzilla rocks! LOL

I really wanted to see that movie too and was told it was very, very good..

06/09/2014 05:35:11 PM · #16
Seriously... You should have just entered it, as is, into a challenge. That would have been an almost guaranteed Posthumous ribbon.
06/09/2014 06:11:19 PM · #17
Originally posted by Cory:

Seriously... You should have just entered it, as is, into a challenge. That would have been an almost guaranteed Posthumous ribbon.


Corrected that for you. :-)
06/09/2014 08:39:13 PM · #18
aweeee thanks guys :)) I truly didn't think this to be worthy enough hahah

thank you those comments made my day:))
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