Turning Migratory Bird Sunsets into Sonnets; (Photoshop Auto

[Leighow]

Foreword
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OK friends in foreign lands, if you are still new to your G2 but live under a migratory flyway, listen up. I have wonderful news to share. But first – recheck these earlier posts:
My First Sonnet: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4949#22393
My Second Sonnet: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5237#23330

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Sunsets to Sonnets
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This post is really a continuation, and summation of the above posts, where (IMHO) “Auto Levels” turned my Sunsets into Sonnets. All that I want to add tonite is a quick summary of related tips and observations gleaned from a dozen Sonnets !

GETTING READY
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· To expect Auto Levels to turn your Sunsets into Sonnets exclude dark areas from your foreground.
· Plan on shooting at clearly viewed skies.
· As usual, for low grain results shoot ISO 50 and fairly fast say T=400
· Double check you ISO, T and A when you reach the site. No room for error here.

UNDER THE FLYWAY
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· Arrive on site early.
· Know your flyways.
· Practice following the birds across your sky, and think about composition and cloud and bird placement.
. o In the clear ?
. o Heading into (or out of) the sun?
. o Be ready for the light and clouds to change – and so too your game plan (i.e. where you will release the shutter)
· For best results shoot close to and towards the sun, and preferably into a sky that is say 60% cloud. This combination seems to scatter light in all directions, offering deeper and more saturated color throughout the image
· Be patient. Wait for a flock to cross your compositional sweet spot
· Caution. Birds are small in the viewfinder and they are hard to see against a darkened sky. .
· On individual pass-overs you don’t get 2 chances. The birds just move faster that the G2’s processor.

IN THE DARKROOM
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· Let “Auto Levels” explode your image into a color Sonnet.
· Remember in PS 7 you can "Edit-fade" your Auto Levels.
· Auto color is a good second bet.
· Every sky has an infinity of Sonnets.
· Each crop yields a new sky structure, color poem, and sky-bird combination. Start with the full image. Then crop with care.
· Sharpening is dicey, too much and your birds sprout halos.

[G2Jim]

Beautiful shots Howie! Thanks for sharing your tips!

[Leighow]

JIM

Thanks Jim.

For a few months now, my goal has been to make 2002 "The year of the Digital Camera". I received my G2 last Xmas, and it has been a lot of fun. I live near simple scenery, and camera use fitted my "exercise alone for one hour at night" lifestyle. In fact, I reminded myself this morning that I had only risen in time for the sun-up once (excluding work of course)!

The past few months have also reminded that regardless of talent, its takes time to grow into and understand the activity -- even though over ther years I had shot with an SLR (usually while on vacation).

Along that line, I have not had any time to learn PS, so while these "tips" are pretty obvious, I was not aware of same until by chance I hit the right button in PS. So while this approach is a "cheater", it sure opens you eyes as to the range of adjustments that are possible to any one photo.

Thanks.


HOWIE

[philgabe]

Howie:

Regarding your point about sharpening being dicey and creating halos, you may want to try the following (localize the sharpening exactly where you need it, like bird feathers, etc.):

1. duplicate your background layer
2. run: Filters>Others>High Pass (set radious at 8-10)
3. Set blending mode of the duplicated layer to "soft light"
4. Add a layer mask (Layers>Layer Mask>Hide All)
5. Select a soft brush, set foreground color to white
6. Paint the local areas you need to sharpen.

This is a very precise way of locally sharpening a picture. If you need more sharpening, set the blending mode to "hard light". If you need less sharpening, set blending mode to "soft light" and reduce the opacity of the layer. If you want subtle transitions between sharpened and unsharpened areas, check the airbrush icon in step 5.

If you save the layers (save TIFF or PSD), you can modify the amount of sharpening depending on your output device.

It sounds pretty complicated but it's really pretty simple once you do it a few times.

Cheers.

Philippe

[Leighow]

philgabe wrote:
Howie:

Regarding your point about sharpening being dicey and creating halos, you may want to try the following (localize the sharpening exactly where you need it, like bird feathers, etc.):

1. duplicate your background layer
2. run: Filters>Others>High Pass (set radious at 8-10)
3. Set blending mode of the duplicated layer to "soft light"
4. Add a layer mask (Layers>Layer Mask>Hide All)
5. Select a soft brush, set foreground color to white
6. Paint the local areas you need to sharpen.

This is a very precise way of locally sharpening a picture. If you need more sharpening, set the blending mode to "hard light". If you need less sharpening, set blending mode to "soft light" and reduce the opacity of the layer. If you want subtle transitions between sharpened and unsharpened areas, check the airbrush icon in step 5.

If you save the layers (save TIFF or PSD), you can modify the amount of sharpening depending on your output device.

It sounds pretty complicated but it's really pretty simple once you do it a few times.

Philippe

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PHIL

I really appreciate your advice.

I plan to put some time into PS this winter and your tutorial will be the perfect opportunity to expand my knowledge.

I shot a bunch of Sonnets tonite.

Here is one at 1/500 and 2.5 at ISO 100. I cropped a lot to isolate the color. But otherwise PS played only a small role, namely brightness reduction. I think that the sun was so low, that the color spectrum in the sky was also low and that it dominated both the crop and the PS auto color algrithims.

TY so much.

HOWIE

http://members.rogers.com/hleigh/SONNET4.jpg