Advice from here used!! See improvement!!

[billhercus]

2 days ago I posted this topic, http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=65572 "Is this lens OK?"

As expected, I received some sound advice. 30 mins ago my pigeon friend settled on a branch next to the one he used for my previous photographs so before you could say, "Click", (almost) he was pictured again - this time with added knowledge.

Here are the results:

First the 'untutored' image:

100-300mm @ 420mm
1/2000 sec, f/6.3
Mode: Av
Metering: Evaluative
ISO: 400
AF mode: One-shot AF

http://www.mayfieldghouse.freeserve.co.uk/Webpics/Pigeon%2005Apr1459-02.jpg

Next, after guidance from this very forum:

100-300mm @ 420mm
1/80 sec, f/8
Mode: Av
Metering: Evaluative
Exp comp: +1 1/3
ISO: 200
AF mode: AI Focus AF

http://www.mayfieldghouse.freeserve.co.uk/Webpics/PigeonF-05Apr1494-01.jpg

Note:

Because of advice re exposure correction, reduced ISO and increased f number (+ later in day so a little less light) this picture was taken on a 420mm (corrected to 670mm equivalent) lens at a mere 1/80 sec on a slightly moving branch. The lens was steadied substantially on a window ledge.
Nevertheless, I am surprised at the improvement in detail shown despite the relatively very low speed which I was sure would introduce unacceptable motion blur. This is not a perfect picture but an interesting improvement ....

All in all, a very practical exercise which will remain with me!! :D

[condyk]

That's a huge difference ... as soon as you see it it's so obvious!

[vinnyveez]

wow what a drastic improvement. really great detail. too bad its a pigeon that is the subject and not a blue jay or cardinal. do you live in the city or do pigeons go into teh country side....funny now taht i think of it i ahve never seen a pigeon in a non city setting..hmm

[jbradc]

very good grasshopper :-)

[malla1962]

NICE WORK.

[condyk]

wow what a drastic improvement. really great detail. too bad its a pigeon that is the subject and not a blue jay or cardinal. do you live in the city or do pigeons go into teh country side....funny now taht i think of it i ahve never seen a pigeon in a non city setting..hmm

It's a proper Wood Pigeon which is common enough in the country. Mostly in towns and cities you get 'ferral' racing pigeons and cross breeds. At least here in the UK.

[Cadwell]

Now THAT is a hell of a lot better and much more in keeping with what I'd expect from that lens. Good stuff :D

[MediaMagic]

WHOA! Nice work! I think you found plenty of detail in that one! Nice job indeed.

[Nicky D]

That is an amazing difference. The second is obviously much better.Nice work

[CyberDyneSystems]

Looking GOOD!

[Monito]

Good work. You have learned the difference between making pictures and taking pictures. Review is a useful part of the process, and if you can re-make, you can really learn. Analyzing and thinking through all of the variables that you can control is the key. Keep it up.

[billhercus]

Thanks everyone.

An excellent example of personal tuition from all over the world. Unthinkable a little over a decade ago.

Technological marvel yes - but at the base of it all a basic kindness and wiilingness to share knowledge that is impressive.

Philosophy over. (Maybe we should have a philosophical forum?)

Once again, thanks. :D

[symes]

I can't get over the improvement...that is awesome...

[MediaMagic]

Heya again billhercus,
I wanted to take a moment to clarify something for you. I thought about this in the first thread but I didn't want to confuse you.

You mentioned "Exposing to the Right". Although you did use +1 1/3 exposure compensation, which did in fact move the histogram to the right, you actually just used EC to get a "correct exposure" in the above photo. You overexposed according to the camera, but the shot you took is a proper exposure.

The concept of exposing to the right is a little different. It's a two step process. The shot of the bird above is really not a good candidate for exposing to the right because a proper exposure is already to the right about as far as you can go. When you use the "expose to the right" technique, what you are doing is truly overexposing the shot (not just the metered settings), meaning that the shot wouldn't be a good shot (too bright) until post processing where you dial the exposure back down to the proper exposure.

The theory here is that by overexposing the shot you catch a little more detail and a little less noise, and then when you compensate for that overexposure by using negative compensation in post processing, the picture is back down to where it should be and looks "normal" with a bit more detail and less noise in the medium and darker regions.

Anyway, now that you've used EC to get a correct exposure, the concept of exposing to the right should be easy for you. Some shots are good candidates, others are not. Using + or - EC to get a *proper* exposure is something you practice all the time, while exposing to the right is a special technique to get more detail out of some specific scenes. Does this make sense?

Again, great work with the above shot.

[napolar]

That is an amazing improvement. Great work!

[billhercus]

Yes, MediaMagic, this does make sense!

That is a very useful explanation to me. I had read about exposing to the right and thought I was pretty clear about the reason for it.

However, the difference between what I did and what I thought I did is now crystal clear.

I do appreciate the time you've taken to make this clear. If you ever travel to the North of Scotland let me know and I'll buy you a pint!!

[thomasrhee]

Nice! Night and day difference!

[DocFrankenstein]

Very kind of the pigeon to hang around that long. :lol: