A clean ibis

I finally managed to find an Ibis with clean feathers! Pity about the beak though

I find these birds difficult, as their bodies are very white, and their heads are very dark. In the end I tend to overlay two exposures in photoshop, one for the highlites, and one for the shadows. (Which has the unfortunate side effect of making the feathers less white). Is there a better way of doing things?

Thanks for looking

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Excellent shots with spot on exposure. Very well done.

Thanks It is a testament to the power of Photoshop on Raw files

wonderful shots!!!..I have tried photographing these a few times without a lot of luck so far..very nice

exposure looks pretty good to me too. i don't see any blown highlights are dark areas. very nicely done.

- hung

They sure have ugly heads.. They're up there with vultures

It's difficult exposing black and white animals. They came out great. Good shots.

great shots on a tuff exposure. b/w is always hard, like shooting a wedding couple on a sunny day, you gonna lose either the black or the white.

Is this the same bird as a wood stork? Seem similar.
Karen

I think you've done a great job here. I doubt you'll get the whites looking much whiter without blowing the highlights.

I've been having similar issues, although on a smaller level. I've got a shot of a Coot, and i'm having a nightmare getting the beak white without blowing the highlights... I too have been using two exposures and a layer mask, which i think will be the best option, but getting the selection without leaving a halo is a bloody mare!!!

Excellent WB on a difficult subject! Well done---

Thanks for all the kind comments They do look a bit like a wood stork or vulture don't they. I think that they are all in Order Ciconiiformes, but belong to different families.

beano wrote in post #3292339
I too have been using two exposures and a layer mask, which i think will be the best option, but getting the selection without leaving a halo is a bloody mare!!!

I am terrible at selections What I have been doing is selecting highlites on a darker exposure, and then copying them across on to a lighter exposure.

Thanks again

cineraceus wrote in post #3293452
I am terrible at selections What I have been doing is selecting highlites on a darker exposure, and then copying them across on to a lighter exposure.

Okay, now i feel stupid.... How do you select just the highlights?

I didn't know about it, until I found it in "Digital Photography Boot Camp"

I can't find a menu option, but if you type Cmd/Opt/~ (tilde) or Ctrl/Alt/~ you should get it. You can select the shadows by inversing the selection.

Hope this helps

Thanks a lot!

Looks like i need to get myself off to Boot Camp!

Very good and well exposed captures.