before and after and is this image usable?

[spudhead]

Ok so A1 200-600 first image raw sooc at considerable distance, and second image raw edited and a huge crop. So comments is the image useable or is it a crop too far

• ILCE-1
• Sony FE 200–600mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (SEL200600G)
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/7.1
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 3200

• ILCE-1
• Sony FE 200–600mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS (SEL200600G)
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/7.1
• 1/3200 sec
• ISO 3200

 

[iain clyne]

Considering the crop I think that it is usable.

 

[alexpler]

Ok so A1 200-600 first image raw sooc at considerable distance, and second image raw edited and a huge crop. So comments is the image useable or is it a crop too far View attachment 61825View attachment 61826

The bird is perfectly fine in the crop, but the background is too busy, I'd say... Maybe a closer crop, so the bird is predominant?

 

[spudhead]

The bird is fine in the crop, but the background is too busy, I'd say...

yep that is what happens sometimes Alex

 

[iamdlewis]

First the question "is it usable?" - Depends on what you want to use it for. I would say that it is not good to print.* It seems fine for use on social media posts.
2nd the crop. I don't really care to put birds in flight in the center of the image, to me it feels as though there is a lot of dead space behind them and that they are close to the wall of the edge of the frame. I will also put them high or low in the frame depending on where they are moving/look too. So for me this image would have the bird near the upper 1/3rd line and close to the right side 1/3rd line.

* if I had as many really good images this type of Kestrel as you do, I am not sure it would have survived the cull. The bird was clearly far away, the wing position isn't bad but at this angle it leaves little of the bird visible.

 

[spudhead]

First the question "is it usable?" - Depends on what you want to use it for. I would say that it is not good to print.* It seems fine for use on social media posts.
2nd the crop. I don't really care to put birds in flight in the center of the image, to me it feels as though there is a lot of dead space behind them and that they are close to the wall of the edge of the frame. I will also put them high or low in the frame depending on where they are moving/look too. So for me this image would have the bird near the upper 1/3rd line and close to the right side 1/3rd line.

* if I had as many really good images this type of Kestrel as you do, I am not sure it would have survived the cull. The bird was clearly far away, the wing position isn't bad but at this angle it leaves little of the bird visible.

David it has not made the cut, I just posted to it as a point of discussion, the fact is a lot of my bird shots are captured at that sort of distance any way.

 

[spudhead]

Considering the crop I think that it is usable.

Yep it is ok Iain as Alex said the back ground is busy

 

[Richard A]

I’m not an expert on this type of image by any means but I agree with placing the bird more to the top right of the image. I don’t know what software you are using but Topaz Gigapixel should allow you to crop this pretty tight. Also, regarding the background, it should be relatively easy to desaturate a bit, blur it more and even add a bit of horizontal movement to look more like you were panning.

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

It shows the power of resolution for cropping, but I wouldn't keep it because of the background, unless it was a bird I had never photographed.

 

[spudhead]

It shows the power of resolution for cropping, but I wouldn't keep it because of the background, unless it was a bird I had never photographed.

Yep exactly and I was never going to keep it but, at least we can have a chat about it, not much of that on here at the moment

 

[Slug]

Yep exactly and I was never going to keep it but, at least we can have a chat about it, not much of that on here at the moment

Yes get bugger all comment on mine at the best of times!

 

[spudhead]

Yes get bugger all comment on mine at the best of times!

Greg sorry you feel like that but this is the issue with not just this site people don`t chat much on these sites and I have been knocked for starting too many chat threads before. We have lost some good contributors recently and I guess we could all encourage others more

 

[Richard A]

I have been knocked for starting too many chat threads before.

I wouldn’t be unhappy if there were a few more chat type threads on here.

 

[iain clyne]

I would keep it, why? because as software advances the background may be fixable. I have reworked old images that were not usable with up to date software and made a useable pic out of it.
Its a good exercise if nothing else.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

I think it is a very nice pic! OK, I see that if I click on it, and press magnify, that it isn't the sharpest bird of the flock but sized as we see it in the thread, it is a super pose with lovely light and colours.

I don't mind the background. It is what was there, and it doesn't look too bad at all. But if one wants more blur or less saturation/contrast in it I'm sure that can be easily done, as Richard says. But I do appreciate that my "very nice pic" might, to an experienced and frequent birder, simply not make the mark.

More chat might be nice, yes. I rarely comment on on pictures in forums, but sincerely click on the response icons. Somehow, it seems enough. But I call myself a sociable hermit, and I am often open to conversation when I have something to say. Fellow members of forums where I have been for nearly two decades might wish that I was a bit (or even a lot!) more reticent! lol.

A little chat, re culling. I find it very difficult. I try to remember the advice of a member on another forum, who advised me, "Connect to your inner axe murderer!"

 

[Phil Vetra]

Hmmm, I think you can select the bird and blurrrr the background more. then it maybe a keeper. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Slug]

Maybe?

 

[Richard A]

I think you have over cooked the background a bit here.

Maybe, if he's at all interested, @spudhead could make the RAW file available for us to download and see what we can do with it...

 

[spudhead]

Maybe?

View attachment 61882

Maybe, I use capture one pro and I am not sure how good it is compared to the other software people are using