Editing question for this image

[iamdlewis]

So this is the original edit plus a new edit. My question is does anyone know what I can do to make the black version branch look better or what can be done to improve it.

• ILCE-7RM4
• Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS (SEL100400GM)
• 400.0 mm
• ƒ/9
• 1/40 sec
• ISO 100

• ILCE-7RM4
• Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS (SEL100400GM)
• 400.0 mm
• ƒ/9
• 1/40 sec
• ISO 100

 

[Richard A]

I am only looking at this on my phone at this stage so bear that in mind. And this is just my own personal opinion.

I much prefer the one with the greyish background to be honest. But when it comes to the version with the black background I think you need to brighten the twig & try to remove the halos around it. That shouldn’t be too difficult. Unfortunately, the glaring issue for both of these is that the lower part of the twig is very soft & my eye is immediately drawn to it. There just wasn’t enough depth of field to keep it sharp enough. I think that the only way to remedy this is if you have one of the Topaz apps that can sharpen soft images but you would have to mask it to only that part or the twig or the rest would be over sharpened.

I hope that is of some help. Overall it’s quite a nice photo.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

My opinion, so take it with a large grain of salt, but the twig extending bottom right from the feather reflects light from your gray background and looks out of place with the black background. Particularly the out of focus water droplet at the end of the twig. I would try either cutting that bit of branch off completely, or use a vignette-like effect to add shadow on top of the twig so it fades into the background.

 

[iamdlewis]

That shouldn’t be too difficult. Unfortunately, the glaring issue for both of these is that the lower part of the twig is very soft & my eye is immediately drawn to it. There just wasn’t enough depth of field to keep it sharp enough. I think that the only way to remedy this is if you have one of the Topaz apps that can sharpen soft images but you would have to mask it to only that part or the twig or the rest would be over sharpened.

That was what I was feeling the problem is. Tried a super strong sharping with Topaz but it is just too far out for Topaz to do anything with it.
Max Topaz sharpness:

• ILCE-7RM4
• Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS (SEL100400GM)
• 400.0 mm
• ƒ/9
• 1/40 sec
• ISO 100

My opinion, so take it with a large grain of salt, but the twig extending bottom right from the feather reflects light from your gray background and looks out of place with the black background. Particularly the out of focus water droplet at the end of the twig. I would try either cutting that bit of branch off completely, or use a vignette-like effect to add shadow on top of the twig so it fades into the background.

Tried a new crop and with the most vignetting that I can get out of CaptureOne.
New Crop + Vignetting + Topaz sharpening

• ILCE-7RM4
• Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS (SEL100400GM)
• 400.0 mm
• ƒ/9
• 1/40 sec
• ISO 100

 

[Richard A]

I think that crop with the vignette is too tight. Which Topaz were you using? Photo AI or the old Sharpen AI?

Might be an idea to upload the original RAW file & let some of us have a play with it if you're up for that sort of thing. I haven't seen that done on here before but on a couple of other forums I have been on it wasn't an uncommon practice.

Just a thought...