Project 52 by Chuck Schneebeck

[Teton Chuck]

Wrong. I didn't know that. I'll take a look now.

Thanks, chuck

[Geoff F]

And when you start with the clone tool, Chuck, there is a dust spot in the top left corner of the Morning Mist photo.

Otherwise, it is excellent.

Probably a bit of dust on your camera sensor. Maybe worth doing a check and possibly a clean.

[Teton Chuck]

Geoff, Thank you for pointing out the spot. This process may eventually teach me to look at my images much more carefully. I just checked some other photos I have taken more recently, and there is a spot in the same place on every one of them.

I tried to remove the tree from the first image but I'm afraid I need more practice. I think I will try to remove the spot from another photo that is similar to "Morning Mist" but taken with a wider angle lens. I would be interested in how people compare the two photos.

[Teton Chuck]

Here is the image I mentioned above with the dust spot removed. Neither the original Morning Mist image or this one had any significant cropping. I am interested in a comparison of the two images. Which seems to be the better of the two, and why?


Nikon D90 1/80 sec at f/14, ISO 100 35mm (35-80mm f/4.0-5.6)

[Bobobird]

Love the bird shot.
Neat landscapes too.

[Goldcoastgolfer]

Here is the image I mentioned above with the dust spot removed. Neither the original Morning Mist image or this one had any significant cropping. I am interested in a comparison of the two images. Which seems to be the better of the two, and why?


Nikon D90 1/80 sec at f/14, ISO 100 35mm (35-80mm f/4.0-5.6)

I had a look side by side and I think I prefer your second version better. The longer width to the scene just appears to be a better landscape view of your scene. Having said that, I did have to look at them beside each other so I think both versions are good photos.

As a side note, adobe have some great tutorials on Lightroom at http://tv.adobe.com. I've been amazed at what Lightroom is actually capable of doing.

[Geoff F]

Yes, I agree with Mal, it's the second version for me.

Simply because, in the first one, that little 'snow island' in the bottom left corner is a little too close to the bottom edge.

You have achieved a good depth of focus here. If the foreground had been blurred or confused, I would have gone with the first photo. They are both good.

[Teton Chuck]

Mal and Geoff, thanks for the feedback. Actually I prefer the second one as well. For me it is the effect of moving the mountains further away which gives a feeling of the largeness of the landscape.

One of these days I will take a photo from the same place on a cloudy day. That may give me some idea of how much the river "needs" the mountains.

I will check out the tutorials.

Thanks, chuck

[Teton Chuck]

Many of the organisms I photograph have colors that make them difficult to see in the environment where they live. A challenge for me is to capture an image of the organism that helps the viewer understand its form and texture and at the same time brings out the subtle beauty that is inherent in virtually all-living organisms.

I have chosen two images of the same porcupine for the subject of my third post. This animal is covered with spines that impale any predator that ventures too close. It is slow moving and when it is still it resembles a pile of grass. In these images I wanted the viewer to get a feeling for the its cryptic nature, and to help the viewer connect with the animal by seeing an eye, or more of its face.

The porcupine is very difficult to photograph. When one approaches, it turns its back and hides its head. To get these photos I set up my camera on a tripod and adjusted the focus, f stop and shutter speed. The camera is equipped with a remote trigger. Then I moved to the “back side” of the critter. Of course it turned around and I began taking photos, bracketing the shots.

These photos were taken in late afternoon with some cloud cover. I had to go through about 200 yards of three-foot deep snow to set up the shot. If you zoom in on the photos you will see lots of little white blobs on the skin of the porcupine. The “blobs” are ticks, little arachnid parasites.

I look forward to your comments.

[Ricco]

Well Chuck - I can admit to never having seen one of those before - so thanks for posting!

Perhaps a tweak of the black point? Just needs a little more in my humble opinion.

Apart from that, really cool captures. Great detail.

[Geoff F]

Although the background is confused it doesn't really detract from the main subject.

Good shots of the face.

[Goldcoastgolfer]

Soooo, not knowing too much about porcurpines, did you have to throw it up into the tree to get these shots?

I really love that first photo - very different and draws you in to study the detail of the porcupine contrast against the thicker branches. Two comments on the first photo I think - firstly, I think it needs a slight clockwise rotation so the porcupine's eyes are level - stops the viewer from tilting their heads to the left. Secondly, if you can clone the branches from the porcupine's face I think it will really make it stand out more - for the second photo as well.

[kezmal]

Great captures, especially considering the lengths you went to get them Poor little fella with all those ticks, dont they get effected like dogs?

[Teton Chuck]

Peter, Geoff, Mal and Kerry – thanks for the feedback on the photos. I did add just a bit more black. Seems very touchy. It is easy to loose detail. I’m glad that the background is not a problem. For many of the subjects I choose to photograph I find a tension between getting a clear shot of the critter and showing enough of its habitat so the viewer has a context of where it lives.

The twigs across its face are annoying, and unfortunately I don’t have the skill to remove them using Lightroom. I do hope that when my new PSE arrives I will learn some new skills. If I actually get it done I will post that version for all to see.

I did rotate the first photo a bit to the right. I hope that helps.

It seems that the ticks don’t harm the porcupines, but it can’t be comfortable for them..

Here is the new version with the tweaks. - Chuck

[kdoc856]

Chuck,

I've seen many photographs of porcupines and a few of them in person, but I dont think I've ever seen their faces. Really interesting shots. I think you absolutely will be able to remove the twigs across the face in an acceptable fashion. The cloning isnt hard, it just takes some patience and a lot of trial and error. Looking forward to you final.

Kevin

[kezmal]

That looks great The look in his eyes its like he's saying 'Go ahead, make my day' LOL. I like the rotation with him now staring right at us.

[Goldcoastgolfer]

The rotation works. If you're interested maybe try having a play with the clone tool in Lightroom (make sure you've selected clone and not heal with the clone tool as I think that will work better). You might need to add a couple of different clone spots to get rid of the rogue branch.

[Teton Chuck]

For my fourth project I have chosen to photograph American Magpies. A tail that makes up more than half their body length distinguishes these members of the crow family. They are typically described as black and white birds, but in the proper light they have distinct blue, green and iridescent colors due to the structure of the feathers. Many of the colors are similar to the colors one might see on a soap bubble. Unlike pigments, these colors only show up under certain lighting conditions.

For this project I built a suet feeder out of an old tree limb and placed it in my yard where the background is entirely snow. In doing so I was trying to place the entire focus on the bird and the feeder. However, I created the problem of trying to get detail from a dark bird against a bright white background. (Very similar to my first post.) Once I had determined the settings for the photos I used my remote to trigger the camera from within my house. These birds are skittish so this approach helped me get relatively close shots.

My goal was to document the richness of color and to show the unique tail of this species. I simply want the observer to feel that magpies are beautiful. These photos were taken under cloudy conditions at mid afternoon. I have not had the opportunity to photograph in unfiltered late afternoon light, but I will give it a try when the sun decides to reappear.

Of course C&C is welcome.

Nikon D90 1/500 sec @ f/10, ISO 320 85MM (80.0-400.0mm f/4.5-5.6)


Nikon D90 1/500 sec @ f/10, ISO 320 85MM (80.0-400.0mm f/4.5-5.6)


Nikon D90 1/400 sec @ f/10, ISO 320 85MM (80.0-400.0mm f/4.5-5.6)
The white on the bill and face of the magpie in the third photo is suet from the feeder.

[Ricco]

Chuck - I'm enjoying the different photos you are posting. Very different magpies to what we have in aus. The last two are great. Well managed with your exposure.

[Teton Chuck]

Peter, I find that I enjoy seeing photos of wildlife from other parts of the world. And since I have begun taking photos I appreciate just how much effort it takes to get the quality many people are posting on CIC. Thanks for the feedback.

chuck