Portrait of a Sandhill Crane

[bnnrcn]

Very nice edit Terry

[Brownbear]

Thank you to all!

Rita... I appreciate the link. I have in mind the goal of creating artsy bird pics, that are obviously not real, fantasy-like, likely mostly white on white which is easiest to do on light images but those feathers are a definite challenge. I will watch your link today!

Chuck, Bud and Bobo...
Thank you so much. Truly appreciated!

Bobo - A wow for a bird image from you is to be treasured. I can see the car in the background, likely because I know it was there. I will sit on the image for a while. Crane's aren't commonly seen here and I was just lucky.

Terry - Thank you so much for taking the time to show me another option. Definitely artsy! And I do like your choice of the red/orange colour shades which compliment the bird beautifully!

[jprzybyla]

Hey Brownbear, nice portrait of a sand hill. The background was not the best so I worked on it to get rid of the dark band. I made a selection of the bird using the Quick Selection Tool then right clicked in the selection choosing Select Inverse. That protected the bird. I then chose the Paint Brush with the opacity set at 40% and picked up the green color of the background and painted over the dark band blending it in. I also fixed the eye.



A good way of watching your backgrounds is once you know the subject of your photograph turn your attention in the viewfinder to the background. Many times all it takes is moving up or down, or right to left to avoid something like the dark band.

[Mike Buckley]

Very nice, Joe!

[FrankMi]

Hi Christina, the background doesn't really distract in the first image and the details in the Sandhill Crane are excellent. Although Joe's background edit is more complementary, it is the image of the Crane that carries this presentation so very well.

[Brownbear]

Joe...

Thank you so much for taking the time. A beautiful complementary background indeed! I gave it a whirl but because using the paint brush tool and all the associated settings is new to me I wasn't able to do it well. ie; a streaky background. However I did learn how to paint and I even stuck a butterfly on the end of the birds beak. So I will save this image to revisit for future when my processing skills are stronger.

I did manage a plainer background with this bird, as you have taught me in the past. However those captures are not as close in or as sharp. I was in a parking lot full of cars, people and other photographers.

Frank...

Thank you. I am happy with my capture of the Sand Crane, and I will do something with this image one day.


Small size to share the idea but hide the imperfections...


PS Rita... I can't find that video on the link but it's okay. I understand the process but I'm limited by my skills.

[Nicks Pics]

Hi Cristina, I was browsing this post and it struck me that perhaps you were attempting an affect that I often almost reach accidentally, but it is done at the time of capture, by under-exposing a photo which has a very bright subject witha dark background, like a swan in evening sunlight on dark water, then perhaps I would exaggerate the contrast affect in PP. I don't have access to my own images right now, but I recalled seeing this photo on the web , which I'm sending a link to as an example, (though I don't know how it was created)http://www.visionlightgallery.com/ga...P22593C842.cfm

[Brownbear]

Hi Nick,

Thank you for sharing. Truly appreciated. I do love photographing white birds in low light - artistic - just like high key bird images.

However, what I'm actually trying to learn how to do is create "Bird Art" - fantasy like pics that are more like paintings or drawings out of some of my bird images... Totally unreal and very popular in the shops in town.. To get an idea of what I'm trying to learn see

https://www.google.ca/search?q=fanta...%3B1920%3B1080

I simply chose the Sandhill because he/she was of good quality and could take the post processing for such an image. I chose black simply because it was dramatic against the colouring of the bird. Just darkening the background is pretty lame (I still have a lot to learn about PP) but a basic skill that I need to learn to do well so that no lines are seen at full size. And now I've learned how to colour images.

Thank you Nick!

Hi Cristina, I was browsing this post and it struck me that perhaps you were attempting an affect that I often almost reach accidentally, but it is done at the time of capture, by under-exposing a photo which has a very bright subject witha dark background, like a swan in evening sunlight on dark water, then perhaps I would exaggerate the contrast affect in PP. I don't have access to my own images right now, but I recalled seeing this photo on the web , which I'm sending a link to as an example, (though I don't know how it was created)http://www.visionlightgallery.com/ga...P22593C842.cfm

[CNelson]

Very nice!

[FrankMi]

However, what I'm actually trying to learn how to do is create "Bird Art" - fantasy like pics that are more like paintings or drawings out of some of my bird images... Totally unreal and very popular in the shops in town.. To get an idea of what I'm trying to learn see

https://www.google.ca/search?q=fanta...%3B1920%3B1080

I simply chose the Sandhill because he/she was of good quality and could take the post processing for such an image. I chose black simply because it was dramatic against the colouring of the bird. Just darkening the background is pretty lame (I still have a lot to learn about PP) but a basic skill that I need to learn to do well so that no lines are seen at full size. And now I've learned how to colour images.

A really neat idea Christina! The link shows some very interesting concepts. I am guessing that it will take some strong drawing as well as photography still to accomplish. I am definitely interested in seeing how you make out in this endeavor!

[chauncey]

If I might be so bold as to suggest these two sites...http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/ and http://www.renderosity.com/

[Brownbear]

Thank you Chuck, Frank and Chauncey!

Frank... I hope you realize that you might have to wait a while especially if it involves learning to draw well. I'm especially fond of the Owl and the chipmunk perched on the tree stump in the forest.

Chauncey... Thank you for the links. Truly appreciated.

PS
Joe... What did you do to the bird's eye?

[leslie1283]

Christina,
Very nice but I refer the original.

[Brownbear]

Thank you Leslie. I appreciate your taking the time to share your preference.

Indeed most folks do seem to prefer the original.

Christina,
Very nice but I refer the original.