2018 Project 52 - 2nd QTR - Sandy(Skitterbug)

[skitterbug]

I have to add two more because I wanted to show that spring is trying to arrive here. It appears that the bullfrogs have come out of hibernation! I was having trouble with the yucky looking water as well as some of the light glimmers. Here are two photos that I thought may be okay. Yep! Happiness is seeing bullfrogs in our koi pond!

#1 - f/11 - 1/125ss - ISO100



#2 - f/11 - 1/200ss - ISO100

[rudi]

week 17: I think they are very good !
nr 2 could benefit from a bit more room in front and at the back .
nr 3, 4 and 5 are a bit underexposed. Take a look at the histogram, tweek it in post (levels/curves) and see what you like best.
nr 5: I would be tempted to crop off a bit from the top, to get rid off the green stuff.
And as usual YMMV....

[rudi]

Very nice pictures off the bullfrogs Sandy.
Allow me to repeat myself
bulfrog nr2: I would be tempted to crop off a bit from the top, and I would like to see a bit more room in front off the beast... YMMV

[skitterbug]

week 17: I think they are very good !
nr 2 could benefit from a bit more room in front and at the back .
nr 3, 4 and 5 are a bit underexposed. Take a look at the histogram, tweek it in post (levels/curves) and see what you like best.
nr 5: I would be tempted to crop off a bit from the top, to get rid off the green stuff.
And as usual YMMV....

#2 - agree, he could have used a bit more room but he didn't pose where he ought to and there was too much "junk" in the way so it had to go. Maybe I could add a bit of canvas around him to enlarge it, if I become ambitious!

#3,4,5 - could use a bit more light. Geoff also felt that these needed help so I gave a try in Post #20 in lightening up #5 photo to see if that is better?

One thing I've found with my new long lens is that it isn't great in low light situations. When it is fully extended f/5.6 is it for aperture. Then I'm down to slowing down the speed which I don't want to do, or increasing the ISO which I also am leery of doing due to 'noise'. What is great about digital, is that I can keep trying to get my "perfect" photos. It helps to hear opinions as well because it keeps reminding me of what to watch for when I am composing my photos.

Thanks!

[skitterbug]

Very nice pictures off the bullfrogs Sandy.
Allow me to repeat myself
bulfrog nr2: I would be tempted to crop off a bit from the top, and I would like to see a bit more room in front off the beast... YMMV

Hi Rudi! I didn't see this post when I answered earlier! <croak> I think then for #2 bullfrog, I should probably use a 5x7 crop rather than the square and it will look better perhaps. I'll give it a go and post it....... below!

[Geoff F]

The frogs look good, Sandy and the wider crop looks better to me.

I think you could be a little bit bolder with your attempts to brighten up the bird images. There is a potential problem with a bright spot in the background behind its beak, but you should be able to selectively overcome that with a little tweak to a mask after lightening the whole scene.

Big lenses are always fraught with potential problems. Unless you have good light from the perfect angle there will always be some degree of compromise. I often have to raise the Iso to 800 or a little higher, which usually gives acceptable results providing there aren't too many dark shadows in the scene. In which case, I sometimes just have to find myself another subject.

[skitterbug]

The frogs look good, Sandy and the wider crop looks better to me.

I believe in my first attempt I cropped for a square pic so I could get rid of the pieces of rubbish on the rocks in front of the bullfrog. Re-cropping to 5x7 does give the frog more room. I did take a bit of time to darken the offending pieces of litter which made a difference to me.

I think you could be a little bit bolder with your attempts to brighten up the bird images. There is a potential problem with a bright spot in the background behind its beak, but you should be able to selectively overcome that with a little tweak to a mask after lightening the whole scene.

I haven't really mastered masks, etc. as well as I would like so it will be an area that I'll keep practicing! Glad you pointed out the spot behind his beak, I actually hadn't noticed it. So I'll keep it in mind.

Big lenses are always fraught with potential problems. Unless you have good light from the perfect angle there will always be some degree of compromise. I often have to raise the Iso to 800 or a little higher, which usually gives acceptable results providing there aren't too many dark shadows in the scene. In which case, I sometimes just have to find myself another subject.

I'm still learning (I keep saying that, don't I.....) how the Mark II handles things like higher ISO settings and the results it will give. These birds are so quick that I do have to have the speed set fairly fast so the birds don't end up being a blurry mess. Work in progress, I guess.

Thanks for the tips and advise! I'm glad for your help!

[skitterbug]

Week 19 - Spring may finally be staying around. I sure do hope so!
We have a visitor who probably will be making his home in our landscape. So I took the opportunity to see if I could cature him digitally. I really like the expression on his face... actually his mouth. It is almost pursed up probably thinking I was not doing a decent job of it. LOL
Settings used for these - f/8.0 - 1/800ss - ISO1600

#1



He wasn't sure about me stalking him. He kept glancing back over his shoulder and was becoming jumpy. Shortly after I took this one, he took off into our wooded area.

#2

[rudi]

Week 19 - ....

It seems live goes quicker on the other side off 'the pond' .......

Those pictures came out very nice Sandy!!
#1 : I would be tempted to crop off some off the bottom, as the OOF grass does not add too much ....

[Wavelength]

Splendid images...all of them

[Geoff F]

My thoughts are along the same lines as Rudi.

Besides the foreground grass being out of focus this current scene rather looks like a 'rabbit sandwich'. Layer of green, layer of rabbit and another layer of green. So a crop will break up the regularity of those layers.

The actual rabbit has come out well and a nicely different pose in the second image.

[skitterbug]

Splendid images...all of them

Thank you Nandakumar! It is good to see your return! Busy times for you indeed!

[skitterbug]

Hi Rudi - I'll have a try at the crop you and Geoff have suggested and see how it turns out!
As for time sliding by more quickly here.... I think it is because I'm older and I manage to go from one event or holiday to another! <grin> The only way time drags now is when I'm sick! Fortunately, that's not been too often!

[skitterbug]

My thoughts are along the same lines as Rudi.

Besides the foreground grass being out of focus this current scene rather looks like a 'rabbit sandwich'. Layer of green, layer of rabbit and another layer of green. So a crop will break up the regularity of those layers.

The actual rabbit has come out well and a nicely different pose in the second image.

Hi Geoff - Rabbit sandwich - you really gave me a laugh with that description!
I'd used a square crop on him in the first post but wasn't very tight with the crop. So now I've tried a 5x7 size. I wanted to leave a little room by his head so it would look like he had room to jump on out of there, if he wanted.

Hope you and Rudi like this appearance better! Thanks for the comments!

Cropped Bunny sandwich!

[Shadowman]

Nice nature series, I missed the frog shots.

[skitterbug]

Nice nature series, I missed the frog shots.

Hi John - I've taken some frog pics but they haven't quite been what I've wanted yet! You can bet that Mr. Bullfrog will be back! <lol>

Thanks for your comments!

[Geoff F]

The latest rabbit crop looks better to me.

[skitterbug]

One more photo for Week 19 because I wanted opinions about the high ISO used for it. It was very dark So I dialed the ISO to 6400. Had the lens set for the most open it would go f/5.6 and steadied the camera against the window sill so speed was 1/6ss. I was hoping the little fella wouldn't move and blur everything. I have several that are blurred so I knew what I was trying to do was probably hopeless. However, I was fairly happy with this one and wanted to share for opinions. We really don't want raccoons in our landscape because they love to munch on our sweet corn when it is ready. And there are other issues regarding raccoons but they certainly are cute!

Young raccoon munching on fallen bird seed.

[skitterbug]

Thanks Geoff! I haven't spotted him since that photo adventure. <smile> But I bet he'll be back!

[Geoff F]

There is a bit of noise in the background shadows, but not too bad and the main subject is quite satisfactory.