Black and White Eagle

[coupekid]

What does everyone think of this then?



Cheers!

Ben

[Josh Bear]

Re: Black and White Eagle

Hi

lots of positives. Sharp, good composition showing great detail. My only point of critique would be contrast. It looks at little washed out.

Best Regards

Josh

[lumix]

Re: Black and White Eagle

Hi

lots of positives. Sharp, good composition showing great detail. My only point of critique would be contrast. It looks at little washed out.

Best Regards

Josh

Like what he said, but well done all the same.

[coupekid]

Re: Black and White Eagle

Hi

lots of positives. Sharp, good composition showing great detail. My only point of critique would be contrast. It looks at little washed out.

Best Regards

Josh

Thanks Josh, I was really struggling with this, hence the post for critique.

I wont go into too much detail right now, but suffice to say, i have been experimenting a bit with this one, and couldnt get the contrast right!

[grangie]

Re: Black and White Eagle

Love it. Your pic captures the menace and majesty of this beautiful creature - the gimlet eye and sharp beak are quite fearsome. On a technical note how were you able to get so close? We have a lot of red kites nearbye but I've found it impossible to capture a decent image because, quite sensibly, they keep their distance from folk.

[Pops]

Re: Black and White Eagle

The head, beak and eye are wonderfully detailed. I don't like the small section below the white feathers. It looks blurry or noisy

[Blithe]

Re: Black and White Eagle

You have brought out a lot of detail in this. Is it a tritone? The position of the eagle's head in the frame is spot on, and it is a privilege to look at one of these birds so closely. The eye, almost centre, is mesmerising.

[coupekid]

Re: Black and White Eagle

Love it. Your pic captures the menace and majesty of this beautiful creature - the gimlet eye and sharp beak are quite fearsome. On a technical note how were you able to get so close? We have a lot of red kites nearbye but I've found it impossible to capture a decent image because, quite sensibly, they keep their distance from folk.

Hi,

I am glad you like it, as to how I got it.....quite simple, I cheated!

This was taken at the Hawk Conservancy in Andover/UK

It was also taken with a 300mm lens, so I didnt have to get too close, the image is not cropped in anyway though.

[coupekid]

Re: Black and White Eagle

You have brought out a lot of detail in this. Is it a tritone? The position of the eagle's head in the frame is spot on, and it is a privilege to look at one of these birds so closely. The eye, almost centre, is mesmerising.

Hi Pops and Blithe,

OK, I was experimenting quite a lot with this image, hence my request for feedback on the final result.

I converted to CMYK, and fiddled with the channel mixer, I know this is generally used for printers, but I just felt like having a play.

Normally I use the channel mixer in standard RGB mode.

I hasten to add that normally I do know what I am doing when playing with Photoshop, but in this instance, I have no clue about the technicalities of using this method, or even if it makes any iota of difference, but I quite liked the end result. I dont however like the somewhat greyish flat colouring of the face itself.

Thanks for the feedback

[Patrick]

Re: Black and White Eagle

Hi Pops and Blithe,

OK, I was experimenting quite a lot with this image, hence my request for feedback on the final result.

I converted to CMYK, and fiddled with the channel mixer, I know this is generally used for printers, but I just felt like having a play.

Normally I use the channel mixer in standard RGB mode.

I hasten to add that normally I do know what I am doing when playing with Photoshop, but in this instance, I have no clue about the technicalities of using this method, or even if it makes any iota of difference, but I quite liked the end result. I dont however like the somewhat greyish flat colouring of the face itself.

Thanks for the feedback

Hi Ben

Been watching this thread, and thought as you yourself have just posted the head is grey.

I have attached a version I have played with using a method I described some time ago using channels, a negative and a positive layer and curves, plus some local levels on the eyes, not to mention adding a highlight to the eye.
Am I right in supposing this is a heavy crop, its sharp but lacks that edge.

Patrick

[coupekid]

Re: Black and White Eagle

Hi Ben

Been watching this thread, and thought as you yourself have just posted the head is grey.

I have attached a version I have played with using a method I described some time ago using channels, a negative and a positive layer and curves, plus some local levels on the eyes, not to mention adding a highlight to the eye.
Am I right in supposing this is a heavy crop, its sharp but lacks that edge.

Patrick

Hi Patrick,

you have DEFINATELY added some punch in a positive way here.
I love the treatment you have given it.

The image has not been cropped in any way. I believe that the edge that you say it is lacking, is almost certainly down to both the compression, and the post processing I have done.

Thanks Patrick, I think I may well go back and revisit this one.

[Patrick]

Re: Black and White Eagle

Hi Patrick,

you have DEFINATELY added some punch in a positive way here.
I love the treatment you have given it.

The image has not been cropped in any way. I believe that the edge that you say it is lacking, is almost certainly down to both the compression, and the post processing I have done.

Thanks Patrick, I think I may well go back and revisit this one.

If you want details of the method I used I will post, but don't want to bore people by repeating myself.

Patrick

[coupekid]

Re: Black and White Eagle

If you want details of the method I used I will post, but don't want to bore people by repeating myself.

Patrick

If its not too much trouble patrick, either a link to where you previously posted, or the method would be very usefull.

[Ian]

Re: Black and White Eagle

What does everyone think of this then?



Cheers!

Ben

He (she? ) Looks like they mean business

Looks nice and sharp, Ben. I like the mono treatment although it looks a little too dark on my monitor?

Ian

[Patrick]

Re: Black and White Eagle

If its not too much trouble patrick, either a link to where you previously posted, or the method would be very usefull.

Hi Ben
Sorry didn't get back to you last night, I was out at a workshop on profiling at Smethwick Photo Society. A guy called Bob More an ex president of the Royal.

Anyway here goes

Select image> Channel pallet on the RGB left click +Ctrl a selection will be made > Layer pallet>go to the B/W circle symbol at the bottom and click curves, a curves layer is created, now drag that layer to the symbol like a page with the corner folded at the bottom of the pallet this creates a copy, with this copy selected Ctrl+I this will invert the copy.
you should now have two curve layers one positive one negative.
Select the positive and bring the line down to brighten the image to what you want keeping the input at 50 don't be afraid of over doing it a little and don't be tempted to make the traditional S curve. Now select the negative curve and do the same thing but this time slide the line upward to darken usually to about 55 is enough, again keep the input at 50. Experiment to find whats best for you.
If you now have the odd burnt out bit on the positive curve layer select the eraser say at 25-50% and gently erase to bring back detail in those areas.
You can reverse this procedure for a very contrasty image by darkening the positive layer and lightening the negative layer. If there is any detail in burnt out areas this method will find it.
If you have overdone a layer simply change its opacity to the way you want it.

In the case of your eagle I selected the eye area with the lasso feathered and then adjusted with another layer using levels.

I think I have covered it all any queries just ask.

Patrick