I recently responded to a request from one of my delegates from my previous Birds in Flight Photography Workshop Cape Town with regard to image cropping and the amount of post-processing required (as applied in my own Birds in Flight images in my regular shooting environment at Woodbridge Island, Cape Town).
The images added here are the same I answered in my Birds in Flight Photography Support Cape Town Facebook Group - showing the processed image first and then the SOOC / uncropped image (only converted from RAW to JPEG).
Please note: Images were cropped / adjusted using Lightroom 6 and saved for training purposes only.
SOOC: Straight Out Of Camera (only converted from RAW to JPEG with no presets)
Little Egret in Flight : Over-Exposure Correction
Image 1: Cropped and processed to minimize the white over-exposure / some sharpening and noise reduction. Post-processing Time +- 5 minutes from cropping, making adjustments to saving.
Image 2: SOOC image : Over-Exposure Correction
Egyptian Goose in Flight : Recovering feather detail / Under-Wing Shadow reduction
Image 3: Cropped and processed with objective for recovering feather detail in shadow areas / some sharpening and noise reduction. Time +- 3 minutes from cropping, making adjustments and saving.
Image 4: SOOC Image
Sandwich Tern in Flight : Extreme Cropping / Colour Correction
Image 5: Cropped and processed with objective to show an extreme crop (probably more than the maximum I normally use) recovered some colour and some sharpening and noise reduction Time +- 3 minutes from cropping, making adjustments and saving.
Image 6: SOOC image
Diving Pied Kingfisher : Extreme Cropping Canon EOS 6D Full Frame
Image 7: Cropped and processed with objective to show an extreme crop with the Canon EOS 6D Full Frame paired with the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM lens. Some sharpening and noise reduction Time +- 3 minutes from cropping, making adjustments and saving.
Image 8: SOOC image
Cameras / Lenses Used
Manual Exposure
AI Servo Autofocus
Canon EOS 7D Mark II: Large Zone / Case 1 (10 fps in short bursts)
Canon EOS 6D: Single Point AF (4.5 fps)
Metering Mode
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6 Main Adjustments
Cropping / Lens Profile Correction
The images added here are the same I answered in my Birds in Flight Photography Support Cape Town Facebook Group - showing the processed image first and then the SOOC / uncropped image (only converted from RAW to JPEG).
Please note: Images were cropped / adjusted using Lightroom 6 and saved for training purposes only.
SOOC: Straight Out Of Camera (only converted from RAW to JPEG with no presets)
Little Egret in Flight : Over-Exposure Correction
Image 1: Cropped and processed to minimize the white over-exposure / some sharpening and noise reduction. Post-processing Time +- 5 minutes from cropping, making adjustments to saving.
Image 2: SOOC image : Over-Exposure Correction
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| Image 1: Little Egret in Flight - Woodbridge Island Cape Town (Processed) |
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| Image 2: Little Egret in Flight - Woodbridge Island Cape Town (SOOC) |
Egyptian Goose in Flight : Recovering feather detail / Under-Wing Shadow reduction
Image 3: Cropped and processed with objective for recovering feather detail in shadow areas / some sharpening and noise reduction. Time +- 3 minutes from cropping, making adjustments and saving.
Image 4: SOOC Image
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| Image 3: Egyptian Goose in Flight - Woodbridge Island Cape Town (Processed) |
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| Image 4: Egyptian Goose in Flight - Woodbridge Island Cape Town (SOOC) |
Sandwich Tern in Flight : Extreme Cropping / Colour Correction
Image 5: Cropped and processed with objective to show an extreme crop (probably more than the maximum I normally use) recovered some colour and some sharpening and noise reduction Time +- 3 minutes from cropping, making adjustments and saving.
Image 6: SOOC image
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| Image 5:Sandwich Tern in Flight - Woodbridge Island Cape Town (Processed) |
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| Image 6: Sandwich Tern in Flight - Woodbridge Island Cape Town (SOOC) |
Diving Pied Kingfisher : Extreme Cropping Canon EOS 6D Full Frame
Image 7: Cropped and processed with objective to show an extreme crop with the Canon EOS 6D Full Frame paired with the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM lens. Some sharpening and noise reduction Time +- 3 minutes from cropping, making adjustments and saving.
Image 8: SOOC image
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| Image 7 : Diving Pied Kingfisher - Woodbridge Island Cape Town (Processed) |
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| Image 8 : Diving Pied Kingfisher - Woodbridge Island Cape Town (Processed) |
Cameras / Lenses Used
- Image 1 - 6 with Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens
- Image 7 - 8 with Canon EOS 6D / EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM Lens
Manual Exposure
- ISO: Auto-ISO 500 - 800
- Aperture: f/5.6
- Shutter Speed: 1/4000 - 5000s
AI Servo Autofocus
Canon EOS 7D Mark II: Large Zone / Case 1 (10 fps in short bursts)
Canon EOS 6D: Single Point AF (4.5 fps)
Metering Mode
- Image 1 - 2: Center weighted average metering
- Image 3 - 8: Evaluative metering (default)
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6 Main Adjustments
Cropping / Lens Profile Correction
Tone
Presence
Detail
Location
Woodbridge Island (just off the small Island past the railings towards the Pump Station
Conditions
- Exposure / Contrast
- Highlights / Shadows
- Whites / Blacks
Presence
- Clarity
- Vibrancy / Saturation
Detail
- Sharpening
- Noise reduction
Location
Woodbridge Island (just off the small Island past the railings towards the Pump Station
Conditions
- Image 1: Slightly overcast (mid morning)
- Image 3 & 5: Sunny / windy (mid-morning)
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