01 March 2019

Birds in Flight Photography: Cropping & Post-Processing

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

Little Egret in Flight : Over-Exposure Correction
Image 1: Little Egret in Flight - Woodbridge Island Cape Town (Processed)

Little Egret in Flight : Over-Exposure Correction
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

Egyptian Goose in Flight : Recovering feather detail / Under-Wing Shadow reduction
Image 3: Egyptian Goose in Flight - Woodbridge Island Cape Town (Processed)

Egyptian Goose in Flight : Recovering feather detail / Under-Wing Shadow reduction
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

Sandwich Tern in Flight : Extreme Cropping / Colour Correction
Image 5:Sandwich Tern in Flight - Woodbridge Island Cape Town (Processed)

Sandwich Tern in Flight : Extreme Cropping / Colour Correction
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

 Diving Pied Kingfisher : Extreme Cropping Canon EOS 6D Full Frame
Image 7 : Diving Pied Kingfisher - Woodbridge Island Cape Town (Processed)

 Diving Pied Kingfisher : Extreme Cropping Canon EOS 6D Full Frame
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
  • 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)

Birds in Flight Photography: Cropping & Post-Processing - Lightroom 5
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6 : Working in the Development Module


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