Stork-billed Kingfisher

Hi Indraneel:

First of all, Becky and I have a pond in our backyard stocked with decorative Koi. If we saw this fellow in our backyard, we'd be very worried. Beautiful bird; but he looks hungry!

I'm a Photoshop junkie. I can't give it up. I wonder what you think of this version of your photo. Please remember that the resolution  that I had to work with was pretty low and I did this in about 10 minutes out of curiosity.

This is not a criticism of your magnificent photo. This is what a hack (me) has the potential to do to it.

Regards, John

Awesome John, thanks for your post! I really need to learn this stuff! But, how did you do it? Sorry for the low res image, till I can afford a bigger lens, all my birds will have to be close crops :( And yes, it's always hungry when I see it, catches a fish about every 30 minutes.

Hi indreneel:

I learned photoshop in much the same way that you have described how you explored photography. I read a lot about it. Now a days, we have bountiful selections of photoshop tips that we can absorb over the web.

I must apologize for the quick hack I did. Basically, it was a selection of the bird and the branch that it was perched on, moved that to a new layer and then made a couple of background fill layers of different natural colours with masks using the 'render clouds' filter.

I think (not sure) that I could have done the same using photoshop elements.

Anyways, regardless of how I did it, it is a cheap hack not worthy of your great photo. It's just fun for me. I hope it's not at your expense or ire.

My goal is to not have to use photoshop so much. I wish I had your talent. That would make my quest achievable!

Regards, John

Wonderful as a matter of fact, larger than the other one and with more details, superb! Congratulations Indraneel!

PDE

John and Pierre, thanks for your kind words. John, please feel free to hone your skills on my images...

That's an amazing and beautiful bird that you captured well. Could use some sharpening as John mentioned, but still very lovely! Thanks for sharing :D