Hummingbird

Hi Charles,

Nice work with your 300mm lens.

This is one of the few Hummingbird images that I have ever seen where the bird is perched and apparently at rest.

The noise is not a distraction for me. I am surprised that any would be revealed, but there is some pattern effect in the background.

I removed the "noise", but I am uncertain that the image is really improved. It is more a personal preference.

I like your image as is anyway.

Best Regards,  Mike

Hi Mike, thanks for the comments.  I'm still working on getting a good hummingbird in flight shot, and yet, with a nice back ground and the right light they can look great when perched.  I'm thinking the back ground looks a little grainy, but not too much for my taste.  A friend was telling me on her monitor the back ground looks to dark to properly separate out the bird, though on my monitor, it is a little brighter.  Thanks for the noise reduction, I appreciate seeing what that looks like.  With this shot, the noise I'm seeing, though slight, I'm thinking it probably came from the image being a bit under exposed where lightening it in post brings out some grain.  I read about exposing to the right and recovering detail from not quite blown out areas, and am trying to expose to the right more often, though its hard to judge, will have to get used to looking at the histogram instead of the LCD image on the camera to judge whites.  I gather it is better to tone down a bright exposure than to raise the shadows up where noise becomes a problem, even at low ISOs.  Thanks again.

............... the background works for me. This is a good clean shot with lots of plumage definition.

Personally, I think that if no mention had been made of a "noise" factor, most viewers would not have noticed........ me for one.

A good image, well done.

Regards

Only a little bit too dark and not sharp enough! Difficult stuff to manage with tele lenses on a much, much better light, I know that!

Best regards Charles!

PDE

Nice capture.  I agree if you had not mentioned the noise, I would not have thought much of it.  As it is, it's a beautiful shot of one of my favorite birds.  Thanks for sharing.

Thank you Grayham, Pierre and Alan. 

Charles, an absolutely gorgeous capture. Took a little liberty, adjusted shadow slider in PS only, perhaps a bit much. Noise gives a painterly effect. Soooo much can be done here, but it still stands beautiful as is.

Randall

Hi Randall - I like that shadow adjustment a lot!  thank you for your kind words and helping me see this differently!