After my *fun* attempt at capturing some Red Squirrels at Formby Point last week, I took comments and tips on board, and went to my local park the other day, armed with a big bag of Tescos finest roasted peanuts and some patience.
The location was Heaton Park in Manchester btw.

Getting on my belly and playing the baiting and waiting game paid off quite well. The grey squirrels seen around the park are quite brave, but the slightest noise can send them scuttling away again.

Also, this is my first attempt at properly post processing an image. After having read through the RSE manual completely, step by step I have processed this through RSE with very little tweaks here and there to what (I hope) is an acceptable image. Normally I just slide, drag, and hope until it looks about right. This was done step by step, in the coorect order (for the first time).

EXIF
Camera Model: Canon EOS 350D DIGITAL
Shutter speed: 1/320 sec
Aperture: 4.5
Exposure mode: Tv
Exposure compensation: -1/3
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Multi-segment
ISO: 800
Focal length: 70mm

Anyway, I'll shut up and post the image.



Comments & critique very welcome, from n00b and pro photographers alike. Nice comments wouldn't go amiss too, only if warranted of course

Regards

[IanC_UK]

I really like that ! So much better than the previous attempts mate !

[CT]

What an improvement! :icon_cool

The light has that nice reddish colour you associate with late afternoon and the fairly long shadow seems to indicate that too? Is it a crop? If so I'd have preferred Cyril not plonked quite so centrally in the frame, but more to the right and giving him more space to look into.

That oof line running from the back of his neck to his tail adds nothing, wont be missed, and is easily cloned out. You're not quite getting the critical detail I know that lens is capable of resolving. I don't think it's anything to do with your technique, the sharpness is there, it just needs bringing out. I'm sure the shot will sharpen up nicely.

An excellent shot Bod, which we're not seeing at it's best yet!

Edit

Unless there's something we can't see stopping you doing so, try to crop to the original 3:2 format where you can.

Thanks guys
CT you are indeed correct, it was late afternoon when this was shot.
It is a crop (lol@Cyril). I too thought about him being in the centre of frame, but other crops didn't look right at the time, I'll go back into PS with fresh eyes, and see what my mind says then.
I'll also bear in mind about the 3:2 format. Something I didn't know/think about. It did feel slightly odd, cropping to a more square ratio, but I couldn't put my finger on why.
I'll also attempt to clone out the OOF line.

To be brutally honest, this has had nothing done in Photoshop, as I tried to get as much tweaking as possible done at the RAW conversion stage via Rawshooter.
The only photoshop work this has had done, is resize/border/title.
I understand it's far from a perfect shot, but rather than try and tweak at every single stage of the process, then asking for critique at the end, felt too much, if that makes sense. I'd rather get it right bit by bit than jump in completely.

I have just attempted and followed Matts tutorial (the one with Berts squirrel), but I will hold off posting that until I get a feel for the critique about the shot this far.

TBH I am actually quite pleased with my progress so far, it being a first proper attempt at the whole thing

Regards

[SammyC]

The shells on the lhs distract me and could probably be cloned out.

[KenCo1964]

I think that is bloody good, And if it's unsharpened then it is advisable to sharpen as the image does loose some during resize. I downloaded Matts TPH action and that does the job well enough for me, it resizes and sharpens, all I have to do is press play. Great stuff. I know there is no substitute for learning how to do this myself, but like you say one step at a time, and taking a better picture is priority.
The ooof line? thought that was a noise that was made when you got kicked in the nuts on the floor don't bother me either , I meen that's why it's there. Really good shot and @70mm, you must have got some really good close ups?
Well done.
Ken.

[Steve]

Most of the comments above are spot on, the OOF line needs to go as does the extra nut/shell on the floor as that indicates baiting and distracts from the image. Remember with wildlife we are always aiming for the most natural picture to fool us of where the critter was photographed.

Also, I know we harp on about it time and again, the focus on the eye really does need to be spot on, as you have not applied any sharpening to this shot yet then that will be easy to recover and correct but it is noticiable that the focus point in on the squirrels shoulder.

Comparred to your first efforts at squirrels and bearing in mind that this is from all new equipment that you openly admit you are still learning the above shot shows how far you have come along is such a short time. Don't get into the mind set that you don't want to post process a picture in PS though, you owe it to the shot and yourself that you bring out the best in any picture that you take.

You wouldn't not use some of your equipment just because some may consider it giving you an advantage, so don't discount every software tool that is available.

I look forward to seeing the finished shot

[Matty]

thats nice MArcel, think of the Cyril shot i took and how much better that was after it was processed, i think yours will be even better!

get it processed, slacker!

[Gary Bagshawe]

That is a very very nice photograph, Well done.

[dazzajl]

That is a very nice shot indeed and shows the gains to had from planing your shoot and knowing what it is that you want to capture.

As has been said, there are great gains to be made from a play with potatochop but be wary of going too far.

Thanks very much for the comments.

Like I say I did attempt to follow Mattys tutorial last night, and I finished it off this morning. I know post processing is one of the key things in my photography that I have a very very very very very long way to go. I have simply hotched and botched so far, rather than sit down and learn the tools and the effects they can have.

So, armed with Photoshop, I cloned, I burnt, I dodged, I sharpened, I layered, and adjusted, and had a little play.

Again, we are still far from a fully processed and completed shot, suitable for hanging in the living room, but as I said it's more of a big learning curve for me, rather than getting a printable shot out of it.

Anyway, here is the latest tinkered with version.
Following Matts tutorial, and roughly following the guide image (foreground, blown highlights etc), I was careful not to blow out the thigh, nut, and neck areas, which the levels dialog was telling me (I hold down Alt when dragging the levels sliders and it shows the clipping..handy little tip I found the other week).
I have cloned out the OOF line above the back, aswell as the extra nut, and the stray shell. Unfortunately, with the back, I seem to have taken the horizon with it...if that makes sense. And just gone too far down. Anyone know how to up the number of levels of history/undo in PS?

WRT the focus point, I can now see that it is on the shoulder. I'm as blind as a bat, and didn't notice this beforehand. I'm trying my hardest to get the attention to detail right, but I seem to miss such obvious and stupid things
I have applied the sharpening, as per Matts guidelines, but I think I've buggered it up somewhat. Along Cyrils face/nose is now a healthy glow, and it looks oversharpened to me.

The reason I'm trying to do this in increments is, I would like my errors pointed out each step of the way, which helps me learn more and more, rather than me bungle my way to the end of a processed image, only to find out that I have done this and that wrong way back at the beginning.



I've just realised I didn't crop it as per the 3:2 and centred suggestion above. (This was already cropped and half processed when I posted the above).


I've left this as a link for now

[CT]

Bod it's still not looking sharp mate. Have you got your right glasses on?

I much preferred the lower key lighting in the original version too. It matters nowt as long as you still have the RAW version anyway. :icon_cool

I've just applied a simple one-shot sharpen filter to your pic (not USM)

You're right, CT it doesn't look anywhere near as sharp as yours. I did apply some sharpening, but obviously not enough
Back to the drawing board.

I also kept flicking back and forth between the first one posted and this one, unsure as to which I preferred. The more saturated and warm, but darker image, or the lighter and brighter.

[CT]

I wouldn't normally use that filter, it's a bit aggressive, but your shot was sufficiently unsharp to try it. It might be a tad too much? - it's too early for these decisions.:kaffeetri

Cropping is an art form in itself. The 3:2 thing isn't carved in stone, but that's the format you see when you look through your viewfinder and the frame you should try to compose/work within. That's not to say you shouldn't crop to any strange shape you like if it makes a shot which doesn't work so well otherwise.

The other problem with cropping to odd shapes is you can have real problems when it comes to getting a frame to fit. Believe me - you'll curse! The 3:2 format in this case will give you the room you need on the left in this shot anyway.

The other advantage with cropping to 3:2 is you can lie through your teeth and say that's how you saw it in the viewfinder. :naughty:

[SammyC]

I think it's too bright now, it's lost some of its colour depth in the process. Maybe halfway between the two.

Are you adjusting the levels or brightening?

[CT]

If you can JUST see some detail in the shadow areas (where there is any of course) then the contrast level is just about right. The shadow in front of Cyril in your shot is a good area to use as your yardstick here. If you compare your two versions, you'll see the first one isn't far out. When you start to lose detail in the shadows it's a good indication you've gone too dark.

Right, I have had a little tinker, I decided not to follow Matt's tutorial (but instead save the tricks learnt there for another time), and....going back to the freshly converted TIFF, straight into PS.

I've cloned out the OOF line, the extra nuts, and applied a 3:2 crop with (hopefully) better framing of Cyril.

I have applied a degree of sharpening to what I think is acceptably sufficient. I'm still in two minds whether it's "enough" sharpening. Obviously I don't want to go too far with that.

So, with the recent changes in mind, any further comments?

Regards



If it is still showing as the lighter version I did the other day, then please force a refresh in your browser. I'm trying to perfect my naming conventions and filing system, so have had to jiggle with filenames

[IanC_UK]

Mate, just go back and look through the other versions in this post, that is a superb improvement !