Share Your Best Photo of the Day

[Connor Cochrane]

Bay-headed Tanager

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/350967051

[Birding Boy]

Fish Crow headshot (Didn’t want to include the garbage can in full frame, can’t blame humans for all the littering) 

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/351018631

[Connor Cochrane]

4 minutes ago, Birding Boy said:

Fish Crow headshot (Didn’t want to include the garbage can in full frame, can’t blame humans for all the littering) 

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/351018631

That's a smooth background for 2500 ISO. Did you use any noise removal?

[Birding Boy]

4 minutes ago, Connor Cochrane said:

That's a smooth background for 2500 ISO. Did you use any noise removal?

Nope, he was just pretty close. I hardly cropped it at all. I’m not sure why I had my iso so high then, it was pretty sunny out. Probably auto iso decided that was for the dark feathers...I dunno.

Edited June 29, 2021 by Birding Boy

[Connor Cochrane]

1 minute ago, Birding Boy said:

Nope, he was just pretty close. I hardly cropped it at all. I’m not sure why I had my iso so high then, it was pretty sunny out. Probably auto iso decided that was for the dark feathers...I dunno.

Nice. That's the one problem I have with the 7d mark II, it really doesn't do well over 800 ISO, I have to end up throwing a lot of photos through denoise if I want them to turn out decent. I'm going to have a chance to try out the R5 later this summer, so it'll be interesting comparing it to the mark II to see how it does in low-light situations.

[Birding Boy]

1 minute ago, Connor Cochrane said:

Nice. That's the one problem I have with the 7d mark II, it really doesn't do well over 800 ISO, I have to end up throwing a lot of photos through denoise if I want them to turn out decent. I'm going to have a chance to try out the R5 later this summer, so it'll be interesting comparing it to the mark II to see how it does in low-light situations.

What denoise program do you use? I know Topaz denoise is a popular choice but I’m curious if there’s other ones. My camera does pretty well in good to decent lighting, but obviously in overcast conditions and with cropping the noise increases. 
And dang, the R5?! That’s completely awesome, I’ve seen some amazing photos produced by photographers with that camera. Are you renting it or something? I hear it’s great with pretty much everything, including low light situations. 

[Connor Cochrane]

6 minutes ago, Birding Boy said:

What denoise program do you use? I know Topaz denoise is a popular choice but I’m curious if there’s other ones. My camera does pretty well in good to decent lighting, but obviously in overcast conditions and with cropping the noise increases. 
And dang, the R5?! That’s completely awesome, I’ve seen some amazing photos produced by photographers with that camera. Are you renting it or something? I hear it’s great with pretty much everything, including low light situations. 

I use Topaz, it's the best I've found and it works pretty well. I'll attach photos of a photo before and after denoise. I'm too lazy to stick them up on another photo hosting website, so beware of the bad quality. As to the camera, I have a family member who has the R5 who said he'd let me try it out when I visit them. 

Edit: You'll have to click on the attached image

Edited June 29, 2021 by Connor Cochrane

[Birding Boy]

3 minutes ago, Connor Cochrane said:

I use Topaz, it's the best I've found and it works pretty well. I'll attach photos of a photo before and after denoise. I'm too lazy to stick them up on another photo hosting website, so beware of the bad quality. As to the camera, I have a family member who has the R5 who said he'd let me try it out when I visit them. 

 

Before Noise Removal:

After Noise Removal:

Thanks, I’ll check out topaz. I can definitely see a huge improvement between your two shots. And nice, hope you get some good practice and shots with that camera. Get some good flight shots for us with that eye tracking autofocus haha. 

[The Bird Nuts]

4 minutes ago, Birding Boy said:

Thanks, I’ll check out topaz. I can definitely see a huge improvement between your two shots. And nice, hope you get some good practice and shots with that camera. Get some good flight shots for us with that eye tracking autofocus haha. 

I have Topaz Denoise too.  I was a little disappointed after spending so much money.  It's quick and does an okay job as long as you don't look too closely at the photos.  I'm a pixel peeper and I was annoyed by the patterns it produces when used on very noisy photos and it sometimes adds too much sharpening even on the lowest setting.

But you can get the free trial and try it out for yourself.

Edited June 29, 2021 by The Bird Nuts

[Connor Cochrane]

Just now, The Bird Nuts said:

I have Topaz Denoise too.  I was a little disappointed after spending so much money.  It's quick and does an okay job as long as you don't look too closely at the photos.  I'm a pixel peeper and I was annoyed by the patterns it produces when used on very noisy photos and it sometimes adds too much sharpening even on the lowest setting.

That is true. On very noisy photos it does often produce a weird pattern in the background, they did just release a 'severe noise' mode which I haven't checked out yet. I'll experiment with some of my 10000 ISO photos from deep in the the jungle right now to see if there is any improvement. 

[stitch58]

2 hours ago, Connor Cochrane said:

Nice. That's the one problem I have with the 7d mark II, it really doesn't do well over 800 ISO, I have to end up throwing a lot of photos through denoise if I want them to turn out decent. I'm going to have a chance to try out the R5 later this summer, so it'll be interesting comparing it to the mark II to see how it does in low-light situations.

A friend of mine got an R5 not to long ago & I'm totally jealous! Here's a link to his pictures if you'd like to check them out;

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenbuckingham/

 

[MarkG]

 

[FlowerShooter]

[Birding Boy]

Visual lifer, Henslow’s Sparrow! Finally, after having them Tzlick at me tantalizingly close in the grass...
Unfortunately it was near noon, so the photo didn’t turn out as well as it could have, but I’m happy regardless. 
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/351190011

[Birding Boy]

Forgot to attach this one, hope it’s alright to make another post. He puts so much effort into such a small “song” 

[Johnd]

 

[Bird Brain]

1 hour ago, Johnd said:

 

Is this one carrying a tree to build its nest in??? 

[neilpa]

[Connor Cochrane]

4 hours ago, Birding Boy said:

Visual lifer, Henslow’s Sparrow! Finally, after having them Tzlick at me tantalizingly close in the grass...
Unfortunately it was near noon, so the photo didn’t turn out as well as it could have, but I’m happy regardless. 
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/351190011

I didn’t realize Henslow’s Sparrows made it that far north. I still need it for the ABA (48th top need). I hopefully I can pick it up in Florida this winter, however it’s unlikely. 

Edited June 30, 2021 by Connor Cochrane

[DLecy]

Lighting was HORRIBLE, but I think I salvaged a decent shot.

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/351233331

 

[IKLland]

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/351230431

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/351230421

[DLecy]

9 minutes ago, IKLland said:

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/351230431

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/351230421

Look at you getting all artistic on us! Bravo.

Edited June 30, 2021 by DLecy

[neilpa]

38 minutes ago, DLecy said:

Look at you getting all artistic on us! Bravo.

Especially that first one. What flower, oh this flower...

[neilpa]

1 hour ago, Connor Cochrane said:

I still need it for the ABA (48th top need)

I'm assuming you're using this filter or something similar on ebird.org/targets to get that number?

[Connor Cochrane]

14 minutes ago, neilpa said:

I'm assuming you're using this filter or something similar on ebird.org/targets to get that number?

Correct. eBirds yet to have implemented target species for major regions. It seems like it would be pretty easy to do sense they’ve recently made it possible to find targets from individual hotspots.