| Joined: | Thu Apr 19th, 2012 |
| Location: | United Kingdom |
| Posts: | 4424 |
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Thanks Eric, I am finding using A mode which I have in general except when photographing panoramas and starscapes, that I have to work quite hard on the image to get the contrast and definition, image clarity with the D300.
Those Swan images 'straight-out of the can' were rubbish. The swans were pure white, all over BUT using Lightroom and pulling back the highlights and whites, then introducing about 25 points of Clarity and a little vibrance it improved the image a lot. I am finding the new adjustment 'Dehaze' very useful, it really does get rid of annoying distance haze in images. You can of course add haze for effect if you wish.
To get the final touch I still find I have to take the image into Ps and apply levels, I can't find a way of adjusting levels in Lightroom in the same was as I can in Photoshop, I still use the reverse slide technique to find the black and white points. That for me adds the final touch of clarity.
There is definitely a LOT more range in a D300 NEF than there is in a D200 NEF. I would never have managed to pull back those Swans they would have blown the whites completely.
As taken, note the histo not blown at either end:
After processing in Lightroom and levels in Photoshop, note the settings and the improvement in tone and definition:
Hmmm...I think you have over done it.
On my screen those swans aren't white any more, more like grey yearlings. That's borne out by the absence of any spectacular whites on your histogram. In bright sunlight a white swan will have blown out areas, I accept you want to pull them back a tad if the cameras meters don't judge it right. However, I think, in trying to get more definition everywhere on the bird you are loosing the brightness on a sunlight swan that your eyes see.
Just my opinion.
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Eric