Flicker

This is my first post. I've been taking digital pictures for about 4 years, but I'm not sure about processing the images on my computer. I just bought Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 this year.

I'm posting the original and the processed images. Any comments on the picture or how to process it differently would be appreciated. Jim

Nice catch. You might boost the contrast a touch and maybe some saturation. Look into getting Lightroom. It is an awesome program for processing. I like the crop on the first picture the most.

Yay, finally another PSP user! I think that brings the count up to 3 of us :lol:

One thing you'll find very useful is the set of adjustment brushes (located just below the paintbrush/airbrush halfway down the left side). One of those is the sharpen brush that works great to add just a little extra sharpening to the beak and eye to really make them "pop". Be sure to set the hardness to "0" (you'll find that at the intersection of the top and left toolbars)

In this shot, I'd also make use of the Clarify tool which can be found under Adjust>brightness & contrast>clarify. It adds contrast but in a non linear way. Play with it to see how it works, but I'd guess an intensity of 2 would do it for this one. (same tool can be accessed under the "enhance photo" tab at right of top icons).

I used to be an avid PSP user. Then I switched to Mac and found PSP is not supported. I just set up a Mac Mini for a media center and plan on installing Windows on an external drive. So I may be back to using PSP if I can find my license. I do find I like Lightroom for most post processing work. I use Photoshop elements for the heavy hitting.

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Originally Posted by Greg McCary

Nice catch. You might boost the contrast a touch and maybe some saturation. Look into getting Lightroom. It is an awesome program for processing. I like the crop on the first picture the most.

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Thanks. What in the "clues" in the picture indicate a need for more contrast and saturation? I'm still learning what to look for and how to adjust things.

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Originally Posted by jetrim

Yay, finally another PSP user! I think that brings the count up to 3 of us :lol:

One thing you'll find very useful is the set of adjustment brushes (located just below the paintbrush/airbrush halfway down the left side). One of those is the sharpen brush that works great to add just a little extra sharpening to the beak and eye to really make them "pop". Be sure to set the hardness to "0" (you'll find that at the intersection of the top and left toolbars)

In this shot, I'd also make use of the Clarify tool which can be found under Adjust>brightness & contrast>clarify. It adds contrast but in a non linear way. Play with it to see how it works, but I'd guess an intensity of 2 would do it for this one. (same tool can be accessed under the "enhance photo" tab at right of top icons).

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Thanks. Do you know of any good books on PSP? The manual tells how to use different features but not why to use it or what affect it will have.

It's pretty nice SOOC, I think. First crop is my choice. Though I don't understand most of it, it is interesting to read the various PP comments. It will be interesting to watch your progress -- I'm still learning the camera.....

Welcome, JimRF!!

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Originally Posted by JimRF

Thanks. What in the "clues" in the picture indicate a need for more contrast and saturation? I'm still learning what to look for and how to adjust things.

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To me it looks a little washed out or flat. Maybe you took this on an overcast day?

Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. It ranges in scale from the subatomic to the cosmic.

Pretty nice.

Do they move around a lot? I've mainly watched Blue Jays and they just won't sit still very long.

:)

Welcome.

The processed version better, but exhibits the same problem as he first one, which is that your camera exposed for and focused on the fence, rather than the bird. Technically, it is a great shot of the fence and a weaker shot of the Flicker.

Thanks for sharing.