The Foggy Image Optimization

What’s Up?

Monday morning might have been the most spectacular yet for pelicans. There were more pelicans in La Jolla than I had ever seen in my forty years of visits. With a big surf, there were lot of birds up top. In fact, there were pelicans everywhere. With so many birds, I walked back up the steps and grabbed the 600mm f/4 and the tripod to better isolate single birds. Though I have barely begun to edit the 2155 images, I have already color coded a few very special ones.

Today is Tuesday 27 December 2022. As the weather is supposed to take a turn for the worst for nearly a week, I am not sure what I will be doing in the morning. I am sure, however, that I will get some good and different stuff despite the poor weather. This blog post took 2 1/2-hours to prepare and makes two hundred seventy-four days in a row with a new, educational post just for you. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

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This image was created in the fog on 23 December 2022 on the third morning of the first San Diego IPT. I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) Working in Shutter Priority + 1.7-stops with Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Dial, Zebra technology was used to determine the correct exposure. AUTO ISO set ISO 2000! 1/250 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 7:27:47am in dense fog. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead-solid-perfect. Expand Flexible Spot AF-C with Bird Face-eye Detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: The Original image

The Original

The JPEG above depicts the raw file for the Brown Pelicans — Pacific race adults on cliff image. Aside from the fog, understand that the image looks washed out because it is properly exposed to the right. Many folks delete such images out of ignorance. With digital capture, it is fairly easy to transform the foggy looking images into fairy crisp, colorful images. I do understand, however, that some folks may prefer a foggier version, even one very close to the original.

Image #2: Adobe Camera Raw settings for the Brown Pelicans — Pacific race adults on cliff in fog image

Adobe Camera Raw Settings

In this case, adjusting the sliders is a good start. In addition to what you see above I did some Color Mixer work as well. I still need to do that video!

Before and After Crop, Add Canvas, and Average Blur Color Balance

As you can see by viewing the animated GIF, I cropped out the young bird on our left, and added lots of canvas right to maintain the 3X2 proportion. The final (and huge to me) improvement was using the Average Blur Color Color Balance technique on a Layer. The results were quite magical as this completely eliminated the overall BLUE cast.

This image was also created on 23 December on the third morning of the first San Diego IPT. I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) Working in Shutter Priority + 1.7-stops with Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Dial, Zebra technology was used to determine the correct exposure. AUTO ISO set ISO 2000! 1/250 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 7:27:47am in dense fog. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead-solid-perfect. Expand Flexible Spot AF-C with Bird Face-eye Detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: The optimized version of the Brown Pelicans — Pacific race adults on cliff image

Your Call?

Do you like the optimized version, Image #3? Or would you prefer a somewhat foggier version?

San Diego IPT ##2 Late Registration Discount Info and In-the-Field Instructional Photo Sessions

Please shoot me an e-mail if you would like to receive the San Diego IPT #2 Late Registration Discount info. Note that due to one cancellation and one switch, there are now two opening on San Diego #2. As I will be in San Diego for five weeks, I have lots of free days for In-the-Field Instructional Sessions, again, e-mail for rates and details.

This all-new card includes images created on my JAN 2022 visit to San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

The 2022/23 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPTs

San Diego IPT #2. 4 1/2 DAYS: SAT 7 JAN thru the morning session on WED 11 JAN 2023: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 2.

San Diego IPT #3: 4 1/2 DAYS: THURS 19 JAN thru the morning session on MON 23 JAN 2023: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 5.

Please e-mail for information on personalized pre- and post-IPT and In-the-Field Sessions.

Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Ducks; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Northern Shoveler and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions (both depending on the current regulations and restrictions). And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.

Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.

San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not

Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on exposure along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and SONY Zebras. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode so that you can get the right exposure every time (as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant). Or two seconds with SONY zebras … And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure will be one of the great takeaways on every IPT.

Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

It Ain’t Just Pelicans

With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning there is usually some excellent flight photography as well, often with 70-200mm lenses! And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of those opportunities. Depending on the weather, the local conditions, and the tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego.

Did I mention that there are lots of great birds and natural history subjects in San Diego in winter? Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

The San Diego Details

These IPTs will include four or five 3-hour morning photo sessions, three or four 1 1/2-hour afternoon photo sessions, and three or four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.

San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Deposit Info

A $699 deposit is required to hold your slot for one of the 2022/23 San Diego IPTs. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART”) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due three months before the trip.

Variety is surely the spice of life in San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late

On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the landscape and seascape opportunities.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.