Honest Opinions needed

Had this as a desktop wallpaper since the new year and I cant decide what to do with it, I would like to use it in a Camera Club comp. but feel its a little too contrasty and possibly a tad soft around the head, though the beak appears sharp, I also have a two monitor set up and it looks decidedly warmer on one than the other, and here too I cant decide if its going to print out OK or which displayed image is "right", so I need some really critical opinions, and I MEAN critical, especially how its viewed on different monitors to my own, a few suggestions for improving it would be appreciated too.

Please dont bother with "nice shot" or "well done" etc, I know its a cracking good shot but I also feel it could be better.

[IMG]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j168/impotentspider/TreeSparrow2.jpg[/IMG]

At the risk of being forward, I've taken the liberty of having a bash at this in Photoshop.

I've made it clear on my Flickr photostream that this is not my image; but I'm more than happy to take it down if you wish. I've played around with the shadow/highlight function - more specifically, moved the shadow slider to the right more. I've also sharpened it slightly. To me this now doesn't look underexposed and the colours look more natural and warm, as if baking in glorious sunshine. Well - that's what I think anyway!

Excellent picture and I think Bob has answered your request............

Hmm - If this is cropped then I think it is too centred. Maybe lose just a little from the left and retain a little more on the right. Vertically seems fine.

On my laptop (MacBook - which generally have fantastic screens) Bob's version looks too warm whereas the original is not far off. What program are you using for editing ? I would suggest selectively lightening the head & right wing with a Dodge brush and then selectively re-sharpening the head with a sharpening brush.

Here's what I had in mind ... took 2 mins in Aperture 3

Original on the left, re-worked on the right.

[IMG]http://i52.tinypic.com/15qxnoy.jpg[/IMG]

It is a "cracking good shot" but as everyone (including you) has said it is a tad soft around the head. It looks like the focus point is on the birds back or maybe it's head moved but a bit of sharpening and a touch more exposure & fill would (has!) worked wonders.

It's too soft.

Bob has made a good attempt but in doing so the back of the bird now looks oversharpened and has a slight halo. Maybe just some selective sharpening around the eye area?

Frogfish has got it about right imo.

+1

Was cogitating , and as you know I'm no expert . I've only just got here [ 08.48 ] and I was thinking hard . Had only viewed the original post and not started looking at any responses.

It's a gorgeous bird [ there I've said it ] love the detail

BUT

The head , yes I know it's turned back to give a dirty look ] is just a tad too dark. You are losing some detail there.

The I started to scroll - Snootchie's has lifted the head colour a bit too much and the bird is too much of a muchness - he's lost the slightly darker colours on the R side, of the pic though, that give it interest.

Frogfish - now that's about right in my uneducated eyes - he's got the difference in colour , very subtly , between the side that is well lit and the shaded side. The head is better. He's also managed to make the background very slightly warmer without overdoing it .

I wish I could do stuff like this

Slight sharpening and lightening round the eye area, cropped a bit so bird sits more to the left and small colour boost.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/Sockpuppetuk/TreeSparrow2.jpg[/IMG]

Whilst I think you chaps have done an excellent job, it's still not quite there. The eye is a sharpened eye, rather than an in-focus eye, and therefore lacks the crispness and detail that a good eye should have.

Very annoying, because it's so close to being a very good shot indeed.

I've been laid low with bronchitis. So a belated Happy New Year to all.

G

George. Missed you. Thought it might have been an extended hangover. Sorry about the bronc. Pleased you have pulled through and back posting.
regards Thoramay

Thanks folks, I think I've decided the contrast is too high on this for my ancient program to cope with (Photoshop 7:blush I'm not much of a digital Guru when it comes to stuff like this though I think I should be able to manage some selective adhustments around the head.

Bob; wheres the highlight/shadow function? do you mean levels?
Mike; I like your crop, unfortunately I wanted this for an A3 print so would rather not crop anymore than I need, otherwise its going to look more like a Sparrowhawk than a Sparrow I did think It was too large in the frame as it was.

Having said all this I think George has hit the nail on the head and the biggest problem is going to be the eye
Will have to wait till I know were having a judge with only one eye

I hope you're OK on that boat, George.... it's not been a great winter for living aboard.

Re the shot, sometimes a shot is so good it's worth cheating. You might find 'Focus Magic' (a PS plug in) does a better job at making the eye area look 'in focus' as it works in a different way to USM - it 'actually reverses the formula by which the image got out of focus'. Or at least, it attempts to!

+1 from me too.