Playing with old images.

Over the last 14 months, I have not added many new images to my collection, so I have been revisiting some from years past. I have been looking mainly at landscape rather than wildlife. A landscape does not run away!

This started from spending time revisiting and improving Photoshop skills and knowledge using YouTube and other sources, often revisiting some instructors I have been following for years. I have also spent a good amount of time improving my Final Cut Pro skills but have, as of now I have few past videos to develop.

The following images have been edited in Photoshop using Tony Kuyper’s Luminosity Masks, f64 Zone System, Selective Colour adjustment layer, and other Photoshop techniques.

If you want to see the YouTube subscriptions I use, then search for PiXimperfect, Photoshop Training Channel (PTC), photoshop CAFÉ, f64 Academy, Max Kloskowski, The Joy of Editing with Dave Kelly. These are the main places I visit regularly for reviewing and learning Photoshop and Lightroom skills used with my wildlife and landscape.

Three recent samples below (yes a wildlife image slipped in)

Maisie, a mouse and the hedgehog feeder

At least we know a Hedgehog will use it, although this time Maisie had been in first and had some of the meat (bowl behind bricks). She is more interested in collecting friends and letting them run lose in the house.

We keep telling her they don’t want to be her friend, but as fast has we put them back outside she brings them back in. In this case she was back out again in 15 min so we are hoping she dropped it before the cat flap.

 

Kestrel lunch time romance, well almost.

This was made from a video I shot recently using my iPhone and a spotting scope. The video was made with the free version of Lightworks. I used the free version to compare it with others I have used. The trimming of clips etc is very easy, but using text and effects has taken a bit of getting used to. As to whether I will continue to use this, well the jury is still out

RSPB Leighton Moss iPhone Digiscoping Trial

Monday at RSPB Leighton Moss I thought I would try digiscoping again. The main issue was the vibration even though everything was mounted firmly with a hide clamp. An issue that is all to common with wildlife photography was the Otters arrived performed and went 15min before i got to the hide.

 

Canon 5D Mk 4

Delamere Forest
As Taken with just a little Luminosity Mask tweaking

Very impressed with the speed of the focussing and the image quality even at high ISO. I used it at Chester zoo the other day on Shutter priority with auto ISO. I wanted to try it out and I am very impressed. Next testing is Manual and auto ISO. But the speed of focussing even with my 100-400mm lens was what really impressed.

Early Photo of a Lizard

Lizard likes smelly feet
Lizard likes smelly feet

Hunting through old photos I came across this one from 1986 in Formentera. This is around the time I became fascinated with Lizards. I can still remember manually focussing as it came closer and closer. Finally for this image I had stretched  up to the limit of being able to see through the viewfinder.