Post Processing

As a photographer I know I am always comparing my images to others that I consider are better than me in an effort to try and achieve the same level.  This is not always a good idea because of the many variables involved in the process of actually making the image and I often feel like I am constantly coming up short.

I look at an image of a bird that has been shot with a huge prime lens and I know that I am never going to achieve that quality with the lens I have, but that doesn't mean I am not going to get images that are not as good or even better. My lens allows me more flexibility, I can hand hold it or use a monopod and this makes it very mobile. Some of the bigger prime lenses are very heavy and need to be mounted on a very sturdy tripod. I could never lug one of them around, I am just not that strong!

They shiver their wings semi spread in a display of dominance.

So I am gradually coming to the conclusion that while I can strive to get better I should be happy with what I am achieving. A lot of the difference can be made in post processing also. A friend showed me one of her bird shots recently and said "it's not as sharp as I would like". I could hear myself saying the same thing about my own shots.

The thing is, that most if not all bird photos shot with digital cameras require a certain amount of sharpening that the camera can't or doesn't do. Once you realise that, you can look at ways to improve your images in post processing and find that a lot of reject images suddenly become stunners! I am currently working between the old and the new in terms of my workflows in post processing and I think I am getting the hang of  it.