Woodpecker v. Nuthatch Teeter-Totter on the Feeder

This is another image revisited from last year, in which a woodpecker and a nuthatch both landed on the feeder at the same time. Though the feeder rocked downward in the nuthatch's direction, the woodpecker is the bigger of the two birds. Thanks for stopping by!

Me First, Please (Two Finches on the Feeder)

This image was extremely, horribly noisy. As I began to process it in Photomatix for HDR, I remembered why I had taken it directly to Paintshop Pro in my original edit, where I converted it into a daguerreotype image from a hundred years ago (sans color, so that the noise is not quite so obvious.) I decided to give it another try and see if there wasn't something in the filters that might help to clean the image up a bit (without resorting to making the image look cloudy and ancient.) After running the image through an assortment of filters (noise reduce, dry brush, graphic novel,) I'm not sure whether or not I ended up where I had hoped, but... it was interesting to try.

Thanks for stopping by!

End result:

Noise reduced in Paintshop Pro

Noise reduce in Photoshop Elements

Dry Brush

Fly Away, Chickadee (Graphic Novel filter)

This is an image that I edited to look like a daguerreotype that I posted a year ago. The original was a highly noisy picture. (The noise is very well absent from the daguerreotype.)

In my latest edit attempt, I tilted the image and tried to use the Graphic Novel filter to catch the edges, and then I layered in some color. The problem with using the Graphic Novel filter on noisy images is that the filter finds edges all over the place, and not just the edges that I would like.

Hmmm... Thanks for stopping by!

Mourning Dove (Graphic Novel filter)

I shoot many of my images through a glass window. I think this is the reason that I often find the problem of weird/hazy streaks in the background of my images. I've tried various methods to tone these streaks down (my favorite being the Dry Brush filter,) but for today's image, I used a Graphic Novel filter and then layered in the color image. The streaks are still there, though perhaps less noticeable than in the original. Thanks for stopping by!

Mourning Dove Keeps an Eye on You (Graphic Novel filter)

I don't know if any of you look at my image file names, but those who do will probably raise their eyebrows at this one. I usually leave some indication in the name of the process that I use to edit my photo. In this case, I sent it through the noise reduction filter on Photoshop three times. (So, no, I wasn't saying: "Nee-ner, nee-ner, nee-ner." :) Thanks for stopping by!

Bird in the Grass (Graphic Novel filter)

Some time last year, I had posted a differently edited version of this image of a Mourning Dove. This time, I processed the image for HDR in Photomatix and added the Graphic Novel filter from Photoshop. Thanks for stopping by!

Duck Cruising through the Water (redux)

Last year, I posted this stamp filtered image of a duck cruising across the water. I rather like it for the "Loch Ness Monster" feel about the image, playing off the shadow that you get with the stamp filter.

The graphic novel version of the same image, which I also like, leaves no mistake that it is a bird (and not the Loch Ness Monster) in the image, giving just a few more details perhaps than its more shadowy predecessor. As far as a favorite goes... I still think that I favor the first image. Thanks for stopping by!

Duck in the Water (Stamp filter)

Among the problem of water and sky pictures I find the appearance of spots from an unclean camera. Absolutely frustrating. The biggest one that I've run into, or so I've been told (or maybe I've been had?) is called a 'water spot,' with moisture somehow having gotten itself inside my camera. Be that what it may, there are filters that I've come across (especially in the Corel Paintshop Pro) that have been pretty good with allowing me to select a specific spot, which it then smooths over to match the surrounding area. Sometimes it works well. Sometimes it's weird. Today, I bypassed that whole thing and went straight for a stamp filter, which pretty much obliterates anything in the picture, particularly if you are cropping your image down into a small picture (as I did here to avoid the camera spots.) In addition to the stamp filtered image, I also included the original from which I made it. Thanks for stopping by! 

Bird on the Beach (Graphic Novel filter)

Last year, I stamp filtered this image. This year, I Graphic Novel filtered it. Thanks for stopping by!

A Freighter and a Bird on the Lake (Stamp filter)

I like how this turned out. It wasn't exactly how I imagined that it would turn out, but I like it anyway. Thanks for stopping by!

I especially like how it turned out with color:

Cloudy Landscape (Graphic Novel filter)

The only thing missing from my title was trees. There are trees in this landscape, too.

I actually processed this one quite some time ago. I included the earlier stamp filtered images at the bottom of this post. The top ones are Graphic Novel filter BW, and colorized.

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Birch and Evergreen (Graphic Novel filter)

I like the colorized version a little bit better than the black and white, but Graphic Novel filter tends to work well with trees and branches. Thanks for stopping by!

Flicker Redo (Graphic Novel filter)

My previous attempt on this Flicker image was posted as a Stamp filtered edit. I wasn't thrilled about the image, but like anything, editing photography is an experimental thing in which you learn from your mistakes as well as from your successes. (Some people argue that you learn more from your mistakes, in which case, I must really be learning...) I like the Graphic Novel version a lot better, although - I still don't think the image is quite where I would like it to be, but that's all I've got for today. Thanks for stopping by!

Quoth the Raven (again)

I'm pretty sure I made the same dumb raven joke the last time I edited this image, but I'm pretty sure that I like this graphic novel version a whole lot better than the stamp filter that I tried last time. I've given two versions of the BW - one that is more my traditional fare (the first), and the second that I tried with a different edit, a more shadowy version. I really like them both, for different reasons. I like the detail in the first, while I like the more cartoony hints of suggestion in the second. I took the first, as per usual, and layered the color into it to produce the third image below, which I also like. Thanks for stopping by!

Flip the Bird (Graphic Novel)

Ok, I admit it. I flipped the bird. There was something about the original image in which the bird was facing left that wasn't really what I was looking for. And since wild animals don't really pose on command, I only had one option. I hit the horizontal flip button in post-processing. There. I admit it. And I think I like the picture better for having flipped the bird. ;) Thanks for stopping by!

And for the purists out there, I'll include the original unflipped bird:

"Whaddaya Lookin' At?"

This graphic novel filtered image of a goldfinch, turning with a seed in its mouth at the feeder, catching me out of the corner of its eye, seemed to say, "Whaddaya lookin' at?" (You could probably add 'punk' for good measure. The bird looked like he had an attitude. Or maybe it was just me.) Thanks for stopping by!

Don't Drop the Seed! (Graphic Novel filter)

Typing up the title for this post, it struck me that "don't drop the seed" would make a good title for a game. It would be something along the lines of a game like "Hungry, Hungry, Hippos," perhaps. Or maybe the little birds would carry the seeds along a path, where the goal is not to drop the seed until you reach the finish line. Or something. Anyway, the bird in today's picture seems to have a good grasp on its seed, yet, looking down like he is, I couldn't help but think to myself: "Don't drop the seed!" Thanks for stopping by!

Cartoony Goldfinch (Graphic Novel filter)

My best description for this goldfinch at the feeder was that it seemed "cartoony" to me. I know that cartoons have come a long way since when I was growing up, but... cartoony it is. Thanks for stopping by!

Goldfinch, Looking Shy (Graphic Novel filter)

My last attempt on this image was a dry brush filter, but I really like the definition that the Graphic Novel filter gave to this image, especially in the third image (bw graphic novel + color image) in my series that I've posted today.

Oh, by the way, this goldfinch isn't really shy, but in the course of taking many pictures, I've found that I've managed to capture all sorts of poses. It's kind of fun to describe this fraction of a second in the life of a bird, even though my description might not be completely accurate...

Thanks for stopping by!

On the Bird Feeder Assembly Line (Graphic Novel filter)

I love how the birds in this image are lined up: One is poking its head in to grab a seed, another is on the other side of the feeder, seed in mouth, ready to fly away. No, they aren't actually working the feeder like an assembly line, although it kind of looks that way: Land on the right, grab seed, hop to the left, fly away - wash, rinse, repeat! Thanks for stopping by and looking at my pictures! :)