# 2 More Hummingbirds from Colombia!!



## Glenn Bartley (Feb 6, 2017)

Here are two more. Just insane the colours and iridescence on these little guys!






Shining Sunbeam





Shining Sunbeam





Velvet-purple Coronet





Velvet-purple Coronet


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## Click (Feb 6, 2017)

Beautiful. 8) Well done, Glenn.


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## AlanF (Feb 6, 2017)

Glenn
I earned from the earlier thread that you boost saturation and vibrance by 15%. So, I thought I'd reduce those back again in PS (right hand) to see the effect of enhancing the colours. It would be of great interest if you showed the before and after photoshopping to see what the real colours are. Could you post this one without the increased clarity etc.


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## Maximilian (Feb 6, 2017)

Again some wonderful pictures. 



AlanF said:


> Glenn
> I earned from the earlier thread that you boost saturation and vibrance by 15%. So, I thought I'd reduce those back again in PS (right hand) to see the effect of enhancing the colours. It would be of great interest if you showed the before and after photoshopping to see what the real colours are. Could you post this one without the increased clarity etc.


Still some great looking pics. 
If the OOC pic is close to the approach of AlanF I'd still like it and somehow would prefer it for the more natural colors.


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## Glenn Bartley (Feb 7, 2017)

AlanF said:


> Glenn
> I earned from the earlier thread that you boost saturation and vibrance by 15%. So, I thought I'd reduce those back again in PS (right hand) to see the effect of enhancing the colours. It would be of great interest if you showed the before and after photoshopping to see what the real colours are. Could you post this one without the increased clarity etc.




There is no real standard for edits. What I mean is you can't say that one should always do a certain adjustment by say 15%. Instead each image is treated individually. For me the goal is to reproduce what the bird actually looks like. Perhaps just slightly "hyper" real.

In your two examples the one on the left is quite over saturated. Or at least that is not what the real bird looks like...

All the best!

Glenn


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## AlanF (Feb 7, 2017)

Glenn Bartley said:


> AlanF said:
> 
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> > Glenn
> ...



The one on the left that you say is quite over saturated and is not what the real bird looks like is in fact your very own photo! I desaturated it and put it on the right.


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## Glenn Bartley (Feb 7, 2017)

AlanF said:


> Glenn Bartley said:
> 
> 
> > AlanF said:
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## Glenn Bartley (Feb 7, 2017)

Interestingly enough if you click on the side by side then the one on the left looks correct. But the smaller version that embeds in the page looks way over saturated. Not sure why...


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## Jack Douglas (Feb 7, 2017)

My cheap Samsung Syncmaster 2443 is color calibrated and they look fine to me.

Not aimed at you Glen, but of late I'm noticing bird photos so exquisitely post-processed that my brain is suggesting to me that they simply look too perfect to be real. A similar thing happens with many HDR shots that just don't seem right. However, I realize this is a very personal thing.

Glen, if you were to rank the areas in South America for best bang for buck with bird photography what would be, say, your top 5. I presume jungle areas rank higher. We're seriously considering heading that direction but with a limited budget. Have been to Peru and Argentina but the focus was not wildlife. Would be great if you could share your thoughts.

Jack


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Feb 7, 2017)

Glenn Bartley said:


> Interestingly enough if you click on the side by side then the one on the left looks correct. But the smaller version that embeds in the page looks way over saturated. Not sure why...



Glenn, the forum software alters photos that are uploaded, they tend to look different, and sometimes show artifacts. A link to a photo on a photography website is far better, but not all have that ability. I sometimes upload photos and then cringe.


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## Glenn Bartley (Feb 7, 2017)

Jack Douglas said:


> My cheap Samsung Syncmaster 2443 is color calibrated and they look fine to me.
> 
> Not aimed at you Glen, but of late I'm noticing bird photos so exquisitely post-processed that my brain is suggesting to me that they simply look too perfect to be real. A similar thing happens with many HDR shots that just don't seem right. However, I realize this is a very personal thing.
> 
> ...



I'd say Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia are all great targets!! Places like Bolivia and Guyana are a bit trickier...


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## Famateur (Feb 7, 2017)

Just some thoughts on post-processing...

1) It would be incorrect to assume that a RAW image is "true to life" and that boosting saturation is always an embellishment. In my experience, RAW images are often quite flat/muted in colors and contrast. It often takes a little boost to bring it back to what I saw with my eyes.

2) Comparing before and after (RAW versus post-processed) is not equivalent to comparing "true-to-life" to post-processed. It serves only to show the degree of change from one to the other with no reference point for what is "true-to-life." 

3) How something looks to the eye in real life varies significantly with the source, color and quality of the light illuminating it. Plumage on an overcast day will look quite different than the same plumage in direct sun or at golden hour, or at dusk.

4) Since we're not all gathered around the same calibrated monitor, we're probably all perceiving different levels of post-processing. 

5) I consider these images Glenn posted as stunning works of art -- wildlife portraiture. What professional portrait photographer doesn't do some retouching/enhancing to make the image even more beautiful? 

Thanks for sharing these images, Glenn. Maybe instead of saving for another lens, I should put the money toward a photography trip to an exotic location...

PS: Even our less exotic hummingbirds here in Utah can have absolutely brilliant iridescent plumage. Trying to capture that in a photograph and then convey the visual impact to the viewer just about demands a saturation boost, in my opinion.


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## Jack Douglas (Feb 7, 2017)

Thanks Glen. Famateur those are all good points. There are far too many variables to evaluate an image here on CR unless something is pretty drastically off.

My recent point of reference was a gorgeous -20C day with frost heavily deposited on the trees. What a disappointment when viewing on the monitor even after contrast boosts etc.

Jack


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## AlanF (Feb 7, 2017)

It's a matter of taste. Some like a bird image to have vibrant colours and leap out of the screen at you. Glenn likes that and routinely boosts vibrance and colour by 15 units in PS. Others like the colours to be close to what you see at the time. I know what I like but don't expect everyone else to agree. But, I did find it very amusing that Glenn described his own photo as quite over-saturated!


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## AlanF (Feb 8, 2017)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> Glenn Bartley said:
> 
> 
> > Interestingly enough if you click on the side by side then the one on the left looks correct. But the smaller version that embeds in the page looks way over saturated. Not sure why...
> ...



Does it alter them when you click to full-size them in a new window? Does it alter the images you download after you have clicked them into a new window?


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## Houndog (Feb 8, 2017)

I have a cheap Dell monitor and the colors look fabulous. Only reason I still have sanity is the local hummers (Southeastern Pennsylvania) don't have the colors of those who live in warmer climes.


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## Monte (Feb 10, 2017)

Nice Hummers Glenn. I'm heading to Jamaica next week and last time I was there I found a good place with about three or four different types of colourful hummers. I'm going to be a little more prepared to spend more time there this time.


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## scottkinfw (Feb 10, 2017)

Beautiful Glenn. Nice job.

Scott


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## Alainphotocanon (May 2, 2017)

Superbe photo au niveau de la qualité d'image!​


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