Magpies

[AussieSunset]

It was so hot today it was nice to sit outside with the magpies in the late afternoon. I gave them some spam(all i had at the time) and they came quite close as they do. I really like this shot and had got down on my bellie to take it but the background is something i just haven't been able to fix. Any ideas?

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aussiesunset/2282948321/" title="MrMagpie2 by aussiesunset77, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2037/2282948321_5e3155c670.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="MrMagpie2" /></a>

f4.8, 34.8 and iso at 400

[windrider86]

Do you have any exif info you could include?
If you are any good at layering you may want to darkent he background a bit

[AussieSunset]

Thanks.
Yeah i have that on the original pic. So how would i layer it? I have only done digital scrapbooking on PS but not with actual photos before. Though i mite give it a whirl.

[peeperita]

this is an example of what happens when you shoot a dark subject against a bright background......both ends are extreme.....the details lost in the shadows and the whites blown and distracting......and a hard fix at that.....

depending on which version of ps that you have, you can adjust the shadows up and the highlights down by either using the shadows/highlight tool in cs2 and 3, or using the sliders in levels, or a curve adjustment....

i'd love to see what edit you come up with.....

peeper

[AussieSunset]

I have CS2 so i will give it a try. Thanks for the advice :) I'll post it again if i can get it right.

[AussieSunset]

Hi peeper, i have tried to fiddle with shadows/higlights/levels and curves, but it sort of looks weird. If i turn the background down the white of the bird looks greyish. they do have a nice clean white but i seem to loose that. I just cant seem to work this one right. I will keep trying but i'll just have to try get another pic of these guys again on a better day maybe and try get around the other side of them this time so i dont have the bright house in the background.
Thanks for the advice. :)

Heather :)