![\"black-billed](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/black-billed-magpie-0552b-ron-dudley.jpg\")
1\/2500, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\nI photographed this one four days ago on Antelope Island as it lifted off from an old nest that it’s refurbishing for potential use this year. I’m happy with the image because I like the iridescence, the head turn slightly toward me, the nice look at the extended\u00a0left wing and the fact that I didn’t clip any body parts as it took off.\u00a0 I’ll admit that after a long winter I’m beginning to tire of these background colors but the island is now beginning to green up nicely so that should improve in future images.<\/p>\n
As I was\u00a0working\u00a0this image up\u00a0I noticed a processing challenge\u00a0that often rears its ugly head with dark subjects against lighter backgrounds so with the knowledge that many of my readers are\u00a0novice or intermediate\u00a0photographers I decided to address that issue this morning. If you’re not into photo-geekiness you’ll likely be bored to tears and may wish to go pour yourself another cup of coffee instead of scrolling further.<\/p>\n
And I wouldn’t blame you if you did.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"black-billed](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/black-billed-magpie-0552-globally-sharpened-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
This is the same image as the first one and both were processed identically with one exception. Before I point it out, do you see the problem with this image?<\/p>\n
This version has a narrow sharpening halo between the darks of the bird and the lighter background. It appears as a bright narrow border that is most easily seen around the blacks of the head and neck\u00a0where they meet\u00a0the tan background.\u00a0Halos can be difficult for some\u00a0to notice but\u00a0for many of us they stand out like a sore thumb and are a glaring sign of amateurism and laziness in processing (sorry if that’s a little harsh but IMO\u00a0it’s true…).<\/p>\n
The only difference between the two versions of the image is that the second was sharpened globally (the entire image was sharpened) and in the first only the bird was sharpened (by masking the bird first).<\/p>\n
Sharpening halos can usually be avoided by sharpening the bird selectively instead of sharpening the entire image globally. But the process of masking the bird before sharpening can be\u00a0time-consuming so it’s easier and quicker\u00a0to sharpen globally and hope\u00a0no one notices the halo. I nearly always notice…<\/p>\n
And since sharpening also increases noise, selective sharpening prevents that increase in the unsharpened background.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"black-billed](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/black-billed-magpie-0552-selectively-sharpened-threshold-layer-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
For some, halos can be difficult to\u00a0spot\u00a0so if you use Adobe Photoshop (or Elements) for processing there’s a little trick you can use to make it much more apparent (so that it can be corrected if it exists) – in Photoshop it’s called a Threshold Layer\u00a0(layer, new adjustment layer, threshold, then move the slider). This is a Threshold Layer of the image\u00a0(slider moved to 191)\u00a0and because the bird has been sharpened selectively\u00a0there is no halo to speak of.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"black-billed](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/black-billed-magpie-0552-globally-sharpened-threshold-layer-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
This is a Threshold Layer of the\u00a0same photo (slider also moved to 191)\u00a0where the entire image was sharpened globally and doing so caused a distinct halo that can be seen as a narrow white line of “marching ants” around the perimeter of the bird where the blacks meet the background. Sometimes the halo is much\u00a0wider than this and fades gradually between the bird and the background.<\/p>\n
I’ll admit that sometimes I get lazy too and sharpen globally but when I do I nearly always run a Threshold Layer on the image just to double-check for a halo that I hadn’t noticed. For me it’s embarrassing to go back to an old post that’s out there for the entire world to see\u00a0and there’s a halo around the bird that I missed during processing.<\/p>\n
If you’re not a serious photographer (and have no intentions of becoming one)\u00a0and you’ve plodded through this entire post anyway I applaud you for your flexibility in interests. And\u00a0your tenacity…<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n
Note: Another camping\/photo trip begins this morning – hopefully I’ll have better luck with birds than I did earlier this month. I’ll post from the road if I can…<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As I was working this image up I noticed a processing challenge that often rears its ugly head with dark subjects against lighter backgrounds.<\/p>\n