Me Next!

Gallery: AvianPosted January 9, 2011390 views6 comments

Hi Folks,

Took this last summer in Glacier National Park. I have a couple questions about this shot perhaps you would help me with...

1. I know it is not the best composition with the distracting bg and the head and face of the adult feeding the chick turned away and blurry - but is there enough good about this shot in your opinion to make it a keeper? I'm thick skinned in these things so frank honesty is appreciated.

2. I have selectively sharpened the fg rock and the birds to the same degree with no sharpening in the bg at all. Is this making the image looke too much like a cut-out? In other words, is the selective sharpening I chose creating so much distinction from the bg that it looks fake, as though the fg were pasted in?

Any other comments or critiques are welcome.

Nikon D2X, Nikor 300mm f2.8 w/ TC-20E II for total 600mm. 1/250, f6.3, ISO 160. ~65% of full frame. Tripod, no flash.

Thanks,
Julie

Comments

6 comments

Comment posted by Hali Sowle on January 9, 2011 at 7:14 PM

Hi Julia, To me it's a little artificial looking only because the mama birds head is slightly out of focus and it is still in the plane of the rocks which are so sharp, I wouldn't throw the shot away because of that though, it's got a lot going for it because it tells a story nicely and there is good sharpness in the two chicks and the rest of the adult bird.

Registered on January 9, 2008, 36 Posts, 582 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on January 9, 2011 at 8:26 PM

A charming image IMO. The background is fine - it is natural and does not distract for me. IMO it is not necessary (nor desirable) that every bird be shown against a smooth single color background.

Nor do I have issues with the blur of the adult's head. This is from motion, not depth of field.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by Sharon Hallowell on January 9, 2011 at 10:28 PM

I agree that the mom's head is blurred due to motion, and I think this is a keeper! Your diagonal comp works well here...(even if it was helped out by the slope of the rock :) )!!! If you wanted to, this would be a fairly easy image to blur out that bg, but honestly, it doesn't bother me and gives a sense of place. Sharon

Registered on November 1, 2003, 392 Posts, 4810 Comments

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on January 10, 2011 at 1:26 AM

Excellent Dipper behavior shot, with an interesting composition. I'd leave the background alone; Dippers are all about water.

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by Mauro Pasquero on January 10, 2011 at 3:53 AM

Julie, to me, this image is good because it tells a story nicely and the composition is really great with that diagonal slope of the rock parting the image. The blurred BG looks natural and quite good leaving the birds really pop out. Too bad the mom's head is blurred due to motion and has the eye closed.
Mauro

Registered on January 21, 2010, 650 Posts, 2500 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on January 10, 2011 at 8:20 AM

This works very well for me as posted Julia. I think it's a fine behavioral image and the slightly blurred head of the parent isn't a significant issue IMO. I would have sharpened this just about as you have. Very nice capture.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments