arbitrage wrote:
Wow, Mitesh, these are once again very very good images. I have to say for me the one that wins hands down is the #3 Cormie in the Rain....that is a very artistic and I would love to print that one if it were mine. My only nit on that one is the eye may be lost out of the perfect focus plane and I would have liked to see it as sharp as the nearby feathers are.
The other standout image is the Green Winged Teal, it is a very unconventional crop/placement of the duck but I love how it came out.
Thanks for the comments, Geoff! You hit on the other image that I was hoping to get some comment on- the cormie. There was no way to get both the eye and the feathers/droplets all in focus together. I've gone back and forth wondering if it would have been better to focus on the eye. In the end, I intended to show off the feathers' texture and water repellency, so the eye was secondary. Although, it's hard to not notice the emerald eye!
Zoomalot wrote:
Well done my friend...beyond impressed
All outstanding but I really like the teal; at ease but totally aware, almost regal I'd say.
With the egret, I 've seen this play many times but it still boggles the mind - the single drop keeps everything real.
This set is very inspiring.
Techs are all very good on these Mitesh. Comps are well done too. However, I am going to offer two alternative comps for your consideration, though both shots are fine as presented.
In 1, you might try cropping most of the oof chest to make it more of a landscape crop. This would put more emphasis on the tack sharp head.
For 8, you might consider cropping most of the bottom, but retaining most of the reflection to wind up with a pano shot for something just a little different ~ Ron
BTW - Are you thinking about shooting at the rookery yet? I have had another FMer pm me about going too. The more, the merrier ~ Ron
surfnron wrote:
Techs are all very good on these Mitesh. Comps are well done too. However, I am going to offer two alternative comps for your consideration, though both shots are fine as presented.
In 1, you might try cropping most of the oof chest to make it more of a landscape crop. This would put more emphasis on the tack sharp head.
For 8, you might consider cropping most of the bottom, but retaining most of the reflection to wind up with a pano shot for something just a little different ~ Ron
BTW - Are you thinking about shooting at the rookery yet? I have had another FMer pm me about going too. The more, the merrier ~ Ron ...Show more →
Hey Ron, those are a couple of great suggestions that I honestly didn't consider. Since you took the time to think about that and type it out, I owe it to you to at least give it a shot. I like them! See reworks below:
And yep, I definitely want to make it out to the rookery, but after this little trip, I'm in the doghouse for a while with the wife .
Superb set Mitesh! My favorite is the cormorant. For the osprey, I would like a bit more eye contact from the fish . It is a lovely shot. Another stand out is the GWT. The placement of the bird works very well.
I agree with the redo crops. Smashing - beautiful set altogether and Ron has a great eye (as well as many others). It helps me too with feedback after I ponder sometimes. Sort of a outside the box view that works wonders.
You clearly like to get close to your subjects, Mitesh, and you are doing a great job at it
The proper exposure reveals the whites with fine detail and the plumage detail are enhanced by the quality of the tonality, especially in the first image.
Portrait shots are also a great way to emphasize the subjects eliminating elements that distract from it. That makes easier to compose the image which is always your own deliberate choice, because the subject is so powerful in relation to other parts of the picture that the center of the interest is directed to the object no matter where is placed. However, composition is not just positioning the subject in the frame, as lighting, color, contrast and DOF are also important elements.
So Here are a few considerations about your images.
In the first image, which is my favorite, the oof area is larger than the in focus part of the subject, and that creates a bit of uneasiness to my eyes. I would crop some of the bottom part to better balance the image. May be even a landscape crop if you have more space on top.
I would have liked to see the whole beak in #9.
Finally, I read your consideration about centering the subject, which is a valid one, and if you are pleased with it that is all it matters. As a viewer, I am honestly expressing my feelings about the image. The centered subject makes my eye less likely to explore the rest of the image because my mind doesn't sense any directional flow to the comp. Gives a static sense of the image which, in this particular case, imparts its own feel and if that is what you are looking for then that's good I would have gone for a different "feel" re-adjusting the lighting a bit
The rest of the images are just fine, but they all are very pleasing to the eyes with their great quality of color tonality and detail. Well done!
Socrate
As you are looking for critique I’m going to be a fusspot after stating that this is a very enjoyable set and I’m impressed with all of these very close photos. Then again, my favorite place to photograph birds is at the Anhinga Trail so I know how close you can get.
2) A bit more white space on the right than needed
3) Amazing detail and I always love those turquoise eyes, I wish you could have been a bit lower when you captured this dripping anhinga
4) Foreground distraction
6) White is gray
8) Some might fault the centered subject yet it should be in the middle from top to bottom because of the reflection and I love the vignette around the duck. A stunning image
9) Too much white space on top
The redo of the duck (8) is very ordinary and improperly composed from top to bottom. Reflections belong in the center
I hope these comments help you and others. Every image has defects. When the images are as good as these it’s easy to let them go and I usually would.
Shasoc wrote:
You clearly like to get close to your subjects, Mitesh, and you are doing a great job at it
The proper exposure reveals the whites with fine detail and the plumage detail are enhanced by the quality of the tonality, especially in the first image.
Portrait shots are also a great way to emphasize the subjects eliminating elements that distract from it. That makes easier to compose the image which is always your own deliberate choice, because the subject is so powerful in relation to other parts of the picture that the center of the interest is directed to the object no matter where is placed. However, composition is not just positioning the subject in the frame, as lighting, color, contrast and DOF are also important elements.
So Here are a few considerations about your images.
In the first image, which is my favorite, the oof area is larger than the in focus part of the subject, and that creates a bit of uneasiness to my eyes. I would crop some of the bottom part to better balance the image. May be even a landscape crop if you have more space on top.
I would have liked to see the whole beak in #9.
Finally, I read your consideration about centering the subject, which is a valid one, and if you are pleased with it that is all it matters. As a viewer, I am honestly expressing my feelings about the image. The centered subject makes my eye less likely to explore the rest of the image because my mind doesn't sense any directional flow to the comp. Gives a static sense of the image which, in this particular case, imparts its own feel and if that is what you are looking for then that's good I would have gone for a different "feel" re-adjusting the lighting a bit
The rest of the images are just fine, but they all are very pleasing to the eyes with their great quality of color tonality and detail. Well done!
Socrate ...Show more →
Wish I could "like" that post ten times, Socrate! Very insightful words that gave me plenty to think about. Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts!
As you are looking for critique I’m going to be a fusspot after stating that this is a very enjoyable set and I’m impressed with all of these very close photos. Then again, my favorite place to photograph birds is at the Anhinga Trail so I know how close you can get.
2) A bit more white space on the right than needed
3) Amazing detail and I always love those turquoise eyes, I wish you could have been a bit lower when you captured this dripping anhinga
4) Foreground distraction
6) White is gray
8) Some might fault the centered subject yet it should be in the middle from top to bottom because of the reflection and I love the vignette around the duck. A stunning image
9) Too much white space on top
The redo of the duck (8) is very ordinary and improperly composed from top to bottom. Reflections belong in the center
I hope these comments help you and others. Every image has defects. When the images are as good as these it’s easy to let them go and I usually would.
Thanks for the detailed comments, Morris. I always enjoy going back to look at what others see and suggest. I'll take some time to review your suggestions- thanks again!
Mitesh, what a wonderful set. You should be pleased, even with different tastes posted. I want to know what you did for NR and or smoothing, if at all, with #2, 4, 9 at ISO 3200. Thank you.
Rex
surgemaster wrote:
Mitesh, what a wonderful set. You should be pleased, even with different tastes posted. I want to know what you did for NR and or smoothing, if at all, with #2, 4, 9 at ISO 3200. Thank you.
Rex
Hi Rex,
Thanks for the comments. There was very little PP done on the images that you asked about. No smoothing, but I did run them through Topaz Denoise (using the RAW-lightest preset). I think the biggest keys to suppressing noise are to expose properly and avoid cropping too much. Hope that helps!
