Updated:
Update 2
Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I was watching this Egret hunting and waiting for something to swim by. He stood there for a while, then made a long stretch and waited another minute of so. Then drove into the water and came up empty. I have not seen on lead forward this way and stretch so far.
Specific Feedback
Cropping suggestions if any welcome. Lighting ?
Technical Details
R6m2 RF 100-500 2x 1000mm 1/800 f/16 ISO 1600 on Tripod, almost a must with this setup. I darken the background a little bit and a contrast adjustment with the head only. Used Photo AI for noise and a small sharpen adjustment, very small.
I’m not sure what’s making up the background, but it is linear and works well with the position of the egret’s neck. I guess I could see a slight crop from the bottom and maybe a touch to remove the bright area in the LUC, but I do like the background water and perhaps more of a pano crop would work with the subject matter.
A very cool pose, Dean. It looks like it should fall over. The bright patch of reeds behind the bird tends to draw my eye. If you use luminosity masks, one would work really well to apply a bit of a burn to those reeds. I agree with Allen about the top. There’s a little green/blue blob in that corner that needs to go and a slight crop from the top would do fine.
Hi Dean, nice catch of an interesting pose. Seems to be on the hunt or maybe have even spotted a possible prey item. I agree with the comments on cropping above and perhaps burning the reeds behind.
I like this version but I might try adding some saturation to see how that looked given this seems to be taken on a pretty cloudy day - maybe warm it up a little without making the beak too yellow. Just a thought on that.
Nice sharpness especially using the 2x. Nice job.
Thanks for the feedback, @Allen_Sparks , @Allen_Brooks , and @Dennis_Plank. I tried to darken the brighter patch but was not working out, so I removed it. I warmed the image just a little bit. I picked a 2:1 crop because the direction of the scene was very horizontal which matched what the bird was doing.
Hmmm. Now I’m thinking it’s a bit tight in the frame, maybe leave the top, but clone out the bright area in the LUC.
I put back the crop and did a slight crop. Also removed the brighter area in the ULC I think that fixed it. Thanks for the feedback
1 Like
I think update 2 did the trick, Dean. Nice work.
