The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic + Technical
About This Image
I took this image this spring at a pull out in Yellowstone National Park. This Raven was obviously very comfortable around people and probably had often been fed by people. He didn’t budge when I walked by him.
Feedback Requested
I would like feedback on composition and the processing of this image.
Technical Details
Camera: Canon EOS R5 (Hand Held)
Lens: RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Focal length: 100mm
Shutter speed: 1/1600s
Aperture: f/5
ISO: 320
What a great story and moment you’ve captured. I want to call this a great nature story, but it’s almost more journalistic since there are many connotations that can be drawn here. I mean pearching on top of a handicap sign? c’mon! I’d be willing the bet the Raven knows exactly where he’s perched. And then there’s the multiple bands on his legs. Makes me think he’s been “relocated” many times - like they do bears! Many thoughts go through my mind here. Great catch!
In terms of comp and processing, I might be inclined to crop a little off the left to remove the top of the post. That actually places the Raven in a position where he’s looking in to the frame, rather than being in the center. Technically I don’t consider this over exposed, but it’s a little bright; most notably the bird is not as black as I would expect, or want. A matter of personal choice of course, but I might consider dropping the exposure a few points, dropping the blacks a little and if you use LR or ACR, perhaps add some Dehaze. All of course would be minor tweaks.
You got some great advice from Lon on this one, Willem, and I really like what you did with the revised version. Black birds are always difficult and I am personally in favor of keeping them dark even if I have to block out small areas in the shadows. The repost looks perfect from that aspect. All those bands and the sign it’s perched on make for interesting speculation about this bird. A very cool find and well done image.
@Lon_Overacker thank you so much for the feedback on my raven image. I have posted and new version of the image above where I have made modifications based on your suggestions. I held back into giving a more detailed description but you sort of ‘let the cat out of the bag’ with your observations and deductions. Here is the ‘Rest of the Story’ as Paul Harvey would say. It turns out that this is a celebrety raven. He is well documented by researchers and park visitors and is obviously highly habituated to humans. The tags are used by resarchers to identify the raven at a distance. This one is part of the Yellowstone Raven Project and he is known to frequent this pull-out (Calcite Springs) and the Tower Falls pull-out to get treats from visitors and to scavange unattended trash. The study is specifically looking for how ‘the relationship between Grand Yellowstone Ecosystem carnivores (like wolves and cougars) and scavengers, as well as how ravens adapt to human-dominated environments’. Furthermore, it is possible to participate in the study by posting pictures of banded ravens and details of where the picture was taken and actually tracking that bird since he is wearing a radio collar using a phone app.
Thank you @Dennis_Plank for your comments. I agree with your comment about Lon’s advice. Also, I struggled with getting the raven’s exposure correct and seeing Lon’s comment helped me a lot.
Good job on the revision, Alexander. I was wondering what the story was with all those bands (never seen them on a raven) and your “rest of the story” was quite interesting. A really small nit, but I’d be tempted to remove the tree top above it’s head.
Willem, the repost looks great. Yellowstone’s Ravens are interesting characters. I didn’t know about the Raven study, but I not at all surprised, since Ravens are well studied elsewhere (e.g. John Marzluff, Bernd Heinrich)with many interesting behaviors documented.
