Bay-headed Tanager

Image Critiques Avian Critiques
1

-20240229-_A1_4676-Costa Rica-ARW-Edit.jpg
-20240229-_A1_4676-Costa Rica-ARW-Edit.jpg2048×1502 1.49 MB

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

We spent the morning of February 29th at a tourist attraction (Canopy walk). Their operation was located right beside a road above a good sized gorge where the canopy walk and zip line went. The platform that people departed from had a bird feeding station to one side and it has ended up being monopolized by birders and bird photographers. In particular, they get quite an array of tanager species. This was probably the gaudiest that showed up that morning.

Specific Feedback

Backgrounds in this area were pretty cluttered with lots of light through the vegetation and the birds often shaded. The only major alteration to the background in this one was the removal of a large and ugly out of focus branch immediately to the left of the bird. Hopefully, that surgery didn’t leave a scar. I am a bit concerned about the out of focus leaf obscuring the perch on the far right and placing the bird so high in the frame instead of toward the bottom. Comments on those issues in particular would be appreciated.

Technical Details

Sony A1, FE 200-600 + 1.4 TC @ 840 mm, monopod, f/9, 1/200, iso 3200. Image preprocessed in DxO PureRaw4, processing in LR & PS CC. Cropped to 5622x4122. Taken February 29th at 9:15 a.m.

Critique Template

Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.

  • Vision and Purpose:
  • Conceptual:
  • Emotional Impact and Mood:
  • Composition:
  • Balance and Visual Weight:
  • Depth and Dimension:
  • Color:
  • Lighting:
  • Processing:
  • Technical:
2 Likes
2

Alright Dennis! Now you’re just making stuff up! This is incredible. Great look at the bird your BG looks great! The forest has sticks and leaves. They are muted enough. I don’t have a problem with them.

3

A striking bird-great colors and detail and nice pose. The lighting of the background works for the jungle setting. The bird seems pretty much at eye level and placing it higher in the frame may help suggest it’s high in the canopy. The oof leaf isn’t that big a deal, though I wonder if running a +dehaze brush over the branch would make a difference.

4

Hi Dennis, another stunning subject that captures my attention more than any of the other elements you mentioned. Not the ideal BG per se but true to the situation. I like the subject placement in the frame and details look good.