The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
OMG you guys!!! I got my first Kingfisher photos today. Whoop whoop!
I was channeling all the expertise of @Allen_Sparks and others who photograph these birds so well. Lucky for me, this appears to be a juvenile and not super active or wary, although she dove a bit before I got into position. Basically she sat here and I could hear her parents all around while I maneuvered into a position where the kayak would be kind of stable and out of the 15 mph winds. I was probably 30 feet from her and got many stills (as you can imagine) and some video as well. Eventually she flew off, but I was so happy and honored that she put up with me for so long. As a matter of fact, the wind was pushing me directly to her and while she didn’t appear too put out, I didn’t want to spook her or have to shoot up her backside, so the reposition. So thrilled with the experience.
Specific Feedback
Just about clipped that collar, but a linear profile helped quite a bit as did using masks instead of global adjustments to even things out and bring out her burgeoning beauty. How did I do?
Technical Details
Handheld in the kayak w/Freewell CPL on the lens, but honestly I was too excited to really dial it in.
Lr for initial work to bring a linear profile shot to life - lots of masks and a few global adjustments to improve contrast and control highlights. Topaz Sharpen AI to pull up detail and beat down noise. Photoshop for some branch removal. Lr for a bit of texture and curves adjustment to raise mid tones.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Fantastic! Good for you! (I’m envious, still trying)
Really nice pose with the beak open and bright eye.
I’d suggest having the limb/bird a little lower in the frame, cloning out the white blip by the head, and dampening the bright yellow below the bird.
Good work with the processing bright whites
She is beautiful!!! I have tried to get Kingfishers a couple of times without much success. Incredible amount of detail in her feathers and such a nice blurred out background. I do find myself looking at the spider webs on the left of the stick a bit, but maybe cropping those out would be too tight a crop. Congratulations!!!
Congratulations, Kris. I still remember my own first (and only) cooperative belted kingfisher. You did much better than I did. I like this image a lot. She chose a magnificent perch with a nice background and gave you some sweet eye contact. The only thing I might do to this is paint a touch of green over the grayish specular highlights going in a line behind her head-they pull my eye a lot.
Thanks @SandyR-B, @linda_mellor, @elizabeth & @Dennis_Plank - I was so excited while I had this encounter. It was amazing and special and probably once in a lifetime. This particular man-made lake is pretty darn good for birds and wildlife. Other things I saw, but didn’t necessarily photograph were Loons (with chicks), a doe and fawn swimming across, many Painted turtles, Wood ducks and Eastern Kingbirds. I’ve also seen Trumpeters, Green Herons here and Bald Eagles. It’s really a fabulous little lake. There’s even a beaver lodge on the back end.
Anyway…I put a revised image in the OP with reduced greens and luminosity below the bird, removed tree trunk behind and an attempt to tone down the eye-grabby nature of the spider webs. Any thoughts on that are welcome.
Nice job on the repost, Kris. Personally, I liked the spider webs, but they’re ok muted like this. The rest of the background looks fine like this. Sounds like a very nice little lake. We have tons of little glacial pothole lakes in the area, but unfortunately, this state doesn’t require access and they’re pretty heavily surrounded by development.
I really like how you toned down the bright spot in the upper left! I didn’t dislike the spider webs, but it did grab my attention a bit - the update a little less so. She is beautiful.
I love the shot. I have NEVER had any luck shooting kingfishers. They are typically way spooky. I like the top one the best. Only two things I would look at if it were mine: I’d see what it would look like cropped in tighter to cut off the elbow of the branch on the left, and also cause the lower right corner not to have the branch leaving the frame right in the corner, and I’d lighten up the head detail of the bird just a tad. Just me. It is still a wicked cool capture.
Wow Kris - Congrats! So great you had this experience and were able to capture such a fine image. Love the open beak pose. Good job on the exposure showing plenty of detail in shadow on the bird. The whites in sun look good to me too. I like the improvements in the repost you made to BG and perch. The curvy perch with lichen is great too. Well done! So glad you got this.
Thanks @Dennis_Plank, @elizabeth, @Dave_Douglass & @Allen_Sparks - this is definitely a highlight of my photography this year! Such a special moment and such close proximity. I think young birds are less afraid of us than the adults learn to be over time and so opportunities arise. I may tweak the image more, but it’s decent now and I have so many more go get through!
Just saw this – wonderful!!! What a great opportunity well-used! The blob-removal in the RP is very nicely done! I could see toning down the brightness at the bottom even more, but not a big issue.
Thanks @Diane_Miller - glad you caught this one, I think you missed my baby owl during your last trip (eclipse I think). So it’s the year of fledglings for me although this girl is way less floofy than the Barred.
