The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
We’re really outside the range of this species, but some people in the area have raised and released them. They don’t seem to maintain a population very well here-probably too wet for too long. However, we’ve started having a group of two or three come in to visit a feeder and the backyard pond. While this one is a juvenile, it looks like it knows about standing guard as it spent quite a bit of time on this old fence post my wife found somewhere for me years ago.
Specific Feedback
I love that the quail perched where it did and I had the angle that included the moss on the top of the post. Does the moss compete too much with the quail? Is the background too intrusive-there’s a native hawthorn not too far behind the post at the angle I had.
Technical Details
Sony A1, FE 200-600 + 1.4 TC @ 783 mm, hand held, f/9, 1/400, iso 2000. Processed in LR & PS CC. Noise reduction in DxO PureRaw 4. Cropped from a horizontal original to 3336x4280. Taken August 25th at 7:57 a.m.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Hi Dennis, I really like this. A quite photogenic bird with nice pose, details and exposure. I like the moss on the perch - adds another level of interest to me. The BG is okay with me. If anything, I could see taking out the circular highlights around in the BG. A fine look at this beauty.
Probably it does. My first thought was that the perch was the star of the show. Not sure there’s anything wrong with that, though. The quail looks great, as well with an excellent pose and detail. I like bird images where the setting, by itself, would make for a pleasing photo. Agree with Allen about the circular highlights, otherwise background looks okay.
Having just listened to a couple of webinars about including more of the surroundings with the subject, this is outstanding for that very reason Dennis. I love the perch, I love the quail, I love the moss, and it all blends into a wonderful image that I would hang on a wall. I’m not quite sure about the little white Bokeh balls in the BG though.
Great little quail in a great pose. The moss does seem a little overwhelming, as it’s larger than the quail - but it’ is what it is. Not much you can do, other than physically take some of the moss off the perch for the next occupant.
Sharp, nice colours, and perfect comp
I like it. I like the puffed up quail and the big moss. At first I thought you had done some innovative post processing. Kind of took me aback. I just haven’t seen quail in a marine environment. I’m almost locked in on envisioning them in heavy, dry brush or sage. Almost forgot: Background: The dark area in ULC could be a bit lighter.
Oh boy is this ever a treat. Quails don’t live here and I love them for their quirky habits. This one has decided moss is a friend because it’s so soft and smooshy - just like the bird itself. Such similar shapes and textures in the two, no wonder he wanted to go up there. Fantastic background, too. Terrific detail in the face and almost a serene expression there. You could darken it a bit at the top, but I like the highlights there as it makes me think of rain.
WOW! Not sure which I like more, the quail or the post, but that’s not a negative. I love the PNW vibe here and hope you can get some quail herds established and prospering. (The group we were seeing recently seems to have settled in on a neighboring property with more cover but we’re hoping they will forage here occasionally – they do seem to move around day to day.)
I couldn’t resist a little re-lighting and a touch of BG cleanup.
Nice job on your edit of this, @Diane_Miller I’m curious as to how you did the background-much nicer than I’ve come up with. I was a bit hesitant about bringing the bird up to much since it was obviously backlit, but you pulled it off nicely.
Thanks, Dennis. I used a couple of my favorite secret weapons. I used ~50% opacity cloning to simplify the BG – working like a painter on the most prominent areas and trying to quit while I was ahead. It was easy to do a select by focus area to protect the bird and perch, although the selection took a little refining. AI isn’t all the way there yet. Then I drew a very soft-edged quick mask on the bird, staying well away from the edges so there would be a 3D effect, and used that selection to mask a curves adj layer and did a slight S-curve. Then I added a darker vignette on the edges, which I brushed away from the post. Nik CEP Darken/Lighten center is usually killer for this but a hand-painted mask can be good too.
Thanks, Diane. I’ve used a somewhat similar technique on backgrounds just picking colors from the original and doing low opacity painting here and there. Your technique would be better for retaining structure.
