The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Toward the end of my recent Guyana trip, we spent a morning floating down the Hamaica River near Georgetown. This is a good spot for birding, with one of the highlights being the unique Hoatzin. This is often referred to as the “Stinkbird” due to its odd digestive system (which is designed very much like that of a cow). Its appearance looks downright prehistoric, IMO.
It’s a fairly large and noisy bird, and is pretty photogenic. Though this group portrait isn’t perfect (the shadowy patch in the corner bugs me, but I chose to preserve the tails in the crop), it’s not always easy to get them lined up together like this, and the wing pose was fun.
Technical Details
Canon R3
Canon 100-500mm
ISO 4000
1/1000th
f/7.1
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Max: Photogenic indeed and in this presentation there’s a pretty high, “What am I seeing?” component. I’m still not sure what is happening with the open wing but what a marvelous display of feathers and I love the expressions and eyes of all three. Really nice find and a great capture. >=))>
Good work, Max, to get all three sharply in focus; excellent detail and that feather display is crazy. I agree with Bill, not really sure what I’m seeing-the anatomy looks very strange. The green background is really nice as well.
Thanks for sharing
Even though it’s a marvelous image, from an abstract perspective, I find it confusing. Am I seeing 2 or 3 birds? I first thought it was just 1 bird. I had to really look hard to see the second head and never found the third. Had I not read some of the other responses I would have never known there is a third bird. Nevertheless it is an interesting image.
Very cool, Max. I like this type of image and it would make an awesome puzzle. The corner doesn’t bother me at all. I had to go looking to find it. You must have been zoomed way to the low end to get this kind of dof at f7.1. If my memory serves me, those aren’t small birds and even at an angle like that it’s quite a stretch to get them all so crisp. Very well done.
You must have been zoomed way to the low end to get this kind of dof at f7.1.
Dennis, that’s a good observation. Shot at 200mm. I was trying to stop down a bit to get them all sharp. Surprised 7.1 worked. I have a few in the series shot at f/16.
What a wild shot, Max, amazing feather colors, and eye contact with all three . Took a minute to find the third head. But it certainly kept me in the image.
It’s clearly doing its morning exercises, and the middle bird is not amused. Among other things, I like the different colors of the 3 eyes. Great to get them lined up like this.
I really like the capture of the birds, but I think the green back round is too bright and to me is a distraction from the beautiful birds. I would have darkened and probably slightly blurred and desaturated the green back round. Bob Engle