I Came In for a Chat

Image Critiques Avian Critiques
1

IleneSamowitz_YAAP_IFlewInForAChat_T.jpg
IleneSamowitz_YAAP_IFlewInForAChat_T.jpg1400×728 630 KB

Critique Style Requested: Standard

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

Description

I was at the Yaquina Bay estuary in early evening light sitting so I would be at eye level.

Technical Details

OM-1 , 1/4000sec, f9.0, iso 1600, 560mm

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Hi Ilene, Nice to have you posting in the avian forum. Wonderful light and I like the pose with the outstretched wing and gull underneath. Nice low angle as you mention. It looks like you added canvas on the left and didn’t fully shore up the vertical line created by the add. Also looks like there is some repeated patterns in the sand. I’d fix that and take a tad off the left so the bird isn’t centered in the frame. Nice frame just needing some tweaks.

3

Welcome to NPN and the Avian forum, Ilene. I like your composition. I see the artifacts from adding canvas that Allen mentioned. There’s also a kind of smudge just to the right of the gull that looks like you might have cloned something out. When I clone, I’ll usually use a soft brush and about 70% opacity and go over it a few times until what I want disappears. That usually (but not always) makes it look fairly seamless.

A very nice image. I look forward to seeing a lot more of your posts and your comments on other peoples images.

4

You got a nice capture here, and I like the canvas expansion you did on both sides to get a nice final composition. A little touchup with the clone tool will fix it nicely.

5

Hi Ilene, I enjoyed your composition a lot, it’s like the beginning of a story and the afternoon light is beautiful too. Had to look up Yaquina Bay…looks like a great bird watching location. I’m close to an estuary myself, where the CT River empties into Long Island Sound, but no pelicans (?) here.

6

Hi Ilene :slight_smile:

Welcome to NPN :slight_smile: It’s always a real pleasure to have more talented photographers join in :slight_smile:

This is a wonderful capture!!
I can see this as a great greeting card image with multiple options for captions like:

  • “I swear, it was THIS big!”
    or
  • “Can I hug you and squeeze you and keep you for my very own?”
    or
  • “You look like you need a friend, can I hug you?”

And of course I like the title you used as well!! :slight_smile:

Sometimes comments can sound like mere nitpicking but please know that whenever we offer ideas for improvement that we are all just trying to help each other make our images the best they can be, the critique is always with kindness and the best of intentions. :slight_smile:

Again, Great subjects, composition and presentation! :

Glad to have you with us! -)