The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Looking back through older photos, I found a group of images I had not processed. This one is of a female Northern Harrier, taken in the Skagit Wildlife Area last January. This is a common place for birders to hang out. This day had at least a dozen photographers. Besides Northern Harriers, there are also short eared owls frequently visiting, and sometimes bald eagles. This young lady was about to pounce on a good old rodent for lunch.
Specific Feedback
I recently started shooting birds, and infrequently, so I would appreciate any advice you care to give, regarding both shooting and post technique.
Technical Details
D850, 150 - 600 @ 600, 1/1250 sec, f 7.1, ISO 3200 (it was a typical gray winter day so had to boost the ISO to get the SS), handheld
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:
Nice shot, Steve. I like the environmental aspect to the shot and how the harrier blends in. I like the that the tail feathers are spread and the wing position. You caught a nice moment that tells a story. I do wish the eye was a bit more prominent.
This is a lovely shot, Steve. I like that you kept the Harrier small in the frame as the environment is as enjoyable as the bird and it does a great job of showing the preferred habitat of this species. I’m not sure what processing you did on this image, but one thing I usually do is select the bird and do some very subtle enhancement of the colors and contrast (and usually a slight boost in micro-contrast using an old Topaz plugin). You don’t want it to look forced, but just a bit to get the subject to stick out from the background a bit helps a lot.
I’m looking forward to seeing more avian posts from you. It’s a fun genre.
Allen, I wish the eye was more prominent as well. I tried enhancing it using a small radial mask, but I couldn’t get it to look better AND natural. The lighting just wasn’t there. next time!
Dennis, I tried to keep my adjustments on the bird subtle. Did I over do it?
Steve, agree with the positives above. Those bulrushes are really striking. For this reason I’d crop off from the left to just inside that taller single rush. The bird (to my eye) would still have enough space, and the bulrushes would gain from the experience!
Steve, I like the action and how you’ve caught the environment. Those Cattails are an excellent addition. My thought is to crop from the upper left, maintaining the aspect ratio. Here’s my idea, along with some mid-tone burning in her tail and dodging around her head (both of which are hard to see at NPN size).
HI Steve. To my eye, the Harrier just didn’t quite pop from the similarly colored background. I remember one speaker at NPPNW years ago talking about adding just a bit of warmth and exposure to the subject, particularly the face to attract the viewer’s eye and I’ve found it quite effective and very easy to do as a last minute LR adjustment before I export the file.
@Mike_Friel and @Mark_Seaver, thank you for your comments and suggestions. I added a new version at the top. I cropped similar to your suggestions, plus I lightly burned her tail and dodged around her head.
@Dennis_Plank, your suggestion “the Harrier just didn’t quite pop from the similarly colored background” caused me to think lightening the background might allow the bird to pop a bit more.
Again, thank you all for your comments and suggestions!
I didn’t take time to comment of the image as the others had about covered my thinking, but I have to add that I think the RP is a nice improvement. The bird is nicely camouflaged in her environment and that’s part of the story. And you have captured a lovely environment here, in addition to a lovely bird.
Nice job on that repost, Steve. I hadn’t thought of approaching it from that angle. I guess I tend to get fixated on the subject sometimes, but lightening up the background a bit really worked well.
