The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
These two white terns settled together on the same branch every afternoon and evening for the five consecutive days that I watched them. I am fairly new to bird photography and know little about birds but I did read that white terns mate for life. This pair were so enamoured with each other that I couldn’t resist photographing them.
Specific Feedback
My question is: should i darken the background further to highlight the birds even more? I felt that leaving the background somewhat visible gave the photo context. Or should I crop in more?
Technical Details
Nikon Z7 80-200 mm lens
F9, 1/320 sec., ISO 250
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What a beautiful photograph and the pose of the birds - once in a lifetime. You must have waited out for a long time to get this photograph. I also like how the birds stand out against the darker background - very nice processing. With such a wonderful composition of the birds, I wonder if you can eliminate much of the background via a crop. Perhaps horizontal keeping the branch on the right side of the bird. The branch adds a nice element to show context and there is a natural frame - the curved semi-circle branches that create a frame around the birds. Nice and sharp as well. Congratulations!
Thank you for your comments. I will try a closer crop.
I waited and watched for about an hour; it was just fascinating to see the two terns interacting and cozying up to each other. The delights of photography!
Terns are great birds, and this pair are no exception. You’v e captured them beautifully.
I like your image as posted, but feel there is another version. The perch is gorgeous and I would hate to lose that, but I reckon cropped just under that perch and just above the green hoop pine branch would still keep the birds in context with their surroundings.
If I had the opportunity to shoot these birds, I would try for a higher ISO and increaase the shutter speed. Birds are fast and twitchy.
It looks like you have enough detail to crop more tightly, Diny, though I don’t think you necessarily have to . the composition as presented works quite nicely. The one change I’d suggest is to carefully blend in some additional exposure in the background behind where the beaks cross, so people can see that a little better. It won’t take much with those black beaks, but I had to look hard to differentiate them from the background.
Here’s a possible alternative crop with the background lightened in the area between the birds.
Excellent, Diny. Your patience paid off. Good handling of the whites to show good detail. I like the perch as well and could see lifting the shadows to show more detail. I like Dennis’s crop-seems to put a bit more emphasis on the birds.
A gorgeous image – both for the birds’ behavior and the setting – and some good suggestions above! There is often lots to play with (lots of possibilities) in a great capture.
