Critique Style: Standard
The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive
About This Image
Following on from the Fairy wren. With the absence of trees, the birds made good use of the fence posts and wire. The yellow vegetation is canola. Early morning.
Feedback Requested
A few changes from the RAW image for this one. A bird has been removed and one added. A small amount of canvas added to the top. And bottom wire moved closer to the top wire and the post moved closer to the birds. Just for the sake of composition. Now I’m thinking I need slightly more on the right. I didn’t want to lose the yellow on the bottom.
There were stripes between the wire that was another mesh fence. That has been blurred. The reddish colour in the mid ground is ploughed ground.
Was the image worth the effort?
Technical Details
Camera: Canon 5D4
Lens: Sigma 150-600mm
Focal length: 600mm
Shutter speed: 1/1250
Aperture: f6.3
ISO: 500
Shot taken from vehicle.
I think it was worth the effort, Glennie. These birds are wonderful and I like the poses and the fence. I think you did a good job working from what you described as the original to get here. My personal preference would be to eliminate the left half of the post and the wires to it’s left and crop a bit to get the composition back to something more balanced, but that’s just my taste. I did add a bit of a stroke around the edge as I view in the dark mode and the top of the frame was blending into the dark screen. So for what it’s worth:
Hi @Glenys_Passier
lovely colours and nice coloured barbed wire.
I agree with @Dennis_Plank with the crop - just that the post is very thick and dominant in the frame
I also took the liberty of burning in some of the brightest areas on the birds’ heads and darkened the lighter one so it was more of a match reds-wise to its companion
Its a lovely image
Huw
Hi Glenys, agree this was well worth the effort. So cool y’all have birds like this native there. Thanks much for sharing with us. Wonderful lighting. Love the colors and eyes in each bird. I like the alternative compositions above.
Yes, it was worth the work!! And I don’t see evidence of the tweaking. I wouldn’t have had other crop suggestions, but the ones from @Dennis_Plank and @Huw_Thomas are worth considering. If you keep the ogiginal, maybe just a slight darkening of the barbed wire left of the post.
I always love seeing your world!!
The overall adjustments to the comp work very well. I do like the suggested crops advocated by the other reviewers of this post. The only other thing that might be difficult to fix is that the barbed wire fence goes from sharp to soft right behind the RH bird. It’s very subtle, but defies optics. The subjects are wonderful and like the poses. Well done…Jim
Thankyou everyone for your thoughtful comments. I like the crops and tweaks of @Dennis_Plank and @Huw_Thomas very much and worth the while to consider. Although, I had in mind a theme for a series with fence posts and wire…only because most of my latest shots have fence post and wire.
Thankyou @Allen_Sparks ! And, thank you @Diane_Miller . That’s a great idea should I keep the post. Ah, @Jim_Zablotny ! Eagle eyes. I liked the image, but the work involved to “make it better” should have been done in the field.
Hi Glenys. A little late, but wanted to say I like what you’ve created. The birds look sharp and have some nice light. While there is “hand of man” present, I like the rustic look of the post and wire and given your theme, I think I prefer the original. The wire on the left serves, a bit, as a leading line.
