Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Our cherry trees were all a twitter with the high pitched “zeee” of quite a few Rufous Hummingbirds. They didn’t give me many views, but I was able to capture some and these two were my favorite.
Specific Feedback
The first is my favorite; the second shows more of the coloration, but is too static. I’ve been playing around with background enhancement using a solid color adjustment layer. I mask out the bird and then chose a color from the background (pink here), create a solid color layer and use the soft light blend mode and decrease the opacity as needed. In comparing the before and after, there is some color enhancement, but also a softness and glow to the background.
Technical Details
Canon R5; 100-500 at 500 mm; 1/2500 at f7.1, +1EV; ISO 1600/800
1 Like
Hi Allen, I like what you have done here. The first image immerses the bird and us in the flowers which is a neat effect. I like the bird’s pose as well. The bird is rather soft which contributes to a painterly feel to the image. I like the second image as well with the curved perch and flowers in the background the bird is looking into.
1 Like
Wow, how lovely to have the trees in blossom and a hummingbird. I am very impressed by both photos for different reasons. I love the action of the first and the sense of being inside the canopy of petals. The pink and orange are lovely together. The second one I love the addition of green to the colours and the details of the bird. I don’t mind the bird being static as I can look back and forth between the bird and the blossoms.
Because you put so much work into the first one I hope you don’t mind me pointing out a couple of niggly things that drew my eye. First on the end of the beak there is a pink area that looks unnaturaland and secondly in the upper right there is a very in focus blossom that is incongruent with the rest of the soft background.
These are beautiful and creative photos! Congratulations!
1 Like
Both images are very cool, Allen. I really like the first one and contrary to @Robena.Sirett I find the one in-focus flower adds to the image. I would agree that the pink over the bill tip looks a bit odd, though it may have been that way in the shot. You might look at bringing up the shadows on the first bird as it looks rather contrasty to my eye given the amount of light in the rest of the image.
The second image is excellent as well with lots of room for the bird and a lovely perch and background. It doesn’t feel too static to me and the eye contact is perfect.
1 Like
Thanks @Robena.Sirett , @Allen_Sparks , and @Dennis_Plank for you kind and helpful comments. The pink over the bill is what it was out of camera, perhaps a petal in front of it. This seems an easy fix.
Both are lovely, but the first one is exceptional! I would soften the small in-focus area on the edge – my eye jumps right to it. Some 50% opacity cloning could give it a shoot-through look.
Thanks, @Diane_Miller , an excellent thought.
