The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I was absolutely was overjoyed to sight and photograph the Indian Skimmers, I had waited many years to finally see them. First day was simply observing them, but I went back the second morning to particularly capture them at the crack of dawn with the light behind them. Somehow a frame of a backlit skimmer was stuck on my mind. And this one of the images I managed to capture the next morning. I should have cranked up the shutter speed (1/1600 feels low now after processing), but, in my excitement that one time the bird ended up skimming on the right spot, while I was seated on a boat waiting for this happen, I had little time react and adjust some aspects.
Specific Feedback
Now, my problem is deciding how to crop and frame. The last one is the full frame (corrected for tilt/light/denoise etc) to show what I managed to capture at the scene. What I am trying to highlight is the color of sunrise and the action of the skimmer without making the bird just a silhouette. I like some of the details and the beak color. I want to give some depth to the image, so my first frame with the bit of the background, but does the top edge being dark distract from the subject? or does to provide a little frame to keep the eye going back to the subject? Or should I include some of the sky too? I like the long version as well which gives some linear movement of the bird’s behavior of skimming several meters as a stretch. The other version is simply closer crop without much of the background.
And Oh, one more question, It was hard for me to do a non-standard size image (the long one). I always tend stick to standard sizes like 3X2 or 4X5 or 16X9. I seem to struggle to go for custom sizes and proportions. How do I get over that inertia?
Technical Details
iso 250
1/1600
f4
420mm (300 + 1.4x)
handheld on a stopped boat and engine off
The second image is my favorite, Anuradha. For me, the sky and dark background takes away from the beauty of the bird and golden water. The third image gives a good sense of the motion, but I like seeing the bird closer up. You caught the skimmer in a great pose. I envy you the experience.
This is a gorgeous image no matter how your crop it, Anuradha. I’m torn between all your crops and I think it’s largely a matter of what you’re going to do with the image. If you’re putting it on a modern computer or television screen, the 9x16 ratio is going to work very well, if you’re projecting it, most projectors still seem to be 3x4 format. If you want to use standard mat or frame, you’re even more restricted because those folks are still in the dark ages of 4x5 formats. Then, of course there are magazines and who knows what they might want.
I tend to leave off the aspect ratio unless I have a specific purpose for the image and crop by what pleases my eye. Then, if I need to restrict the format for a specific purpose, I’ll figure out how to recrop it to fit that purpose or sometimes I simply can’t make it work and have to use a different image.
Not much of a critique I’m afraid, but I love all of these compositions. Personally I like the reflection of the trees in the first image, but I also love the other two.
Very nice Anuradha, what a special moment you captured. The second image is my favorite with the bird and magic color of the water highlighted.
I’ve photographed black skimmers here once and found that they really motor (are quite fast as they skim). While I think you captured this situation quite well, as you imply, I think you could consider higher ISOs and shutter speeds in similar situations. Combine the higher ISOs with the latest noise reduction (I use DXO PureRaw). This will give you more “margin” for fast moving subjects in low light.
Wonderful behavioral image well captured and presented.
