The photographer has shared comprehensive information about their intent and creative vision for this image. Please examine the details and offer feedback on how they can most effectively realize their vision.
Self Critique
The silhouetted crane and other ducks against that gorgeous sunrise
This is a very vibrant image and perhaps I might have over processed this but if my memory serves me right, this closely resembles what I saw in those 2 minutes then
Creative direction
Though primarily a nature / natural landscape image, there may be potential for the mind to go out of the box
Specific Feedback
aesthetically does the background come across as pleasing ? I did blur it some to let the crane stand out better
Technical Details
1/2000 sec at F 7.1 - ISO 400 - on a tripod - 600 mm lens
Description
Photographed in 2011 in Bosque Del Apache on a bitterly cold morning ( Zero deg F ).
This is a sight to behold - all these birds will spend the night on a pond - to protect themselves from predators. Come sunrise, they flock to feed in the nearby fields
This is a dazzling. The pose is wonderful, of course, but I’m particularly drawn to the bush in the background, which looks like a crashing wave or an explosion of lava.
My only minor nit is the leaves in the upper left corner, which I find slightly distracting. Since I’m not the cloning type, it would force me to consider whether to crop square or even vertical to just focus on the crane and “exploding bush,” but by all means the current presentation works well too.
Wonderful!! The leaves in the UL are a minor distraction, and so are the dark geese on the left edge. A crop from the left would fix both issues – just enough to remove the geese. The bit of leaves remaining could be darkened with a masked curve or other adjustment layer to reduce their contrast, but I don’t think they are a big issue.
It may be over processed compared to the original scene but to me it looks very artistic!
This is the “Art” part of “The Art of Photography” IMHO.
While I agree with the other comments about cropping, my reason for cropping isn’t entirely the same, I’m not finding the ULC leaves distracting but as @Max_Waugh mentioned, a square crop is worth considering just for the purpose of adding more attention to the crane and the burning bush. This would centralize the burning bush and make it a stronger presentation but again, it’s just a thought.
That said, I really like the original presentation very much!
A stunning image, Karl. I think I keep going back there for this kind of sunrise, but I haven’t encountered it yet. The le a ves inthe upper left don’t bother me a bit and I’d be very hesitant to do a crop that removed them. I could see removing the geese at theleft edge, but yhey don’t bother me much.
Hi Karl, love this vibrant image. I like the placement of the crane in the frame so wouldn’t crop differently. For my taste, I really don’t see significant distracting elements. A striking image - great capture of a wonderful moment.
Stunning image, rendering an amazing atmosphere. I took me a few seconds to see all there is to see in the image(s) and I love them ! Wouldn’t change a thing. Cheers, Hans
This is lovely, Karl. vAside from the comments from all the others, which I overall agree with, the image and the moment are superb! I have tried for this so many times and not yet achieved it at Bosque. You received a great gift that morning, and the light and the gesture transcend any slight distractions, and it appears the crop resolved those anyway.
Karl, this is a stunning image! It also took me a moment to realize it wasn’t the sky and clouds “exploding” in the background, just lovely. I really love the position of the crane as it really tells a story of majesty in every way! I wouldn’t change a thing.
I love this image. When I shoot birds, I always try for the “artsy” look, the twist of the neck, the turn of the head etc. You have captured a beautiful pose and unique against that sun. Beautiful!!
Karl, this is a wonderful shot! There is nothing in the original composition that bothers me in the slightest, so personally I would refrain from cropping, just to keep as much of the fiie size as possible. Cropping doesn’t make it more powerful to me at all.
If you wonder if you have over-processed the image, maybe show us the original? The way you processed it certainly is great and creates a lovely atmosphere.
Grt, Ingrid.
