The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I did not know that I took this photo until after I returned home and uploaded the photos to my computer. The male redwing was not too far away from me when I took a short burst with the Z9. The details of the Phragmites gripped by the bird is what makes the shot.
Specific Feedback
I did find that there was a light halo around the top of the bird and I took care of this with the rubber stamp tool with a layer set to the darken option. Do you think it needs more?
Technical Details
Z9 600mm f4 (1/8000 sec at f5.0, ISO 1250) Topaz DeNoise AI,Slight crop for comp, Shadows & Highlights, Brightness & Contrast, Rubber stamp tool for Halo reduction…Jim
Hi Jim, you’ve taken some great photos of these blackbirds and this is no exception. Very nice take off pose coming off that reed (phragmite?). The stalks are photogenic. Nice details in the blackbird and a lovely BG. Well done.
I like the varied color palette here - green and tan - it really shows that dramatic take off well. Great timing for that wingspread. That great diagonal of the bird’s wings and tail, almost an X with the head and feet. Strong composition! And again you handled the blacks really well. The only thing I’d do is get rid of that in focus bit of filament hanging down on the stalk it’s taking off from. That way the plants are more harmonious and homogeneous in presentation.
The wing position and the red, white & black colors of this bird reminds me of the “A Life on Our Planet” documentary narrated by David Attenborough. The bird I’m thinking of was in the rain forest and was doing a very exotic dance to attract a mate (I could be wrong about which documentary it was).
I really like how sharp this is, the fast shutter speed certainly made that possible. The takeoff position provides a nice downward angle and I like the way it’s right foot has just released it’s grip on the perch and even though the entire bird is sharp, the image feels dynamic, I get the sense of motion.
The BG and perch colors compliment the bird very well and the global lighting sets it off quite nicely.
It’s a nice surprise when you download the images from a shoot and discover an image that you didn’t expect, especially when it’s an image like this!
Most of my surprise images need to be deleted.
A catch to die for – I love the wing position and sharp detail!
I wondered how difficult it would be to mask and lighten the darker seed head and while I was playing, I subdued the color just a bit on the OOF one under the bird. Just idle thoughts…
Hi Jim
I am still working on getting my Red Wing Blackbird shots to look like yours. I can’t see any holo and for my money the photograph look great. Based on previous shots did you know the shutter setting needed to be preset it to 1/8000?
Peter
Excellent, Jim. A perfect moment, very well photographed. I love the nice rich blacks of the bird and the composition with all the phragmites heads blowing in one direction and the bird taking off into the wind is just awesome. I don’t see any trace of a halo.
A nice composition with the environmental features, a pleasing background, and good detail in the bird. The wing position shows off the epaulets nicely and there’s nice detail in the blacks.
