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
I like the action, the spray of the water. And I like the parallel lines in the water, and the backlighting. The light was moving between mid-afternoon harsh and partly cloudy and I was happy to get the highlights not blown out. I like the background being black, but maybe too dark?
Creative direction
I was looking for a more artistic approach, a very dramatic look and some backlighting. I wanted the swan doing something instead of just floating there. I increased the saturation on the plant the swan was eating to pull the eye there.
Specific Feedback
Feedback on the lighting (the water, swan and the droplets) and cropping. Also the artistic value.
Technical Details
Fujifilm X-T3, 1/3200s, f/8.0, ISO 2000, 560mm, .1.4 teleconverter. Used Adobe DeNoise and then a little Topaz Denoise and Sharpen after exporting.
Description
I was so excited to see this swan at a natural area in Longmont, as they don’t show up in Colorado often (a Rare in eBird). I didn’t have my bird ID book and several people hiking the trails told me they thought it was either a trumpeter swan or tundra swan. It came pretty close to me and I took a ton of shots, and got some nice ones. I could see the bill was black with the pinkish area in the middle so this is an older juvenile.
Woo hoo! You got your backlighting shot and it’s great. Really shows off the action and the surroundings well. The bit of lunch is a bonus. Nice job with the colors and the dynamic range. Not sure if it’s a Tundra or a Trumpeter, but this appears to be a youngster since it is quite gray in color. We had about 8 of them (Trumpeters) on the river out back yesterday and one was definitely a bird from this year’s hatch. They stay with their parents until the next generation comes along. So cool you got to spend time with some. I quite like the tight framing and the water ripples although it might need a nudge clockwise in rotation.
I really like this, Debbie. The only thing I could wish for is that the swan had turned it’s head a bit toward you, but they never do take direction. The level looks OK to me, but if you want to you could make that band of reflection under the tail vertical and it would probable be as close as you’re going to get. The dark background with the backlit swan and all the drops works very well. Excellent image.
@Dennis_Plank Thank you! It did get a lot closer to me and I have shots from nearer with better head position, but he/she was heading away from me by the time it got to the part of the lake with the light looking like this.
