Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Not sure what the thrush had planned for the acorn and apparently neither did it as the acorn was dropped as the thrush flew off. I’d rather not have the OOF leaves in the LRC. I did remove a few branches behind the thrush.
Specific Feedback
Any thoughts appreciated
Technical Details
Canon R5; 100-500 with 1.4 Tx at 700 mm; 1/1000 at F10;ISO 5000
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Terrific image, Allen. Yes it’s hard to understand what that little bird would do with that acorn. I agree about the LRC, but you might be able to darken that down some to minimize the distraction. It’s certainly not a deal breaker on this fine image though.
Cheers,
David
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The behavior makes this image, Allen. You’re certainly right-that thrush has no business with an acorn. The leaves in the lower right are a bit of a problem, but I think the other branch right along the edge is more important. I’d clone over it with some of the less obtrusive leaves. When I looked at the largest image, there appeared to be some issues with masking or selecting around the head and beak. I downloaded a copy of your image and drew some circles around the areas of concern.
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Hi Allen, great looking bird in action! Agree with the strange lines Dennis has pointed out. Too much sharpening and NR maybe? Would be worth re-checking the steps you took in post processing, as the image is great. Cheers, Hans
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Thanks for the comments and suggestions @David_Bostock , @Dennis_Plank , @Hans_Overduin , and @Daniel_Mulkey . I’ve reposted based on these comments. It’s pretty much re-worked from the start, so the background will look different. I also took out the dark line running up the perch which, while natural, had an artificial feel and drew my eye.
Hi Allen, what a striking bird! And a great pose you caught. Nice BG too. The repost looks good to me but feather detail looks sharper in the original image while still being realistic.
Very pleasant pose with the color-matching acorn, regardless of how natural it might be. Interesting difference in the original and the RP. It should be possible to do one with the best of both – the cleaner edges of the RP and the sharpness of the OP. Interesting how different the BGs are – did you replace the BG in the first? I prefer the BG of the second, and everything else about it except the lack of sharpness of the bird. The OOF leaves int he corner don’t bother me – they blend nicely with the BG and soften what could be an eye-catching hard edge of the perch.
Thanks, Diane, and @Allen_Sparks . I took out the original re-post and replaced it with one that is sharpened( I think like the original). The basic background reflects the original scene in terms of colors and contrasts. The difference is that I didn’t use the exact same clone/removal techniques in both when I took out the branches behind and intersecting with the thrush.
Ah, I see now – it was an incomplete branch removal that caused the area behind the head and around the acorn.
The repost looks pretty good and the adjusted contrast puts more pop in the thrush. I wish that the perch was not concealed by foreground vegetation, but the captured behavior makes it a very minor nit. Well done…Jim
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