Violet Green Swallow

Image Critiques Avian Critiques
1

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Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

I took this in the same session as the Tree Swallow I posted a few days ago. One was on the top of each of two old fence rails I used as uprights for a crossbar to hand bird feeders and both were grooming. I have a similar frame to the one I posted of the Tree Swallow, but I liked the kind of goof-ball look of this more head-on image with a bit of breast feather in the beak. If you look closely at the eye area in the larger image, you’ll see that there are little fans of dark feathers mostly obscuring the eyes to act as windscreens and keep debris out of their eyes when flying.

Specific Feedback

I don’t consider this a particularly artistic pose, but I like it anyway and I’m interested in whether it works for anyone else.

Technical Details

Sony A1, FE 200-600 + 1.4 TC @ 840 mm, hand held, f/9, 1/1600, iso 2500. Cleanup in DxO PureRaw 4, further processing in LR & PS CC. Cropped to 3412 pixels square. Taken with sun filtered by light fog at 8:12 a.m. on April 4th.

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2

Dennis, this is a gorgeous bird in a great pose. I’m glad you explained the eye feathers - I thought it might be blind (but looked too healthy).
Excellent perch, tack-sharp detail, and the white BG sets this fellow off perfectly.
Really exceptional!

3

I love the slightly wacky pose! Excellent detail and gorgeous perch. Even though it’s foggy, for me there is too much tonal flatness on the dark end. Here is a quick idea, but much better done in raw, by bringing the blacks down.

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4

I love seeing all these different birds. I have never seen one of these…and such a descriptive name.

I must admit the eyes looked a bit strange but after reading your comments they seem just perfect.

The quirky pose and the gorgeous perch (with matching green) is just lovely. I like the white sky.
Diane’s edition is quite lovely.

5

Dennis: I like the high key effect as it really puts the emphasis on the bird. Thanks for the info re the feathering around the bird’s eye.

6

I like Diane’s addition for more contrast which gives this guy some pop. Pose is nice and we often throw out head on views unnecessarily. I think that you could sneak a print of this one on a wall in your house and I certainly would not object. The greens of the back plumage are unique and pleasant to the eye…Jim

7

Hi Dennis
Thank you for bring us this Violet Green Swallow, very cool. I kind of like the softer look, it works well with the overall framing.
Peter

8

Very nice Dennis. A great looking swallow and this is a wonderful rendition of it. Wish we had these down here. I like the high key composition. Head on look is nice. Diane’s update looks good to me also.