The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
So this is something different from the normal image I’d post here. I had a work party at my local preserve yesterday morning and went out a couple of hours early to see what I could find. Usually, the meadowlarks are either singing up on a perch or almost impossible to find. This was one of a pair I saw fly into an area not far ahead of me and they let me pull up slowly on the road and continued about their business while I photographed them. I liked what the long lens compression did to the camas immediately around the meadowlark. I also liked the way the bird stood out despite the grasses around it (I had plenty of frames with grass right in front of an eye).
I liked the idea of a habitat shot for this species, since the normal shot is a male perched up and singing in the open-something it might do for 5% of its life. The rest of the time it’s in this.
Specific Feedback
Does the incredibly business of this image ruin it for you?
Technical Details
Sony A1 FE 200-600 + 1.4 TC @ 840 mm, hand held from truck window, f/9, 1/2500, iso 2500 (forgot to dial it back as the sun got brighter), manual exposure. Processed in LR & PS CC. Cropped to 3418x2446 (pretty major crop for this camera), minor decrease in brightness on the background and a slight saturation boost in the blues, purples and greens in LR. Just a touch of cleanup here and there in the background.
Hi Dennis, this composition definitely works for me. I like the surrounding grasses and flowers with room left up top as well. Agree that this shows more of the typical habitat of this species. I could see what darkening the overall image a tad would look like - seems a bit bright in general. Nice scene well captured.
Since I’ve never seen one of these IRL, the environment doesn’t ruin it for me at all. It adds so much information about where and how they live. Everything is taller than they are and I wonder they can see much as they move through all those grasses and flowers. Hunting must be good though and so it makes sense they would find their niche.
Oh and the grass across the eye thing is something I can totally relate to. Have thrown hundreds of shots away with tiny sticks and twigs in the way. Makes the one clear shot even more valuable. One suggestion here is to take just a little bit off the bottom - some of the small patches of OOF flowers are not adding to things, but it’s really just a minor adjustment. I like that you didn’t cut off the grasses above the bird and that we can see them all the way to their tips. What a great car seat shot!
Dennis, getting this close to a Meadowlark on the ground (or when they’re singing is hard), so you did well. This also shows the bird’s environment well. Even though you say that it’s a good look, the bird is decently disguised, with mainly the yellow in it’s head giving its presence away. They are so much fun to watch and listen too.
Dennis, this is a very nice look at a Meadowlark. They are skittish, and so the only shots I have been able to shoot (and not very good ones) is in our yard through our windows. This looks like you are down eye level even though you shot it from your truck! The distance he was from you probably made it look that way. I just love the grasses and flowers that you found him in. Very nice shot!
