Though apparently not that uncommon where I live, I rarely see one, so was thrilled to photograph this guy flitting among the cattails.
Canon R5; 100-500 at 500 mm; 1/1000 at f7.1; ISO 2000
Hi Allen, interesting look among amongst the cattails. I like the color tones and nice look at the bird’s eye. Too bad about the foreground reed to the right which is distracting. Nice details on the bird.
Hello, Allen, I am always a fan of birds being partly hidden, as in this image. I like the color scheme a lit - but agree with other Allen that the OOF is a little too much, you may consider toning that down selectively a bit to make it stand out less. That said, it’s the kind of imagery I prefer above clean ‘studio shots’ anyhow, so I enjoy it nevertheless a lot ! Cheers, Hans
Thanks @Allen_Sparks and @Hans_Overduin for your input. I agree the reed on the right is an issue. I think part of the problem is that it forms such a straight edge that it appears unnatural. I warmed up the whiteness of the reed with a color layer and made some changes to the upper part so it appears less straight, but I can’t change the bottom part without altering the bird.
I like half-hidden shots, Allen and this fits the bill. Excellent job on the focus. I do prefer the repost. I think the issue with the out of focus elements is amplified by the sharp boundary caused by the reed in front of the bird. Here’s a quick attempt to mellow out that transition. I just did a bit of cloning along the edge with a soft brush.
Thanks, @Dennis_Plank, I like the change you made as it doesn’t seem to alter the bird much and removes the straight edge along the bird.
emphasized textFirst of all, I love the composition with the bird so off to the side. The colours are beautiful and the details of the bird are terrific. I have very much appreciated the collected efforts to remove the heavy distraction of the straight edge….helps me to know what is possible. The last repost has masterfully helped an already good photo.
