Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I pretty much only see Varied Thrushes in the winter and then only when there’s a significant snow fall and they come to my feeding station. I was looking for images for the Weekly Challenge and found something from February 11th, 2019 along with a whole bunch of images I got of birds in the falling snow from my blind (nothing like a permanent blind with a little propane heater in the winter). No snow yet this winter.
Specific Feedback
I left the out of focus snow flakes in front of the bird to indicate that it was still snowing-does that work?
There’s also one small out of focus foreground branch on the left the I didn’t try to remove or crop because it didn’t bother me. Opinions?
Technical Details
Canon 7DII, Sigma 150-600 contemporary @ 435 mm, gimbal head mounted to blind window, f/8, 1/250, iso 2000. Noise reduction with DxO PureRaw 5, processed in LR & PS CC. Cropped to 4699x3133.
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Nice capture of a bird I never see, with a very nice environment to show it off! Since you were on a gimbal head I assume the camera was level but I get the feeling the bird is leaning to the right. It’s probably just an illusion due to the angle of the branch, though. I wonder about just a bit more room at the bottom, but that’s a small nit. I love the falling snow!
Interesting question about the level @Diane_Miller. I’ll have to check it. I have my doubts about the blind itself being level. It was built on a bit of a slope and there’s no true foundation. I can’t recall whether I tried to level the mounting blocks I mounted to the window frames for holding the head. I know they’re fairly close because the head with camera and big lens attached doesn’t try to swing on it’s own when it’s loosened. The branches were bent down quite a bit with the weight of the snow and that may well have affected the angle.
I think that this is fine as presented. You could try a slight counterclockwise rotation if so desired. I like the subtle edges of the shadowed snow above the branch in the BG. Very nice look at this Pacific Northwest specialty…Jim
Definitely a bird I look forward to seeing in the winter, Dennis. And well presented with the snow and evergreen.
Well done Dennis. A real beauty and nicely presented. Love the snow all around and the touch of evergreen. Nice color and tones. Looks good to me.
