Grape Picking

[Desmond Chan]

Honestly, I don't know if those were grapes :o

S5, 200-400 @ 300mm; f4 1/1000 ISO 400; shutter priortiy +1.

The original has the sky in the background largely white. Other than I'm pretty happy with my pressing the shutter button at the right moment and got the eye sharp, I'm not sure of this photo. Not sure why but may be the head position of the bird. So, I changed the color of the sky, faded the colors of some of the elements in the photo, enhanced (not replaced) a tad those that I would like the viewers to focus on...trying to improve the final image. And, here's the result.

What say you?


Thanks for looking !!

[Katie Rupp]

I'm pretty sure those are cherries! I like the action you caught and the sharp face/eye/beak. There is some BG noise and at first the head angle looks strange but then it sort of grows on me. Does it need more room?

[Desmond Chan]

There is some BG noise

Believe it or not, I added some noise to the background. That is to improve the transition from the blurred background to the foreground, makes it look more natural. Supposedly the noise added should be small. I probably over-done it a bit.

Attached is the one I reduced the noise...errr not sure if I was successful :o

[Nicki Gwynn Jones]

Hi Desmond, I like the sharpness of the face but the tail is bothering me - I think I would have preferred a little more depth of field.

[Nonda Surratt]

Tee hee love it! Looks like inner eyelid is down? Giving the eye a hazy look?

[Alfred Forns]

Nice PS work Desmond !!!! Images with birds straight on at a close distance with the prominent tail are difficult. No amount of stopping down will give you enough dof Tail is always distracting

I thinks you did great here exposing wide open to maximize the blur, the face is razor sharp and image made at peak moment !!!

[Oscar Zangroniz]

Great capture Desmond. Agree with the other points, non the less a beautiful shot.

[Harold Davis]

sweet capture, desmond!! i think you could evict that stick/branch in the upper right corner behind the bird's butt. i like the head angle. pretty cool!!