Portraits for Stu Bowie's Feb theme

[Jean Louis Rousselle]

Good evening,

If I understand correctly, the desired theme for February submissions are portraits.

I have recently taken an image that I hope meets the criteria you described.

The double-crested Cormorant, a common bird, with incredibly mesmerizing eyes....

Image taken in Stuart Fl USA

Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

[Dorian Anderson]

They do have amazing eyes, but we don't get it to see it as its finest since the bird's head is angled away from us. Eye contact is critical for portraits and this shot lacks it. It would also help to have the whole bill in focus. Facial details look pretty good though.

[gail bisson]

Welcome Jean Louis,
I like the way you have cropped the image but agree with Dorian that the bird should be looking at us, not away from us.
With portraits, it is critical to have a sufficient depth of field (DOF) to make sure that the entire bill is in focus. I am usually at F 9 or 10 for tight portraits like this,
Gail
Please include your exif data- it helps us with our critiques.
Gail

[Arthur Morris]

JLR. Ditto the above. Do see the stuff on head angle in the BPN Head Angle Fine Points thread in Education Resources here (http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/69803-Head-Angle-Fine-Points). You will need to set aside lots of time to study however as there are 392 replies. Though the last reply was in 2014 everything there is still valid. When you are done studying that one, you can check out this one also in the ER here (http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/7781-Head-Angle-Police-(HAP)-Tutorial).

with love, artie

[Jean Louis Rousselle]

Thank you Dorian & Gail. Artie thank you for the material references that will shed additional information on the subject. I will take the time to thoroughly review and absorb.

I will attach another image for review and to help me better understand.
I believe that the head angle and DOF are appropriate?
With this image, I wonder about the eye contact?
This Great Egret was in predation mode. It was fixated with it's prey, small lizards or geicos on the branches of a shrub.
The red on the bill is blood from a kill moments before the image was captured.
The eye is of course on the prey and is also in full view.
Does the Egret's gaze at it's prey negate what is considered eye contact?

Your comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

1D MKlV 400mmL5.6 @ 5.6 taken in AP -1.7EV at 1/5000 sec hand held.

[Arthur Morris]

The HA for the Great Egret image is perfect, angled toward us a degree or two so that the bill is actually sharper than if the head were perfectly parallel to the sensor.

with love, artie

ps: As I have been saying here a lot recently, I do not give a rat's *** about eye contact with the subject, and that goes double when it is looking for lunch!

[Jean Louis Rousselle]

Artie,

My most sincere thanks for the additional feedback.

I believe that I now clearly understand that corner stone concept regarding head angle and eye.

Again thanks to Gail & Dorian for the input on the Cormorant.

:S3:

[John Mack]

Agree with the other comments on here.

[gail bisson]

The second pic is spot on for head angle and DOF and the whites look good.
Gail

[Daniel Cadieux]

Yes, the second one is much more engaging. Good critiques above, and the threads Artie pointed you too are excellent reads.