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View Full Version : Eagle's Perch - Skagit Flats, Washington



Terry Olmsted
02-02-2008, 06:16 PM
Taken January 13, 2008 - early morning sun

Canon XTi 400mm 5.6L 1/250s f5.6 ISO 400

Chris Starbuck
02-03-2008, 10:41 AM
Hi, Terry. Nice warm light on the trees, with some pleasing pastel colors in the sky. The eagles are nicely placed in the frame, and their relative size suggests an isolated place -- wilderness. Still, I find myself wanting to see either all of the tree on the left, or none of it; the edge merger is somewhat distracting. Of course, I don't know what was just outside the frame on the left, and nature often doesn't provide us with open space between objects. For my taste, I'd crop off the left half of the frame, making (I think) a stronger vertical. Just one opinion.:)
Chris

Alfred Forns
02-03-2008, 10:50 PM
Hi Terry for me the eagles dominate the image strong enough I did not think much about the trees being shown all the way to the ground After being pointed out by Chris I might go ahead and crop some from the bottom so they look deliberately cut and would make the birds just a tad larger in frame

Love the bg colors and how well the birds look Their placement is fine I like this image a lot !!!!

Terry Olmsted
02-04-2008, 02:08 AM
Thanks very much for the comments and suggestions, Al. I have made played a bit with the crops both you and Chris suggested. See what you think.

Jason Hahn
02-04-2008, 07:17 AM
Personally I prefer the first crop you posted, it has a better sense of the vastness of the area the eagles are perched over. I like that you composed the scene with the eagles looking into the empty space on the left, and the bit of hill faded in the distance in the lower corner adds a lot of depth to the scene. Cropping that out removes this depth for me. If anything, I wish the scene was composed with a slightly wider focal length or that you could have backed up to include more of the hill in the distance, and eliminate the tree touching the edge on the left. Not sure if a slight pan to the left would have been able to accomplish that, or if backing up was a possibility (don't want to send you off a cliff :) ). I really like the blue gradient in the sky, the eagles really stand out well from it.

Jason

Robert Amoruso
02-04-2008, 07:34 AM
This is an interesting thread that we have different and valid opinions on the composition. Fo me, this is a great learning experience and it is helping me to become a better photographer.

I am going to agree with Jason on this one. A more open composition is my recommendation so back to the original. Thanks for postng this excellent, thought-provoking image.

Terry Olmsted
02-04-2008, 09:51 AM
Thanks, Jason and Robert for your comments. I agree with you both. My objective was to show the setting with the wonderful sunlight highlighting the eagles. Since I had my 400mm on, I was not able to back off, short of falling into Skagit Bay :). And thanks for all for the interaction - I am learning a great deal being involved with BPN and talented photographers like yourselves.