Blue Cranes

[Kobus Tollig]

Canon 50D
100-400mm @ 400mm
1/800 sec, f/8
Mode: Av
Metering: Evaluative
Exp comp: +1/3
ISO: 640
AF mode: AI Servo AF
Drive: Continuous (high): frame 1
White balance: Auto
Flash: Off
All C&C welcome and appreciated
Taken in the Western Cape.

[Morkel Erasmus]

thought you might post this here bud ;)
as I said before - love it!!! would still suggest you try a pano type comp with more space left and right and less on top...but overall a magical shot, you know how I dig silhouettes...

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Awesome silhouette Kobus. Not sure if the pano would work as the flyer is too high, unless it is removed, but it adds SO much to the image. COngrats mate. :)

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Pretty cool silhouette image. I like the poses and BG colors and would be tempted to clone out the bird in the middle whose head is not visible.

[Alan Murphy]

Agree with Axel on cloning out the bird that is merged. That would put this wonderful image over the top.

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

beautiful silhouette Kobus,I Iike the color and the poses,agree for the cloning out

[Steve Canuel]

I like the comp as is (vs pano). Nice variety of poses and good color. +1 more on removal of the headless one.

[Geurt Bloem]

Works well for me as well Kobus. Cloning would have a very positive result as well.

[Kiran Poonacha]

Great setting captured Kobus... The bird in flight adds well to the frame..

[Stu Bowie]

I would leave the comp as is, and the silhouetted cranes against the warm light works so well.

[Kobus Tollig]

Thx all for the great comments appreciate it lots.
Here is the rework

[Steve Canuel]

Repost looks great.

[Arthur Morris]

A fabulous capture and a good repost. There are some strange things going on here.... #1: How many birds in the original post. Be careful.... #2: In the original post, what is the thing coming out of the chest of the bird in the middle with its wings spread, the bird above the extraneous bird?

Did you do any cloning by the front two birds? (Love the long tail/bustle on the front bird.) I would love to see the original capture.

[Kobus Tollig]

Thx all for the great comments and suggestions.
Artie its art isnt is.....does it matter how i get to final product? just asking...no offence taken or intended.
I just feel that what the orig looked like is not the point....am i wrong...
Here it is though. You will see that they have big chest feather. and with the other post they look like legs so i took it out on the middel bird when i removed the bird as suggested. So i can see where you coming from Artie.
How do you feel about my satements?
Thx for taking the time to comment. MUCH appreciated

[Arthur Morris]

Howdy Kobus,

re:

Artie its art isnt is.....

Yes.

does it matter how i get to final product?

No.

just asking...no offence taken or intended.

That is good as no offence was intended on my part. Seeing the original often helps folks to learn and to get a peek into the mind of the photographer--to see what they were thinking at the time of capture.

I just feel that what the orig looked like is not the point....am i wrong...

Not my business as to whether you are right or wrong. :) I am here to learn and help others to learn and as above, that is why I asked to see the original. After seeing the original, I learned that you have not made mmany changes at all.

Here it is though.

Much appreciated.

You will see that they have big chest feather. and with the other post they look like legs so i took it out on the middle bird when i removed the bird as suggested. So i can see where you coming from Artie.

I did not know about those chest feathers, sort of like the beards on our turkeys, that is why I was confused. I could not figure out what happened to that "leg" in the original or to what I thought was the head of another bird on the right, thus I asked, "How many birds in the OP?"

How do you feel about my satements?

From your comments and questions above I feel that you may have taken a small bit of offense at my asking (though none was intended).

Thx for taking the time to comment. MUCH appreciated.

You are most welcome.

[Kobus Tollig]

Thx for comming back Artie. Promise you I did not take offence what so ever. Really.... Also want to leanr and was just wondering how you think. Now I know. Thx for that

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Kobus this is great and I mean it!

Love the repost, and yes, seen the original gives me lots of inspiration for future work. Thanks for sharing.

[Juan Aragonés]

Kobus I like a lot this image and I like how you processed the original file to get a much better result. Once that has been said I would like to add: 1) that some saturation increase would enhance the feeling of "last light of the day" and 2) I always try to learn from the time I spend in PS and I am always thinking how to fix the problem or how to avoid time processing in PS (instead of the fact that I really like it). Next time that you face a similar situation like this one in the field, try to remember this image and how you processed in PS. Then it would be far easy to produce the result that you want right from the camera. In this case, a higher shutter speed (i.e.) and a custom white balance (to enhace the warm tonalities) would do the trick ;-)

Once again, a very good image