Paddyfield Warbler

[Gyorgy Szimuly]

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/622/acragr04800pxforum.jpg

1DMkIIN + 600mm f4, cropped from horizontal

This Paddyfield Warbler was shot during one of my loved Dobrogea, Romania trip back in 2006. As I said this region is a highly recommended one for bird photographers. People are kind, infrastructure is good (more and more hotels and b&bs available), security is not an issue (at least not more than in any other country in Europe).

So, Lets discover the area with self organized trips respecting birds and their habitats!!! ;) Need info? Just write me an e-mail. I'll try to help.

Szimi

[Kiran Poonacha]

Bhai.. good one this... loved the the singing pose abd details, the painting like BG does well. Also loved the birds hairdo...

[Chris van Rooyen]

Lovely soft side-lighting, nice touch to have the open bill and the perch adds to the general atmosphere. I would prefer slightly less space at the top.

[Randy Stout]

Szimi:

Very nice colors, pose,eye, exposure.

I agree with Chris about the crop. For me, about 1/3 off of the free space at top.

Sounds like a nice area!

Randy

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Great singing pose Szimi! :) I would like more room below and less above to show the stem of the reed. Just preference. Good HA!

[Grace Scalzo]

The background is so pretty, we can still appreciate it with a bit less on the top, I think that will emphasize the delightful little singing bird. Please keep sharing birds from this region....they are all new to me.

[Lorant Voros]

Szia Szimi,

Very nice pose and great techs on this one.I love the BG too. One more vote for a tighter crop.

[Dave Leroy]

A very nice looking photo. I also like the idea of a bit off the top. Also if I were to print this I would clone out the little, bright, blade of grass on very bottom-centre; my darned eye keeps being drawn to it.

Thanks for the info about this area of Romania. I have daughters who travelled through Romania several years ago and had some issues so nice to hear not so bad now.
Dave

[Ilija Dukovski]

In addition to above I'd say great eye contact and I like the BG very much.

[Gyorgy Szimuly]

Good to hear the bg is lved by most of you :D
Regarding the crop I always keep 3:2 or 2:3 image pixel ratio. If I wanna keep this with tighter crop the bird's bill would be too close to the right frame. It is a great dilemma for me how a cop is looking fine. For me this looked to be. Might be another option to compose it higher in the frame still in the field abut unfortunately no more space available on the bottom and I am not good enough in adding that perfect canvas with cloning etc. ;)

OK, I can live with fact I am not winning this week's IOTW competition :D :D :D

Szimi

[Stu Bowie]

I like the light, detail, and this is really sharp. Well timed to capture the open beak, and love the perch. I would take a bit off the bottom to just below the bottom of the grass, and some off the top too. Well captured Gyorgy.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hi Gyorgy,
You know your not eligible for IOTW anyway:D. As you know I almost always love the crop tool and deep down inside I want to agree with the crop suggestion.....in this case the bG is equally as nice as the bird and perch.....so I am ok with it as presented (can't believe I am saying that:eek:) The longer canvas adds to the stretched pose for me. Now I have to go and use the crop tool before i have a heart attack:D.

[Gyorgy Szimuly]

Here is a recrop. Image size is much smaller now. A bit under 2000 pixel for the longer side :(

Szimi

[Bruce Enns]

Szimi, I love the bird, the singing pose, the perch, the BG. Yes, retaining a 2:3 crop for this one is a problem... I like your repost, but now the bird looks quite centred and a little tight on the tail side. Even with the strong vertical elements of the perch, the bird and even the BG, does this work at all as a 2:3 horizontal with the bird in the left 1/3 of the frame? Beautiful image!

Cheers!
Bruce

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Very nice warbler!

Love the BG and singing pose. A crop from top is my suggestion. jc

[James Salywoda]

Sweet Shot! I really like the composition captured that background is stunning....