Head Angle Police (HAP) Tutorial?

[Richard Kowalski]

Hello all, no image for this one, and the post is partly tongue-in-cheek, but it is somewhat serious.

Many of the more accomplished bird photographers posting on this site often get critiques like "Almost perfect except for the head angle." I fully understand that head angle to the plane of the sensor & the lighting is important, but
I've been a little confused by just what is the "right angle". I've seen posts where a moderator has said the angle would be better one way and in another post another moderator (or just accomplished members) the exact same pose is critiqued for not having the right angle. It seems like often we are talking about a few degrees of rotation.

I think it would be great if some or a few people could post examples of the same bird at the same location and show exactly what a good head angle is and one that is slightly different, so we can see WHY the poorer one is a poor head angle.

The more tongue-in-cheek part of this is, how do you get the bird to pose with the correct head angle? When I have a cooperative model, one that provides me with perfect lighting, lets be move around and/or closer to get better foregrounds and backgrounds, and waits as long as I need to make multiple images of it before it flies off, I say "Thank you" out loud, appreciating the time and opportunity the bird afforded me.

What are you experienced portraitists saying to your models to get the right head angle when everything else has fallen into place?

:)

Richard

[Jim Poor]

I'm not going to touch the which angle is the right angle part, but will defiantly tune in to hear the answers.

As to how to get that angle; a squeak, pish, click, or some other sound often gets a look to investigate the source.

[Richard Kowalski]

Agreed Jim. I do pish if the bird isn't responding and sometimes I get the bird to look at me momentarily. I even rarely press the shutter during the split second it does. It seems that the HAP complain when the bird has a nearly profile
pose, but is off in one direction or the other. Obviously looking away is wrong, but I'm still trying to figure out how much rotation towards the photographer away from perpendicular is "Just right". That's why I've requested side by side examples of right/wrong head angles of the same bird.

Richard

[Blake Shadle]

I'll try to get some images together for you. You might say that I'm an officer of the HAP :) In my opinion, the eye is the center of emotional connection in photography. Without good eye contact it's very difficult to create an emotional connection between your subject and your audience. If your audience feels an emotional connection with your subject, you've created impact, you've evoked emotion from the image you've created. All of this is very important to me.

The majority of my work is based on a low shooting angle, and creating emotion. When I'm looking at an image, I like to feel that I'm an important part of it. You need a good head angle, and eye contact to do this. The low shooting angle adds to the sense of place, and environment (like you're there with the subject). Typically, I don't care for any angle away from the image plane, as a viewer, it feels distant, uninviting... but there are times when it works. I'm not a huge fan of dead-on plane either (I do like it, and it can be very beautiful for portraits, but it's not my favorite). I love an angle slightly toward the image plane (depending on your light angle, shadows, etc)... It gives me the greatest sense of emotion.

To get your subject to give you a little time, squeek at 'em :) But you have to keep your eye in the viewfinder and finger half down on the shutter. It may be for just a moment, but that moment could be all you need to create a magical image.

Blake

[Arthur Morris]

I am El Capitano of the HAP as well as the founder. I am pretty sure that I coined the phrase as it it used commonly now in bird photography.

First off I offer the two excerpts below from The Art of Bird Photography II (916 pages on CD only).

The first is an introductory paragraph from the Advanced Composition and Image Design Chapter.

Understanding Light-Angle, Subject-to-Film Plane Orientation, and Head-Angle

The failure to understand the importance of how light-angle and head-angle relate to both subject-to-imaging sensor or film plane orientation and to the quality of the final image ruins more bird photographs than all other artistic and design factors combined. The major flaws in at least three-quarters of the images of birds presented during BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour critiquing sessions involve either improper light angle or improper head-angle (or both). As you approach a bird or a flock of birds, your primary consideration in nearly all cases will be light-angle, so that is where we shall begin.

Skipping ahead:

Head-Angle

Understanding the importance of the angle of the bird’s head relative to both the light-angle and the imaging sensor or film plane are critical considerations if one wishes to create powerful, appealing images on a consistent basis. Images of birds facing slightly or well away from the camera are rarely successful. Ideally, when the subject is roughly parallel to the film plane, the bird’s head should be parallel to the film plane, or—better yet in most cases—just a bit inside of parallel, that is, turned two or three degrees towards the imaging sensor or the film plane. Assuming a perfect light-angle, I actually prefer the latter for several reasons. With the subject’s head turned slightly towards the film plane, the tip of the bill will generally be on the same plane as the eye, so even when you are working at wide open apertures the image will appear sharper overall than an image in which the bird’s head is precisely parallel to the film plane. Furthermore, when the bird’s head is cocked slightly towards you and the sun is directly behind you, the face will be illuminated immaculately and the image will almost always feature a catch-light in the eye.

With birds facing to some degree towards the camera, it is usually best to make the photograph either when the bird is looking directly at the camera or when its head is aligned naturally with its body. When a bird’s head is parallel to the film plane and its body is angled towards the film plane the results usually look at least a bit unnatural. When the body is angled partially or totally away from the film plane, it is—as noted above—almost imperative that the bird’s head be parallel to the film plane. At times, it is possible to get a bird to turn its head towards you by making a sharp raspy “queek” sound (though this may scare the subject away). Often it’s best to simply wait (and pray) for the bird to turn its head, as birds as a rule are constantly looking around to check for predators.

As far as moderators disagreeing with one another that is both the nature of the beast and--as I mentioned in my introductory letter to the group--to be expected. And yes, a very few degrees can make a huge difference. Take a superb image of a a great bird, sharp with wonderful light and a soft, oof background. If the bird's head is turned as little as one degree away from me, the image will be disappointing; most times I will consider it as a complete failure. I can remember dozens of times when I have begged a bird to give up a head angle only to have it fly away without ever looking back at me... If the bird's head is parallel to the imaging sensor, or turned a degree or three towards me, I will usually be thrilled. And if the bird in a posted image has it's head turned away as little as one degree, I will point that out. Some might consider commenting on a single degree nit-picking; I view it as an attempt to help folks improve their bird photography.

As far as the degree of head turn, that is of course personal and subjective. As above, if the bird is parallel to the imaging sensor, my great preference is for the bird's head to be angled two or three degrees towards me. At times, the best head angle is when the bird is looking right down the lens barrel. In various situations I might prefer just about any head angle...

The next time that I am out I shall save a few examples to post.

later and love, artie

[Grace Scalzo]

Great thread. Thanks for the thoughtful answers.

[Harold Davis]

i'll give this one a stab. this is one that i think has a good head angle. i feel i'm connected with the bird in this one.

[Harold Davis]

where as with this one, of the same bird in the same situation, i do not feel the connection with the bird at all. these pictures are not posted for technical merit. just for this experiment!!!

[Jim Poor]

Hi Harold.
I find the first head angle acceptable because the bird appears to be on the alert for another predator to come steal the prize.

I agree that the second is less than ideal and has a "detached" feeling.

A third option, with the birds head turned to the (bird's) right at the same angle that it is turned to the left and up a hair would be superior in my mind. Mind you, I'm no expert, so it will be interesting to see what others say.

[Harold Davis]

hi jim, i assume you are speaking of this angle? again, submitted not for technical merit.

[Arthur Morris]

For head angle, the first one is best. In the last one, the bird is actually facing away. NG on that.

later and love, artie

[Fabs Forns]

Excellent thread, Richard. Thanks for bringing it up!

[Jan Wegener]

I think I also have a good example for this case. The two shots were just made a few seconds after each other.
I have to agree with Artie that the right head turn is one of the most important things in bird photography....I have so many fantastic shots, where everything looked perfect in the field and at home you see.....d.... the bird is looking slightly away.
It makes such a big difference if you "feel" the eye contact or if you see a bird looking somewhere else.

First shot, nice Bg everything, BUT.....
She's looking away

[Jan Wegener]

and here a few seconds later, she gave me the head turn needed.... :)

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Great example, Jan! Thanks for sharing.

[Arthur Morris]

Hey Jan, Perfect teaching pair of images and lovely light and BKGR to boot. Thanks for your help.

and later and love, artie

ps: too bad that the water is bluer in the one with the poor head angle :(

[Arthur Morris]

Inspired by Jan, I went down to the lake near home and created this one to show a bad head angle, about two degrees away from the plane of the imaging sensor. This one goes in the trash.

[Arthur Morris]

Excellent head angle, about three degrees this side of parallel to the imaging sensor. With wind against sun conditions, the perfect head angle had the added benefit of blowing up the bird's crest.

later and love, artie

[Jan Wegener]

maybe this would be a good "sticky" topic ?

Another example, Buffelhead, almost perfect, but looking away :( Not much missing, maybe 2 degrees...
I was really sad when I saw this pic on the big screen, on the backside of the cam it looked great....

[Arthur Morris]

Hey Jan, You gotta love when that happens or else you cry...

This is the type of thread that I hope to be able to copy into the proposed Education Recources Forum...

later and love, artie

[Jim Poor]

Very interesting observations.
Would you trash these photos with a just barely wrong head angle, or would you keep them for possible submissions as technical illustrations (for a birding ID guides, for example) where the "connection" with the subject is not so important?

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Jim, If I have one with a decent head angle I will always delete the lousy ones; that's why I have had to go out and create new images for this tutorial. Just got back from the lake with some new Limpkin examples. If it is a rare bird or an otherwise amazingly beautiful image I might keep the best one but would never ever be in love with it.

later and love, artie

[Robert Amoruso]

HAP... I like it and good examples to boot.

LAP is next I guess?

[Blake Shadle]

This has really blossomed into one heck of a thread. Great instruction and examples from Jan and Artie. Thanks for the contributions guys. I agree, this is definitely a candidate for the upcoming Education Resources Forum.

[Jim Poor]

Hi Jim, If I have one with a decent head angle I will always delete the lousy ones; that's why I have had to go out and create new images for this tutorial. Just got back from the lake with some new Limpkin examples. If it is a rare bird or an otherwise amazingly beautiful image I might keep the best one but would never ever be in love with it.

later and love, artie


Thanks. My image collection is steadily dwindling. Of course, that means it is getting refined, so that's a good thing.

[Richard Kowalski]

Thanks everyone who has helped me out on this question, both here and in private emails. I once again read through Artie's Art of Bird Photography II, pages 177 - 183, about this topic last night while waiting for data to come down from the telescope. I am now seeing what constitutes proper head angle. Hopefully I won't be rounded up by the HAP any longer...