Eastern Bluebird - A different pose

[kenn threed]

Hi all,

As always, any comment that might help us improve our photos will be be appreciated, but I'd especially like to get some opinions on this pose.
http://kenn3d.smugmug.com/photos/731136191_tT2ge-X3.jpg

Canon S3-IS ISO100 F3.5 1/80

Thanks for looking,

Kenn


Kenn & Temple
Backyard Birders in St.Louis, MO
http://kenn3d.smugmug.com (http://kenn3d.smugmug.com/) <!-- / message --><!-- / message --><!-- / message -->
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[Brian Barcelos]

Other than the HA everything looks great. BG and perch are nice, and there are plenty of details on the bird.

[Aidan Briggs]

I agree with Brian on the HA and would add that if you were at eye level with the bird, the image would be more intimate, and the BG more distant. I wish I had bluebirds in my yard!

[Harshad Barve]

Every thing is spot on , HA mentioned
TFS

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Beautiful pose and excellent exposure and color. IMO I would like to see a little less canvas on the rught so as to off center this a little. Fine work and thanks for sharing Kenn.

[kenn threed]

Beautiful pose and excellent exposure and color. IMO I would like to see a little less canvas on the rught so as to off center this a little. Fine work and thanks for sharing Kenn.

Thanks to all for your comments,

I think I agree about the crop Judy. In shots like this, I'm always torn between leaving more space in front of the bird or in the direction it is looking... and often feel my choices result in a too centered crop.

So, I guess the consensus here is that this HA is not preferred...
Bluebirds are insect hunters and often perch above the ground and look down to spot their food. They fly down and grab a bug, then promptly return to their elevated perch and begin looking down again. So this is not just a frequent pose, it's also a behavioral one.

I actually like seeing them with such head angles and often do shoot them this way. Here are a few more examples (scaled and collaged):
http://kenn3d.smugmug.com/photos/731530035_jyPun-XL.jpg

Could anyone here elaborate a bit on why this "look down" pose isn't desireable?

Thanks again,

Kenn

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Hi Kenn, In cropping we usually try to leave enough room for the birds to fly out of the frame and the rule of thirds is a good guide. Whatever way the bird would leave the frame that would be the side of the image that you would leave more canvas. Of course as in all situations there are exceptions !!! The bluebird is one of my favorite birds and I love the images you have been sharing with us.

Thanks
judylynn

[Steve Canuel]

Count me in the "looking at something else besides me HA club". I like to catch pictures of them doing things they'd do if I weren't there. I really like the detail and colors of your post. BG and perch are nice too. As for your question about the HA, my amateur opinion is I don't think the head down pose itself is bad but a lower angle (as if you were the bug) and a little more eye contact from that angle would give the viewer a more intimate connection with the bird. In your posted pic, I think a bit lower and to the right (as viewed) would be favorable to most.

[kenn threed]

Hi Kenn, In cropping we usually try to leave enough room for the birds to fly out of the frame and the rule of thirds is a good guide. Whatever way the bird would leave the frame that would be the side of the image that you would leave more canvas. Of course as in all situations there are exceptions !!! The bluebird is one of my favorite birds and I love the images you have been sharing with us.

Thanks
judylynn

Thanks again judylynn, I appreciate your insights on the cropping question. This is one aspect of composition that we usually do have some control over, but I often tend to struggle a bit deciding what's best.

And we're glad you've enjoyed our Bluebirds... they are special to us. :)

Kenn

[kenn threed]

Count me in the "looking at something else besides me HA club". I like to catch pictures of them doing things they'd do if I weren't there. I really like the detail and colors of your post. BG and perch are nice too. As for your question about the HA, my amateur opinion is I don't think the head down pose itself is bad but a lower angle (as if you were the bug) and a little more eye contact from that angle would give the viewer a more intimate connection with the bird. In your posted pic, I think a bit lower and to the right (as viewed) would be favorable to most.

Thanks very much Steve,

Your explanation is appreciated and helpful.
Most of our perch setups allow shooting pretty close to the bird's eye level, but our best backgrounds are usually below the horizon so we tend to shoot from a slightly elevated position. We do have some higher perch points which our birds frequently use, but these are all man-made objects. And shooting them on these higher perches also normally results in choosing either open sky, or somewhat busy suburban subdivision BGs. I'll have to work on this. :)

thanks again for your reply,

Kenn