Another Yes or No Poll

[Fabs Forns]

Another one for an opinion Poll. This one has more going against than the other, like bird going away, wrong head angle, busy BG, to name a few. Still, action is interesting. Is it enough to carry the weight of the picture? Woould you like this on your files or would you trash it?
It's almost full frame.

Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Lens (mm): 135
ISO: 1000
Aperture: 8
Shutter: 1/1000

[David Smith]

Fabs:

This image works for me.. I think that the action in the image overpowers the HA and BG..

JMHO

Dave

[Phil Ertel]

Hi voted yes. I think the action tells story/shows behavior. In my opinion the inclusion of habitat adds to the story. I think it is incredible that you captured the action with two fish out of the water (very cool!). Yes the bird is flying away from us but with a purpose not out of flight; combined with the eye being visible negates the standard guidelines. I am not sure if it would be a contest winner bit, I like it.

[Manjesh Lingamurthy]

Hi Fabs

I would definitely keep this. This is one of those rare shots, showing bird behaviour.

[Joe Senzatimore]

I would keep this. I think the action captured carries the negative points.

[Randy Stout]

Fabs:

Keep for sure. Might do a little upper background work, vignetting, etc., but the story is strong enough to carry the image.

Cheers

Randy

[Jim Fenton]

Works fine for me Fabs with great action.

Looks as though it would benefit from some CW rotation however?

[Rick Dobson]

I would keep it as well. The action and scenery tells a story that works for me.

[Myer Bornstein]

I wish I had it. It is a great habitat and species action picture. If I was writing a story about Herons I would include it.:)

[Andrew Merwin]

Keeper for me too.

[Ray Rozema]

Maybe I have become too narrow minded. If I had this picture I would keep but I would not have posted to BPN because I could just hear all the critisiscm of the HA and BG and the angle:)

[Fabs Forns]

Maybe I have become too narrow minded. If I had this picture I would keep but I would not have posted to BPN because I could just hear all the critisiscm of the HA and BG and the angle:)

This is why it is posted in BPN :)
A narrow mind is not a good thing to have ;)

Thanks guys for your feedback.

[Ken Lassman]

Hi Fabs,
Keeper for me as well. Great behavioral capture that tells it the way it is....they are not sitting around posing and waiting for us to take their picture....they have to feed themselves and their chicks. I wish I had the shot also.

[WIlliam Maroldo]

With 2 TB hard drives going for $180US, I certainly wouldn't delete it, but it doesn't work for me either. Head angles are important for portraits, but behavior and action shots just require the head angles(and body position) to correspond to whats happening. So I have no problem there.
What bothers me most here, and what I consider important in these predator/prey scenarios, is the visibility of the prey, and it is not so good here. As a matter of fact, a little fishy in the mouth of a heron may very well be the focal point of an image, in which its position is more important than that of the heron.
Background here isn't too bad either, although I think CCW rotation would help, making the shore horizontal. It really isn't that complicated; water, lily pads, shore vegetation. At least there is some order, and the background is not chaotic.
Now if we had two well captured (photographically speaking) fishes jumping out of the water with an egret after them, we would have a keeper. Sounds like a minor detail, but sometimes little things make or break an image. IMHO.
regards~Bill

[Troy Lim]

I would not keep it. Like Ray says, busy BG, head angle, too busy overall.

[Alfred Forns]

I voted for keeping the image and like it a lot.

The bird is hunting trying to get a meal, having him look at the camera rather than the fish would not be natural/logical, image is about the hunt. Showing an all pristine surrounding would also make it for an odd looking image. A great behavior and love it.

[Desmond Chan]

I would keep it to myself for the action captured. I would show it to the birders as is or even other bird photographers just for sharing a moment I captured. But I would not show it to bird photographers like those here for critique because I pretty much know what they would say :) So, short answer is: yes, I would keep it primarily for my own record.

Sorry, none of your options actually work for me.

[Roberto Betta]

Definately a keeper in my book due to the presence of the fish. However If you can imagine the image without the fish in frame I would then consider binning it!

[Lance Warley]

On this thread and some others, but Not All others, the photo doesn't display for me.

Very odd. Perhaps related to previous server problems.

[Ray Rozema]

What I meant to say was: In the past I would have like this picture a lot but now after following BPN I have tough time getting past the BG and more importatnly the bird facing away. Thanks for making us think.

PS I too have noticed recently sometime the pictures are not opening up.

[Fabs Forns]

Thanks to all for participating in the pool.

Are we Avian moderators so predictable?
Please, you are scaring me :eek:

[Myer Bornstein]

Yes, there are basic guidelines which you would like to have followed, BUT a picture must stand on its own merits: what is displayed, what is presented, what does it mean. etc Sometime we need to think outside the box

[Fabs Forns]

Ray et all
I am an Avian moderator and I am not only keeping the image
but actually posting it :)
Please refer to the proverb in my signature.
There is life outside of rules 1 to 17 ;)

Thanks all for participating!