keep or delete?

[arash_hazeghi]

Willet in flight, the bird is flying away from the camera but there is something in the look back that I like, I can't tell what. Is this a keeper or not?

75211

MK4 500+1.4X TC, f/5.6 1/3200sec ISO 800.

[Aidan Briggs]

I would definitely keep it unless I had already nailed another shot of this guy. The HA is near perfect anyway. I would prefer a bit looser comp.

Well Done!

[Harshad Barve]

Definate keeper Arashbhai
TFS

[Gal Shon]

Other then the critical focus is on tne near wing, that is a beauty.
I realy like the pose, look, light and BG

[arash_hazeghi]

Other then the critical focus is on tne near wing, that is a beauty.



I realy like the pose, look, light and BG

Gal,
The critical focus point is right on the head and not the wing, here is the 100% pixel crop from the head right out of DPP with no processing which actually came out tack sharp and it is the sharpest plain of focus in the image-maybe one of the reasons I like this photo :)

This also shows the level of sharpness you can get with 500 f/4 with the 1.4X TC even wide open with the MK4 if you keep the shutter speed high.

[Randy Stout]

Arash:

A keeper I think. I do agree with Gal the the near wing appears sig. sharper than the head. Even before I read any comments, I thought the head a bit soft. Perhaps the effect is caused by the greater contrast on the wing vs. the head.
Still, it is a neat full down pose, with nice look back.

Randy

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Interesting light angle, look-back pose and BG. I agree that it is a bit tight and I might raise the midtones a bit. As for the question, it depends on the intended purpose. In bird ID books you often see similar poses as it shows the wing plumage well. In this one I'm not really crazy about the wing position of the far wing.

[arash_hazeghi]

Arash:

A keeper I think. I do agree with Gal the the near wing appears sig. sharper than the head. Even before I read any comments, I thought the head a bit soft. Perhaps the effect is caused by the greater contrast on the wing vs. the head.
Still, it is a neat full down pose, with nice look back.

Randy

Randy it must be an illusion due to plumage because as I showed in the 100% crop the head is the sharpest part of the image and it doesn't get sharper than that. I have also applied uniform sharping so the wing should not end up sharper than the head :) to my eyes head is as sharp as the rest and if it looks otherwise there is not much I can do. I am more interested to know if this pose works or not. Thanks

[arash_hazeghi]

Interesting light angle, look-back pose and BG. I agree that it is a bit tight and I might raise the midtones a bit. As for the question, it depends on the intended purpose. In bird ID books you often see similar poses as it shows the wing plumage well. In this one I'm not really crazy about the wing position of the far wing.


Thanks Axel , that's exactly what I want to know, I want to see if the image works as presented or not, it would be nice to have at least 20 votes :) intended purpose is portfolio not avian ID book. Thanks

[Stu Bowie]

Arash, the HA works for me, and other than lightening the overall image, I would keep it.

[arash_hazeghi]

Thanks guys, please click the vote button above so I can decide based on numbers at the end. appreciate all comments.

[Doug Brown]

This one just doesn't do it for me Arash. I'd toss it.

[Dan Busby]

Arash - I would love to have a shot like this, let alone one I was thinking of trashing. But as a portfolio specimen for you, unless you really need this species in it, I would say it is not quite up to your standards. The back wing position just sort of hangs out of the bird and I find the colors a bit contrasty. Small points. For me a definite keeper, but for you I think not.

[Grace Scalzo]

Hi Arash,
I'm a fan of your photography but this one doesn't work for me. I agree with the others that the head, esp the feathers behind the eye and in the neck appear to lack sharpness. I don't care for the position of the far wing, and even the background. But that's just my opinion, which while you did ask for, you are the ultimate judge. Even when everything is technically correct, there has to be an aesthetic appeal in the eye of the creator, so your opinion is really the only one that counts, poll or no.

[Dan Brown]

If I were you, I would delete because I know that you have better and if you don't, you will. And, even if the head is sharp, the illusion that it isn't is present. Also, the bird is flying away from you. I do like the look-back head angle. I will vote to delete but with storage space so cheap these days, you could archive it also:p

[Bill Dix]

Arash, I would be pleased to have this in my portfolio, at least until I replaced it with a better Willet in flight. But knowing how good the rest of your work is, for your portfolio I would trash (or archive) it. The head angle doesn't bother me, but the wing position does.

[arash_hazeghi]

Thanks guys I think the far wing position was the reason I wasn't sure myself. thanks for reinforcing!

[Arthur Morris]

Not your best flight image by far. Keep or delete? That should be your decision. BTW, that's plane of focus :)

[arash_hazeghi]

Not your best flight image by far. Keep or delete? That should be your decision. BTW, that's plane of focus :)

Agreed-deleted.

Typo is Apple's problem, everything I type a word in my iphone it takes the liberty to change it to whatever it sees fit... Anyone know how to turn off the automatic spell correction in the iphone?



>>>>
There you go again, I typed "every time" got changed to "everything"!!!

[Fabs Forns]

In my experience, the contrast in wingtips is a magnet for sharpening. Especially on Terns, it would make any face look soft. I usually mask the sharpening bait off the wing tips when they are high in contrast.
Although not as good as your usual standards, I'd keep it until I fond a better one.

Apple's compassion to spell for me has gotten me in trouble more than once.

[arash_hazeghi]

In my experience, the contrast in wingtips is a magnet for sharpening. Especially on Terns, it would make any face look soft. I usually mask the sharpening bait off the wing tips when they are high in contrast.
Although not as good as your usual standards, I'd keep it until I fond a better one.

Apple's compassion to spell for me has gotten me in trouble more than once.

Thanks Fabs, appreciate the tip :)

[Arthur Morris]

Not sure how it happened but in a piece on Customs and getting back into the US with your gear in a recent Bulletin I typed "take your forms to the nearest port office" and it is was published as "take your forms to the nearest post office." One woman, a blonde I think :), actually brought the customs forms to her local post office to be signed... And then wrote me to complain about it....

[Nico Steenberg]

I don't have a photo this, so if this where mine i would keep it until a better opportunity comes !