GBH Neck Stretch

[Bill Dix]

This is the sequel to the GBH posted on Avian yesterday. I know the HA is way off, and his petticoat is showing, but I've never seen this pose before and liked the juxtaposition of his neck with the branch. I think he had spotted a fish in the lake; immediately after I took this he flew down to the water, but came up empty. Thought I'd share it just for fun and comment.

D90 | 80-400 VR @ 220mm | ISO 800 | 1/250s @ f/7.1 | -0.7 EV | monopod

[Richard Stern]

Hi Bill,

A cool image. I like the exposure and sharpness of the bird, and the way the head and neck form a nicely symmetrical pattern with the branch, almost looking like an extension of it. The whites are well exposed. I think a wing stretch would have been nice if the bird had cooperated. I find the bg a bit too busy and obvious, and I feel more of a bg blur would help.

Richard

[Julie Kenward]

Bill, this is one of those times where the crop and composition are more important than the pose and the HA. I think you have a very interesting image here, one that is more "Out of the Box" than most but you still maintained our ability to see his eye so we get a sense of tension that he is, indeed, going for a fish.

I also think the BG is just a little too much (and I do mean just a little)...I love the autumn colors and the fact that we can make out the trees a bit but it does seem to fight for attention against the head and neck of the bird. You might try lowering the BG's midtones just a bit to see if that gives more separation between the two.

Again, well seen and composed. It's not always about being "picture perfect" as it is about "seeing what could be."

[Bill Dix]

Thanks Richard and Jules. I agree the BG competes with the bird. The version posted on Avian (with a different pose) had a lovely oof BG because it was shot at 370mm with the far side of the lake some distance away. Here, to capture the neck stretch, I had to zoom back to 220 mm and got less oof in the BG. So I've reposted with a Surface Blur - see if you think this helps. A millisecond later and he would have had full wing extension. My next frame, a second later, is a rear end shot of him flying down to the left.

[Richard Stern]

Hi again,

I think the bg in the re-post is better.

Richard

[Julie Kenward]

That makes two! Nice work, Bill.

[Rachel Hollander]

Bill - I like this behavior shot and the repost is an improvement. Well spotted and well done.

TFS,
Rachel