Yellow-rumped Warbler and the leaf

[Terry Olmsted]

I am in a quandary about the crop on this image; whether to leave the yellow
leaf in or crop most of it off and clone the rest out. I like bit of environment and the blue background but the leaf may be too distracting. I was fortunate to have the available light (I have just ordered a Better Beamer :))

Nov 23 2010 Canon 40D 400 f5.6L 1/1000 f7.1 ec 0 partial metering hand held

[Terry Olmsted]

Here's the other crop - cloning out the leaf was a pain...I will appreciate your opinions!
Terry

[Todd Frost]

Well done Terry. The leaf does compete for attention. I like the re-post better for that reason, just wonder how big a crop it is to begin with. That could dictate just how much you can do for anything other than web size. Perhaps even romoving the leaf in the op, just a thought. Techs look good and like that you captured him in the blue area of the bg.
TFS
Todd

[Terry Olmsted]

Thanks, Todd. The crop was about 1/2 of the overall frame. I appreciate your comment - better without the leaf. Cropping out the leaf leaves (no pun intended) a tight crop.
Terry
I think I NEED a 500 :)

[Julie Brown]

Hi Terry. Cloning out the leaf definitely helps, IMO. You did a nice job.

[Bill Dix]

Nice little Yellow-rump. Better without the leaf, IMO; but possibly slightly less of a crop would be good, without the leaf (somewhere between the OP and repost crop?). Blue looks really strong, but attractive. I wonder if another pass of NR on the background would help?

[Bob Pelkey]

87097

Beautiful image, Terry. I much prefer your original crop, but agreed that the leaf had to go. I found it quite easy to do although its effectiveness may be questioned. First I used the Lasso Tool (CS5) to encompass an area about a quarter down the image from the left corner and staying above the orange spot and to the left of the blue sky and then along the photo's edge back to my starting point. I then used the Spot Healing Brush Tool at 31 starting at the far left and carried the brush over the entire leaf which left the bottom half of it still visible. I then used upward motions with the tool to keep the lines of the tree trunk true. It took about a minute. I would like to see a little more room at the right, but adding canvas is something I haven't attempted yet. I hope you don't mind my doing this, but I was very intrigued to see how difficult it might be. Not at all in fact. You will be thrilled with the Better Beamer. Just be careful not to allow it to melt your flash. Chris Baker showed off his disfigured unit to me almost proudly. ; )

[Terry Olmsted]

Julie, Bill, and Bob, thanks very much for your comments and suggestions.
Bob, thanks to you particularly for taking the time to work with the original crop and to outline your
workflow! I like your version the best. I have CS4 but am sure I can work out what needs to be done.
I do have room to add image to the right of the bird a bit. And thanks for the heads up on not
melting my flash!
Terry

[Stu Bowie]

The repost works well with out the leaf. It was just too striking as is. I like the diagonal perch, and the colourful BG.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Good job by Bob, which makes it my favorite version as I like the original placement of the bird best. I would however eliminate the orange patch, and too bad about the remaing shadow on the perch.

To Bob: whatever technique works, so no questioning the effectiveness if it does the job...and it did:c3:

[Terry Olmsted]

Thanks very much, Stuart and Daniel. Great input!
Terry

[James Salywoda]

I really like your composition Terry you made the best from your angle of capture. The only thing that hurt you just a bit was a little motion blur..... But still a nice shot.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

I like Bob's repost. Very nice bird and a complementary BG. I would suggest a bit of NR on BG.