Female Goldfinch on Thistle in the Wind

[Jim Fenton]

I really like this image....yet I am unsettled with it.

Doesn't bother me that I can't see the feet as you many times can't in thistle images anyway. Doesn't bother me that a thistle seed is across her cheek.

I really like the seeds floating away on the breeze.

I guess what bugs me is that she is looking to the left and the breeze was blowing the thistle seeds exit stage right. Quite often these birds look into the wind while the seeds wafting away go the other direction.

The diffuse magenta in the lower right is OOF purple wildflowers in the marsh behind her.

Your thoughts?

Nikon D300s, 600VR, TC14EII, ISO 500, f8, 1/1000, NearUniWB, 0EV

[Rene Quenneville]

I like the image Jim. The tones are well balanced and the feet are not an issue for me. The fact that she is looking away may call for a more dynamic framing. In the following picture, i did take the liberty to rotate the canvas while I cropped the left side a bit. I am trying to balance more the whole image while putting more emphasis on the flying pieces. I am not sure if it works.

[Jim Fenton]

I tried a crop pretty darned close to what you did and I liked it but having her look out of the frame so far to the left already bugged me.

Perhaps I should copy her head, delete it and then paste it back in reversed :)

[DanWalters]

Like the recrop. Very nice that you captured the thistles floating away. Nice background color as well.

[Dave Leroy]

Lovely photo. My preference is for the repost also. Feels like enough room on left.
I really like the nice dof. The only thing I might look at is a bit brighter.

Dave

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

I like it and i do think the new crop works better. I like the flying thistle

[Troy Lim]

Jim, I would like to see half of the negative space on the left trimmed and placed on the right.
Superb!

[dankearl]

I like the original, the recrop is too square and doesn't give the "floating" feeling of the original.
I really like thistles in the wind.

[Stu Bowie]

Jim, lovely setting and lots to decide on to make this work well. Good exposure, colour and sharpness on the goldfinch. The comp is the big deciding factor - with a sore heart, I would crop away from the right ( losing the windswept seeds ) and to the left. If you have more room on the bottom, it would work even better. Here is what I had in mind.

[Vivaldo Damilano]

My personal taste would be the opening image and also like Stuart vertical crop. I have to agree with you on the bird looking left needs some room to look into TFS:cheers:

[Dumay de Boulle]

Like the OP and Stuart's crop...I do feel the floating Dandelion's (what we call them here) add. Great BG...I like it!

[Jim Fenton]

Interesting thoughts / comments which I appreciate :)

Stuart....I actually had more of a vertical crop originally but I was really trying to hold onto the floaters. In the end, it may simply be that the vertical crop works best and that they aren't worth keeping.

Strangely, my daughter who often disagrees with my crop selections likes the original best....I like Rene's rendition and the SB crop.

[Randy Stout]

Jim:

I think this is a fine image, prefer Rene's crop. Yes, appreciate her having room to look into, but the masses of the seed pods to her left add enough oomph that the rule about room to look into isn't as important here, as it would be if there was no seed pod there.
I really prefer the string of floating seeds, so would not go vertical.

Lots of fun stuff here.

Cheers

Randy

[Ofer Levy]

Beautiful image! Here is another crop option as I feel the flying thistles add a lot and need some room to 'fly into'. Cropped a bit off the left too.

[Jim Fenton]

Hi Ofer...
Another approach which I had tried originally and to be quite honest was the one IO liked the most.

I just assumed I'd hear an awful lot about too much negative space on the right and not enough on the left.

[Ofer Levy]

Hi Ofer...
Another approach which I had tried originally and to be quite honest was the one IO liked the most.

I just assumed I'd hear an awful lot about too much negative space on the right and not enough on the left.
Jim,
Since the bird is looking at you and not to the left - there is no need for more space on the left. I feel this composition is nicely balanced and goes well with the story.:w3
Really beautiful image!!