Feather care

[Christof Ruch]

Ok, this is an image from my beginning of bird photography (so nearly a year old ;-), and browsing today - I found I am still attracted to it, though there are some obvious problems.

"Nowadays", I find the background too undecided, and the eye not prominent enough, sinking into the blacks. But I do like the curves here, the fluffy white foreground and the position of the eye right in the center.

I still find the RAW development of this rather high-key subject to be extremely difficult, and am not really satisfied with what I can do even today.

I do like a square crop on this one, cropping only from the right, but for the sake of this forum wanted to show the whole canvas.

Technical info:
D70 - Manual exposure with f/5 1/500, ISO 400, hand held. Fill flash with -2 EV from the little build-in flash, as the light is really coming from the left behind the bird.
Sigma 70-210 lens at 210. (Phew, do I *like* the Tokina 300/f4 I bought used shortly after this photo was made).

Any comments welcome - maybe also similar example images?
Christof

[George DeCamp]

Hi Christof!

That is a pretty image, I like the light soft colors also! I think maybe you are on to something with the crop you suggested. Perhaps a vertical crop right up to the head may work or at least worth a look? Maybe a little to the right of the head also but I do think too much space on the right. These birds can really look elegant can't they!!

[Robert Amoruso]

Christof, I agree with your crop suggestion. A square crop would work good here. I like the details and tonal separation in the whites - nice job there. Missing the eye does bother me and I would have preferred to see it.

[Judd Patterson]

Looking back on our own "old" images can be an extremely rewarding exercise. You've obviously come a long way to be able to self-critique as you have...great suggestions, Christof! I think a square crop could work quite nicely as the right side doesn't add much to the power of this image. As you noted, the obscured eye is a large weakness here, but next time you are photographing swans, I'm pretty sure I know what your aim will be. ;)

[Arthur Morris]

To simplify things, a famous bird photographer often writes and says that for an image of a preening bird to be successful, the face must be parallel to the imaging sensor (the back of the camera), and the eye must be clearly visible <smile>

Follow those simple guidelines and your images of preening birds will improve dramtically.
later and love, artie

[Christof Ruch]

Thanks everybody for the comments! I am looking forward for the next possibility to go out there and try to put them into action :-)
Christof