Results 1 to 13 of 13

Thread: Sanderling

  1. #1
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Lincoln, UK
    Posts
    402
    Threads
    49
    Thank You Posts

    Default Sanderling

    Name:  Sanderling01.jpg
Views: 79
Size:  129.8 KB

    Donna Nook, Lincolnshire, UK. 09/09/12

    Canon 7D
    Sigma 500mm f.4.5
    1/60 @ f5
    +1 2/3 EV
    Aperture priority
    ISO 400
    Pattern

    levels
    curves
    saturation
    selective colour
    Nik Software color Efex Pro 4 - Tonal contrast - subject only
    Nik Software Dfine 2.0 - background only
    Photoshop USM - subject only


    Last edited by Peter Kes; 01-05-2013 at 04:09 PM.

  2. #2
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Albuquerque, NM
    Posts
    2,132
    Threads
    193
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nick, very neat and different shot. I wish you were just a couple of inches higher so that we could see the whole beak and more of the legs. I would take a look at cropping to a large aspect ratio, maybe something like 4:1 or 5:1.

  3. #3
    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Nova Scotia
    Posts
    12,731
    Threads
    910
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Nick,
    Welcome to BPN! You will learn a ton here and meet lots of great people.
    I like what you were trying to do here- small in the frame, little bird, huge environment but...the fact that you can't see the all the legs and beak really hurt this image.
    I also feel you can crop a bit tighter and still get the feel you were looking for,
    Gail

  4. #4
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Long Island, New York
    Posts
    6,275
    Threads
    574
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nick, Interesting persective. I just think that there is too much empty space, espcially on the bottom. Agree on the need for legs and beak, but your idea is great, so keep working it! Looking forward to more from you.

  5. #5
    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    SW Michigan
    Posts
    14,112
    Threads
    820
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nick:

    Welcome to BPN!

    Good advice from Gail and Miguel. I like small in frame environmental shots, but I def. would crop in a bit tighter, esp. from the bottom, because that area is so featureless.

    Classic starting point for small in frame subject is to place the subject at one of the intersection points for rule of third grid. Lots of reasons to try something else, but that is always a good starting point.

    Cheers

    Randy
    MY BPN ALBUMS

    "Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy" Sir Isaac Newton

  6. #6
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Lincoln, UK
    Posts
    402
    Threads
    49
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks for the welcomes and great advice, this is certainly a friendly place to learn, that’s the main reason I decided to become a paid up member. I agree that cropping the image seems the way forward, Miguel's suggestion of cropping 4:1 or 5:1 seems to work well. Unfortunately there’s not much I can do about the legs and beak now. Thanks again for a nice welcome.

  7. #7
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Long Island, New York
    Posts
    6,275
    Threads
    574
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nick, there is something you can do about the legs and beak. Go shoot this again. That's what I do all the time when I get suggestions here that I like! It really is a great place to hone your skills and I would also suggest that you offer your thoughts on other images. That's a great way to learn and often fresh eyes like yours lend a new viewpoint and are most welcome.

  8. #8
    Roman Kurywczak
    Guest

    Default

    Hey Nick,
    Welcome to BPN!
    As others have mentioned.....sometime low is too low as I too would like to see the feet! Other suggestions mentioned.....so minor tweaks may take this up a notch.

  9. #9
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Posts
    2,812
    Threads
    180
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Interesting and give a good sense of size of these little birds, I always like originality......a slightly higher angle to show feet and beak would of been an improvement I feel. I would also consider cloning out the brownish splotches where water meets sand just for a more simplistic lo ok{ if you are OK with cloning }

  10. #10
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Posts
    1,997
    Threads
    86
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I like the minimalistic effect here, giving a true sense of how small this bird is within it's
    chosen environment. I think there is a bit too much space given to the sand portion of the
    image and a judicial crop up from the bottom is worth considering....

  11. #11
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Albuquerque, NM
    Posts
    2,132
    Threads
    193
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Nick - here is a quick recrop. I ended up using a 2.5:1 aspect ratio. I also cleaned the fg up a bit and darkened the nose and legs where they meet the ground.

  12. #12
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Lincoln, UK
    Posts
    402
    Threads
    49
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks for the recrop and other changes Miguel, It's certainly an improvement over the original, but more importantly it's added something towards my knowledge. Thanks for all the comments it's very much appreciated.

  13. #13
    Macro and Flora Moderator Jonathan Ashton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Cheshire UK
    Posts
    17,029
    Threads
    2,606
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nick I like the idea of the small sanderling in the big landscape setting I think the title explains it all. I note you have not placed the bird absolutely central in the image but I think there is perhaps still little too much sand at the base, for me it is not adding to the image but detracting slightly. I appreciate these are fast little devils and we cannot always get the pose we would ideally want but it is good to see the bird feeding, it would have been even better if the bill was just going in to the sand. I note the bill and legs are a little soft, possibly subject movement or maybe DOF, I would suggest a much faster shutter speed for these active little birds.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics