I was attempting to find a deferent look for a commonly photographed subject ,With the thoughts of 3/4th portraits ,I framed this shot . Question is ,Does it work ? does the wing on the left lead you to the Eye ? Then does the wing position on the right ,turn your eye around and send it back to the bird's eye ?
The light was a bit on the harsh side ,I dodged and Burned the bird as I thought needed .I also made an adjustment layer with a mask in order to darken the Bg while masking the bird .not to mention small crop ,levels and High pass filter for sharping . some Nr on Bg also .
My main question is on the composition ,but please point out any needed improvements .
Camera is Nikon D90 Lens is sigma 150-500 @ 450 mm ,Exposure 1/4000 sec; f/6.3; ISO 640 ,Aperture priority; Spot metering ,flash was off
For me, the left wing is the problem. If it would've been more aligned with
the right and as open, it would've worked. The exposure is fine and I love
the expression. It's just that left wing.
Clyde, I think the exposure is good, but I don't like the left wing connecting with the neck. It seems to draw the image focus there instead of to the eye. It could be my work monitor, but there seems to be a little sotness on the beak.
You have a good pose here and I love the blue BG but the picture is really too overexposed to be salvaged. The best thing you can do is really learn exposure and how to read your histogram. If you have Artie Morris' Digital Basics, I think the first chapter is all about reading your histogram and that is honestly how I came to thoroughly understand exposure and my histogram.
You have a good pose here and I love the blue BG but the picture is really too overexposed to be salvaged. The best thing you can do is really learn exposure and how to read your histogram. If you have Artie Morris' Digital Basics, I think the first chapter is all about reading your histogram and that is honestly how I came to thoroughly understand exposure and my histogram.
Hummmm ? BUT I don't have any Blinkies ,and I Don't have any red spots on the RAW image with the clipping indicator set to on . ??? I do have Artie's Digital Basics ,And I thought I Knew how to shoot to the right . I even thought I could read the Histogram .? (I'm Smiling as I wright this ) I could Bring down the exposure......in the bird, and gain detail (And I should have ) ....
Thank You for your opinion ,I appreciate all input .
Clyde, your repost brought the peaks down by 10 points - a nice improvement IMO. I find that exposing to the right with white subjects leads to blown highlights, so I subtract 2/3 stop from what ETTR would have me use in those conditions. IF my subject is not primarily white then I can expose all the way to the right, but... I can't speak about Nikon bodies, but with every Canon body I have used I have had to protect the whites by that amount. I believe it is a problem in all digital systems (overexposing whites), but I have no scientific proof to back up that hypothesis.
"It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera... they are made with the eye, heart, and head." - Henri Cartier Bresson
RP looks much better, and I am seeing more details in the feathers. Kerry has offered very good advice. Interestingly, I was just told by a Nikon photographer last weekend that he does not shoot "to the right" with his Nikon gear.
I actually shoot with both ,but will generally choose the Nikon even with it's lower pixel count .It just fits my hand better .BUT ,I will look closer when knowingly shooting a white subject . Obviously I should have considered -EV here .
Or really Fill Flash ....BUT, My main objective with this photo ,was To Ask ,"Does the composition work " AS expressed in the book "Photographer's Eye " I look for one of many possible compositions That "Work ". With that in mind ,I also need to find things that are uniquely my own ,(AKA) MY style in wildlife photography , Thus I posed the Question Does this composition work for (You )? It may well NOT ,because I have found what may work for Non-photographers ,a good amount of time is Hated by people who create Art . Respecting the level of photographers here ,I'm searching for artistic minded opinion . I do appreciate the Technical pointers as well !
Clyde, I got excited about the whites and forgot to answer your actual question. No, the composition does not work for me. The typical 3/4 portrait of an animal considers only the head and part of the body. With the extended wings included I think you are outside the realm of a portrait. The far wing points (with ten pointers) to the left edge of the frame and pulls my eye right out and away from the bird. The near wing is in a bad position, poking the viewer in the eye and calling attention to that corner and away from the bird. At the very least, I would crop away the wing on the right but then you are featuring the far wing and not the head. I feel the image is somewhere between a portrait and a standard full-bird shot and I would prefer to see the whole bird without the wing being clipped.
"It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera... they are made with the eye, heart, and head." - Henri Cartier Bresson
The repost is better exposed, and I can see what you were going for with the "maestro" title. He does seem that he is conducting the 5th symphony! The wings are distracting though, and it's too tight for the inclusion of the wings - and too loose for a portrait. The same pose with the whole bird in the frame may have been better.
The Maestro
Originally Posted by Marina Scarr
No, the composition does not work for me. The typical 3/4 portrait of an animal considers only the head and part of the body. With the extended wings included I think you are outside the realm of a portrait. The far wing points (with ten pointers) to the left edge of the frame and pulls my eye right out and away from the bird. The near wing is in a bad position, poking the viewer in the eye and calling attention to that corner and away from the bird. At the very least, I would crop away the wing on the right but then you are featuring the far wing and not the head. I feel the image is somewhere between a portrait and a standard full-bird shot and I would prefer to see the whole bird without the wing being clipped.
