This C.Yellowthroat appeared from out of the dense bush to the right and started to sing. I wanted to give the idea of that just having happened, in the image, so I cropped it to include some of the bush and left the bird looking out of the picture to the left. Any comments on that, and the amount of background blur (this was originally a very busy image), or other, greatly appreciated.
D7000, 300f/4 +1.7TC, hand-held, harsh sunlight, 1/2500, f/14, -1/3EV, ISO2800. I had the camera settings on manual with auto-ISO, but realized afterwards I could easily have stopped down and decreased the ISO.
nr, processing mostly in lr, selective sharpen and blur in PSE. I copied the layer, selected what I wanted to keep sharp, then selected the inverse, applied average blur, then decreased the layer opacity till it looked right.
Richard...i think that given the harsh light and the awkward pose, this image works well for me. I like how you blurred the bg. There is one branch in the upper left corner that starts out blurred and then becomes sharp.You might consider toning down the green in the RHS bush.
Love what you are doing here....the background is not too busy....it shows the habitat but could be further minimized with DoF control. I wish the patch of green foliage on the right was reduced in the image... might adjust the crop.
Try the piece of paper trick...take a piece of note book paper and place it over the screen to find the best crop or subject placement. Probably would not use auto ISO in bright sunlight and f/14....opt for a wider aperture to increase shutter speed and blur the busy background by controlling the DoF.
The pose, colors, action moment and feel of the picture are really nice...this is a strong image. Good eye Richard, you display this beautiful moment in nature well and thanks to you...I am there. Please keep em coming!
Last edited by Jeff Cashdollar; 06-17-2013 at 09:26 PM.
Common Yellowthroat Starting to Sing
