Bye Bye Birdie

[Dennis Bishop]

After looking at the metadata, I don't think any part of this sequence was shot in burst mode. The bird quieted down before it flew off after the third of the frames shown here. (These are shots 4, 9, 10, and 13 in the sequence.)

Nikon D2X, ISO 640, f/18, 1/30 second, zoom lens at 400 mm (600 mm equivalent), shot through the dining room window

processing

• All four shots were auto-aligned in Photoshop and cropped from all sides for composition.
• Topaz Simplify -- Watercolor II, masked off birds
• Alien Skin Snap Art -- custom Watercolor preset, Color blend mode, 61% opacity
• Photo Filter adjustment layer -- Cooling 82, 69% opacity, masked off birds
• Poster Edges filter
• Topaz Lens Effects -- Shake, applied only to the bird in the third frame
• two black & white layers, both in Multiply blend mode -- Snap Art Stylize Line Art, 36% opacity; Simplify edges, full opacity
• gradient vignette

[Randall Farhy]

A solid design concept that easily tells a story, I really like this. Even though these are individual frames, the layout gives the viewer the impression they are looking at the scene through a window. The processing hints at stained glass, but is clearly water color influenced. The first image interacts with the viewer, locking them in. Including the empty frame and making use of an otherwise marginal shot (the blurred bird) is clever and effective. Because of the way it is used, the blurred image (one that many of us would have scrapped) is the key component!

Minor points-vignette a hair too strong. I also think I'd play on the window frame component a little more with a slightly stronger frame, perhaps even one with aged or chipping paint, or a rusty industrial style frame. Well done!

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Solid effort Dennis. I really like the sequence from the opening of the tail feathers, to the blurred bird, and then flight. I too think playing with the frame may make it more window-like, but maybe that is not what you are trying for. Also maybe a vignette on each individual frame rather than the whole? Very creative stuff!

[Dennis Bishop]

Jackie, I like the idea of a vignette in each frame. Thank you. I'll give that a try.

[Nancy Bell]

I also like the window-frame look. This is a familiar sight to me as my dining table puts me right next to the windows that look out on my bird feeders. You caught the usual sequence of events perfectly! I like the impression that I am looking through a frosty winter window with the cool colors.

[Judy Howle]

Very creative presentation Dennis! That inspires me to try something similar with multiples of the same bird. I like your processing and sequence!

[Cheryl Slechta]

Dennis, I love the window look and the sequence. I like the idea of each frame having a vignette

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Dennis,

Greetings. Great idea using auto-align. The lines and subtle color are superb. If it were mine I might continue the red/purples of the bg leaves into the empty spot where there are now two somewhat white leaves. My eye is drawn to them rather than the absence of the bird. Thanks for posting.

Cheers,

-Michael-

[Dennis Bishop]

. . . If it were mine I might continue the red/purples of the bg leaves into the empty spot where there are now two somewhat white leaves. My eye is drawn to them rather than the absence of the bird. . . .

Thanks, Michael. I see what you mean, and it gives me a couple ideas about drawing the eyes to the empty spot in addition to having them to to the whitish one. (Originally, I'd done something else in that frame, but it was different from anything else in the image I'm not sure anyone would've seen anything in the other three frames.)

[Dennis Bishop]

" . . . having them to to the whitish one." Yikes, I have no idea how that happened in Pane #9.

Here's what I came up with as an (I hope) improved version. The vignette is gone altogether. The empty spot in the fourth frame was modified by scooting over the mask selection from the third frame, adding an Invert adjustment layer with the selection loaded, and applying it in Screen blend mode with reduced opacity.

Thanks, everybody, for your comments.

[gary ellwein]

Dennis, a most creative idea with excellent execution. I particularly like the cool color tones and stained glass like effect. I find the white patch beneath the bird in the right upper quadrant to be a bit distracting. I prefer the original image.