Here's my first post on the BPN Avian forum.
I have just returned from Australia where i have had a great time shooting all sorts of Birds and Wildlife.
Here's a shot of a pair of Superb-Fairy Wrens wich i visited regularly during my stay.
Hope to post some more stuff from the trip soon!
Wish you all a wonderful 2008 filled with good light!
I just love it when images capture the male and female of a species. ALthough I have to agree that getting both birds in focus would have taken this one up a notch. I visited Australia before my days of bird photography and am dying to get back there!
Looking forward to seeing more from the land down under :)
Beautiful image, Jeroen. The colors of the male really pop. It seems that he is showing off and she is very impressed. The look on her face makes up for her being slightly oof. A lower angle, if possible, may have given you a solid green oof bg instead of the split oof bg. I think this would have improved the image.
I am planning a trip to Australia in September, 2008. If you have any advice you would be willing to share, please email me. jimn@cfl.rr.com
I think the issue on the DOF has been covered already. Still a nice shot though...even with the shallow DOF. I would suggest that moving a bit more to the left (more parallel to the frame) would have been nicer....that way the female would not have been merged with the branch and might even have been within your DOF. On the other hand...you might have lost the tail of the male...:confused:
Anyway...exellent exposure on the male...looks like a superb wren to me ;-) .
Great composition and awesome to be able to catch them both together on such a neat perch. Would love to see them both in focus but still a wonderful image as is.
I think the best part is that this is probably as authentic as it gets. You could have easily copied an in-focus female into it. I am sure other people would have or have done so. This is natural, great for an ID, but that male is DDG - or drop-dead-gorgeous.
Anyway. I am glad you liked Oz - that's what the skippies call it (skippy - an old TV character, kangaroo, and also refers to true blue Aussies) :D
Just so you can get jealous, around my city, there have to be at least 200 species of birds. I am pretty sure I photographed (pathetically) at least a hundred of those already.
This is great shot of this species, these ones are so hard to capture due their constant movement. The out of focus female adds something IMO as it draws the viewer towards the fantastic male.
Akos, I agree about the vast numbers and variety of bird life around Aussie, "just to make you jealous ;) I have documented 97 different bird species thus far on my property in the rainforest above Brisbane":D