I for once stray away from my Eager to Learn group because I'd like to get some comments of this shot but I"m afraid folks there probably have seen enough of my Hummingbird photos (and they look pretty much the same anyhow :p ). Also, in his response to one of my posts there, John Chardine asked me if I had images that would be considered more traditional using the same techs, i.e., no flash, all natural light. So I dug up this one that I hope may be more traditional looking.
S5, Nikkor macro 105mm f2.8 @ f8, 1/350 sec, ISO 800, aperture priority, no flash, hand-held, MF. Cropped.
For a MF, you did extremely well. Very good use of DOF and I love the angle of the shot as well. Colours and lighting look very natural for me.
An awesome capture !
This is really great Desmond. The natural, warm lighting really complements the bird and achieves a total different look than flash. You could remove the tuft of feathers below the bird if you were so inclined. I would give more room above and less below. I remember one of the expert photographers on BPN (can't remember who but it was probably Artie) said a while ago that it is rare that an image works with more space below than above the subject. Makes sense considering where the birds tend to look and into which part of the image you would anticipate movement of the bird in relation to its current position.
Welcome Desmond! A nice first post on Wild and Free. Great eye contact and good color in the gorget. Sharp where it needs to be. Would crop off the bottom a bit. Thanks for posting!
I would definitely place the bird lower in the frame. In this case the bird is looking slighlty upwards, hence giving it more room to look into that way would give a more pleasing composition. Sharpness looks great where it counts, and you captured the irridescense (sp?) adequately.
Wow, fantastic result for a MF image and using a 105mm. Th enatural light is fantastic and great details on the most important parts of the bird (eye, bill and those fantastic carmine feathers). Iwould try to clone out the feather (?) between the feet. Regarding the composition, I think this one is too centered. Great BG by the way. Please, keep them coming
Welcome!
The sharpness of the face is insuperable! I also agree about cloning the feather bellow the feet, noise reduction and position of the subject, great image anyways.