Another recent image from Morro Bay and I'm having a hard time deciding on the best crop/composition. I recognize the HA is not ideal but I like the ruffled feathers and the pose---I was with this guy for awhile watching him fish and trying to get closer. I've processed this without the reflection but then it looks like I didn't leave enough room for his virtual feet. OTOH, the reflection isn't perfect so I'm not sure it should be included. I added canvas on the left and cloned out some "junk" from the water, other than that it's the usual levels, curves and sharpening. So, what to do???
(looking at it in preview I'm thinking the reflection should be cropped at the lighter spot just before the body. And is it a little too light? I just calibrated my monitor and thought it looked just right but now I'm not too sure!) :confused::confused::confused:
Thank you for C&C and for looking.
Canon 40D; Av f5.6, 1/250; Eval +1 1/3; ISO 800 and 1-400 @400
Hey Katie, I love the high key look and the brightness level. And the crop. The head angle here is actually perfect. The bird is looking away from you and the head is turned slightly towards us. And, in very rare cases such as this, I do not mind at all that the bird is both angled away and looking away. Here, you have captured a very contemplative mood. And, I like the ruffle. For a print, you might consider doing some Quick Mask work on some of the white stuff that is messing up the reflection.
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Artie, thank you for your critique; I appreciate the support and it's great to realize that in this case at least, my instincts were right. The credit must go to what I've learned participating on this site with the great help/advice/examples from the posters and moderators.
Composition/cropping questions
