My dilemma with this image was how to crop. I think I ended up with the bird feeling tight in the frame, but I was seduced by the detail on this fellow and wanted to show as much of it as possible. When I cropped so that there was more room to the right, it seemed like there was too much water. Thoughts?
50D, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS @ 200mm, ISO 400 f/5.6@1/100, aperture priority and evaluative metering, EC 0, WB 5200K, image quality sRAW1, hand held no flash
you sure handled the exposure well, but some flash fill would have helped in the shadows and dark feathers. i think it feels a little tight in the frame too. not sure of a crop suggestion. would have to see the original. beautiful bird! a lower capture would have helped too.
Hi Kerry A good rule of thumb is to have the bird not much more than 80% of the frame. When going much over that the images just don't look right.
Space within frame you generally want more room from the bill to the edge of the frame than tail to edge. Also holds for most image. Ratio was I never corp to a specific ratio but just to taste. I know it can be a pain for needing custom mats but thats another story.
Those ducks are difficult to expose and need soft light. As presented you did hold the white from blowing but there is no shadow detail. So we go back to the soft light or get the duck to be very still and do an HDR :)
Thanks guys. I have several shots of this bird so I can work with these suggestions. I think this image ended up a bit contrasty too. Back to the pixel room!
Agree with the above suggestions. When photographing birds or other animals you generally want some room for your subject to look into. Maybe try a pano crop adding more room to the right.
Does this present better? It turns into a bit of a pano crop, but I also did some color and H/S work on it. It seems to have added more life to the image.
Really nice Kerry. You handled all the colours really well. I always blow the white spot on bill out. You must have been really close. Good for you. Second post feels better for room. Dave
Gorgeous bird, love the vibrant colors, and I'm jealous, looking for my first one . . Repost much better, looks regal and proud, extra water fit the bill . . .
Wood Duck
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