I took this picture a long time ago. What I like in this picture whats the head angle which they are kissing each other :-). I am not sure of the water color. Although the image is in the center but still would like to know your opinion about how I can make this pic even better.
EOS 30D 100-400mm @ 300
ISO 200
1/1000
-1/3
f/5.6
Hi Nagesh! I really don't think that there is much you can do, I realize you took the picture a while ago, but I think that you should use this as a learning tool for when you confront another Avocet! Although the image has a number of good qualities, the fact is that it was taken under poor lighting conditions, probably direct sunlight. The contrast is off the charts, very bright to very dark. An overcast day, or at least clouds momentarily blocking the sun, would have made a big difference. There are no good solutions post-processing, IMO, that can "fix" this image. Although shadow/highlight or curves could be tried. This will result in, most likely, noise from the dark areas, and halos, and other nasty stuff. Then you have to fix those, and so on. Anything you attempt is likely to be unsuccessful.
You also seem to have had focusing errors, which it appears you attempted to fix by sharpening(I could be wrong here). It looks oversharpened, or somehow not right. The high contrast really magnifies sharpening artifacts. Better still would to have gotten the sharpness, or detail, right in the first place.
Centering the bird horizontally boils down to being boring, although there are compositional explanations. You could rectify this by cropping. Spliting a reflected bird into equal top(for the bird) and bottom (for the reflection), as you have here, is perfectly acceptable and actually preferred.
I like the water surface alot.
Hope I've been helpful, at least for the next time your out photographing birds! regards~Bill
Hi - White birds = soft light for the best results, also best to line up the sun angle behind your back - not always possible but best results.
Agree with William the more you can get right in the camera - the less there is to try and fix afterwards.
Do like the soft water in the BG.
Generally reflections need to be really strong to work well - not sure that the reflection is strong enough here.
Keep them coming.
Hi Nagesh,
I like what you were trying to do here...very good advise given, by both Bill and Mr. Peters...the image is a little under exposed and the bird should be off centered...just need to watch the lighting and the angle in which it illuminates your subject...looking forward to your next one...:cool:
I would agree with the others and would offer the attached example of fixing the crop. I like the vertical centered image for your shot, but would suggest you trim the right side, in the camera or in PP.
I have attached a suggested crop, at the white line, which is 1/2 the width of the area ahead of the bird (subject). You always want to leave more room in the direction that the subject is headed, so it appears they can go that way if they want to. I like the 2:1 ratio for first crop. If you need to crop more you can, or if you really feel you don't want to that is up to you, but look at the composition as you finish the PP work.
Good luck and keep shooting.
We've all been there and done that, some of us longer than others! :D
Avocet reflection
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