The Kiss

[Fabs Forns]

Meet George on the right. This is how he is known in the area (Wako) and he's special because he's got a piece of bone protruding from his esophagus. Which has not kept him from breeding (last year too) and being a great provider for the loving female. I did some work here. I normally don't like removing branches off nests, but the BG and the light are so pretty I decided to give it a chance. Branches removed from both sides and one offending one in front of the female. George's bone didn't look good for a formal portrait, so it was also removed. A black vignette at low opacity and some additional burning of the nest. I know I could have done a better job, but I was working on this at 11:30 PM instead of going to sleep since we had to get up before 5 for the last day of the workshop.
I will be sharing more of George and the missus, located directly across the nest of the high key loving.

Date: 1/22/10
Time: 7:49:05 AM
Model: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens (mm): 600
ISO: 800
Aperture: 6.3
Shutter: 1/500

[Aidan Briggs]

Lovely light, interaction, and BG. As you said, the PP work could have been a bit more subtle. I am guessing that you added the vignette?

[Fabs Forns]

. I am guessing that you added the vignette?

Yes I did, very low opacity on top.
Thanks, Aidan.

[Colin Knight]

Nice Fabs!

I like everything except for the vignette.

[Bryan Erb]

Really nice image, I like the vignette as it draws your attention to the birds, where it should be.

[Steve Maxson]

Love the pose, the behavior, the soft light, and the sharpness, Fabs. Your PP has created a very dramatic image.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

The interaction, mood and BG are great. The birds look almost spotlit, is this due to the vignette you mentioned?

[Fabs Forns]

The interaction, mood and BG are great. The birds look almost spotlit, is this due to the vignette you mentioned?

Yes, that's the idea of the vignetting.

Thanks, All!

[Arthur Morris]

Love everything that you did. Welcome to the slippery slope. See you at the GTG :) :) :)

[Darryl Luck]

Lovely photo. What you have done here is taken a great photo and turned it into a really nice piece of art. This is the sort of thing that attracts everyday people (aka non bird folks) to wildlife photography.

Great work.

[Paul Kusmin]

Gorgeous BG Fabs, the colours really pull the piece together, the romance in the air is electric!
I'm not so sure burning the nest as much as you did was necessary but it is integral to the vignette i suppose.
Nice work!

[Joe Senzatimore]

Love it as posted Fabs. The BG is Killer as is the detail captured. Will be in touch in a day or so.

[Cindy Mead]

this is just rich! Wonderful interaction and I like how you processed this one Fabs.. muted bg colors together with the vignette puts my focus right on the herons. Top notch work :)

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Love it Fabs, except the vignette. Sorry. :( What great interaction! would you post an image of George, I wonder how the esophagus looks with the protruding bone.

[david cramer]

Great interaction, detail and BG. Even though you did the vignette at low opacity, I find it to be too strong and dark (maybe because it is darkening an already dark area?). I'd suggest reapplying it to a lighter degree.

[Ofer Levy]

Hi fabs, I find this image pleasing. However, I agree with Artie that this kind of PP manipulation is a slippery slope. I think it is important to keep some kind of boundaries between "classic" bird photography and this kind of Digital Creation - especially by people who lead this forum.

[Arthur Morris]

Hi fabs, I find this image pleasing. However, I agree with Artie that this kind of PP manipulation is a slippery slope. I think it is important to keep some kind of boundaries between "classic" bird photography and this kind of Digital Creation - especially by people who lead this forum.

Hi Ofer, You mis-understood my comment. I was welcoming Fabs to the slippery slope, not cautioning her against climbing onto it. I long since leaped onto the slippery slope, but more in terms of removing distracting background elements and repairing bill and wing tips that were clipped. As you know, at BAA, we always let folks know what we have done. I do agree that this image is right on the edge of Avian and Out-of-the-Box, that because of the vignetting not because of the branch removal. :)

[Ofer Levy]

Hi Ofer, You mis-understood my comment. I was welcoming Fabs to the slippery slope, not cautioning her against climbing onto it. I long since leaped onto the slippery slope, but more in terms of removing distracting background elements and repairing bill and wing tips that were clipped. As you know, at BAA, we always let folks know what we have done. I do agree that this image is right on the edge of Avian and Out-of-the-Box, that because of the vignetting not because of the branch removal. :)

Thanks for clarifying this Artie. I have no problem with removing distracting BG elements and repairing bill and wing tips that were clipped and I often do exactly that. I guess it is not that difficult to distinguish between Digital Creation and a more "classic" modern bird photography which is what most of us are doing in this forum.

[D. Robert Franz]

Nice work Fabs, sounds like it was quite a project... Focuses attention on the interaction for sure!

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks for clarifying this Artie. I have no problem with removing distracting BG elements and repairing bill and wing tips that were clipped and I often do exactly that. I guess it is not that difficult to distinguish between Digital Creation and a more "classic" modern bird photography which is what most of us are doing in this forum.

It seems then that we are pretty much on the same page :)

[paul leverington]

I absolutely love the shot Fabs. It's gorgeously warm and sweetly emotional--a type of shot that inspires and never gets old to look at. My only suggestion would be to cut back on the vignetting just a little so it's not as evident that that's what you did. But only for that reason. Cause otherwise it looks fantastic as is.

Old George is doing okay with that bone sticking out of his neck? I wonder if he could be captured and have it removed? Or maybe it will work itself out some day. I 'm guessing something he swallowed went down the wrong way--maybe a fish with a large dorsal fin bone I would think. Takes a lot more to stop a guy than a fish bone sticking out of his body when he's looking for a kiss!

Paul

[Arthur Morris]

Fabs, Could you please post a close-up image of George with the "bone" sticking out of his throat in Avian ID/Behavior and post a link to it here. I think that I may have figured it out while talking to a friend on the phone last night....

[Fabs Forns]

Hi fabs, I find this image pleasing. However, I agree with Artie that this kind of PP manipulation is a slippery slope. I think it is important to keep some kind of boundaries between "classic" bird photography and this kind of Digital Creation - especially by people who lead this forum.

Hi Ofer,
Ansel Adams used to burn the borders of his images as a way to keep the viewer's eye inside the center of attention.
I do not consider adding a vignette any more drastic or "unreal" than removing branches as far manipulation is concerned, but then again, we all have different opinions.

I fully disclosed my PP, my duty as a forum leader, but exactly because I am one, I should be free to add a little "twist" once in a while to keep a balance.

Thanks everyone for your comments. I may try less vignette, but I think the drama would go away.

[Fabs Forns]

Fabs, Could you please post a close-up image of George with the "bone" sticking out of his throat in Avian ID/Behavior and post a link to it here. I think that I may have figured it out while talking to a friend on the phone last night....

On may way, Maestro. I don't have any close ups but I will crop one where it is very visible.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Hola Fabs

I would not change anything in this picture, I love it as is, I find the vignetting very interesting, giving a touch of spot light to the subjects. Your post-processing is marvelous, please keep them coming.

[Raymond Barlow]

beautiful Fabs!! another work of art!

[arash_hazeghi]

Hi Fabs,
This is a very beautiful photo, love the interaction and details and digital enhancements that were done. wish it was mine!!!

Best

[Mike Lentz]

I for one really like your processing! This is an image that jumped out at me right away as beautiful!