Pano Plover

[Marina Scarr]

Thought I would post something totally different from what I am used to photographing. Not being very artistic, I don't usually look for this type of capture. This Semi-palmated Plover was photographed while I was down on my belly in the wet sand and mud. It turned out to be worth it.

Canon 5D, Canon 400 DO & 1.4 TC @ 560mm
F8, 1/1250sec, ISO 400, manual mode
Handheld down on my belly

C & C always welcomed and appreciated,

Marina

[Randy Stout]

Marina:

Lovely feel here, almost surrealistic. Can you tell us a bit about your post processing? The depth of field seems variable across the image. Nice colors, great shooting angle, bird well exposed.

Cheers

Randy

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

This is so lovely and the composition is just gorgeous. Love the love angle and excellent eye contact. Really love this one !!! Thanks for sharing Marina.

[Jay Gould]

Marina, first we start with adorable!!

Then we get a bit serious and suggest that it needs a little CW. If you put a note pad upper line length wise there is more room on the right; also, if you look at the front leg of this cutie I think it should be straightened.

I am going to assume there is no room on the right or you would be so tight to the right; I think you should crop a bit from the left to move the baby to the 1/3 position.

TFS

[Aidan Briggs]

This is really lovely. I think this is my favorite of yours Marina. The low angle, nice light, habitat, and wide perspective make this special. I would leave the comp as it is now.

Well Done!!

[Mike Tracy]

The inclusion of his habitiat gives a nice sense of place and scale. I really like the soft reflection. In addition the foliage in the foreground gives you the feeling you are peering into his world.

I would remove or blur the stems that appear as if growing out of his head / neck.

[Sid Garige]

Other than the OOF blade of grass at the left leg, I like it as presented.
Excellent comp and perfect execution.

[Marina Scarr]

Can you tell us a bit about your post processing? The depth of field seems variable across the image.

Hi Randy:

Only your basic processing...NR, linear curve, saturation, slight crop from top, right and bottom and sharpening. Nothing has been removed, altered or added. The DOF probably appears variable b/c my lens hood was laying on the sand and there may have been something protruding between my lens and the subject.

I would remove or blur the stems that appear as if growing out of his head/neck.

Hi Mike:

Over time, my personal feeling about PP is that less is more. I strive to keep my photographs as original/natural as possible. While I appreciate your suggestion, this is something which I would no longer consider on a capture such a this. The grasses are part of the environment which is just as much a part of this image as the bird.

[Julie Brown]

Marina, the composition here is just beautiful. The soft FG and BG really draws your eye to this sweet bird and its reflection. Nice catchlight in the eye with great feather detail and color. I like this a lot!

[Steve Maxson]

Looks to me like the time on your belly was well spent, Marina. :) I like the crop and the comp, and the bird is giving you a very nice plover pose - plus a reflection. The OOF greens really add to the mood of the image. Very well done.

[Dave Leroy]

Lovely shot. I really like it. It sort of looks like it is shot half in water and half out. Good idea for the pano while including the habitat, and an interesting comment about your approach to pp'n. Dave

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

I think you should just clone the water allover the grasses then use the Tardis Blend tool from CS10.123 (it will look like the phone booth and I will run the only workshops for in the entire world) to blend the water and sky. And then you wouldn't have to worry about bits of grasses growing out of its head, neck, leg, anus (oops, did I say that?). :eek: You actually might as well cut the bird and paste it onto a totally white canvas like some American photographer did, who just recently released a book in Australia. :p I don't know what people would do without the clone tool and QM nowadays. It appears that just about most images have one of the two applied.

I actually love how it is presented and even the blade of grass covering its right leg (Sid) is not a bother to my taste. Well done. As you said, less is more. May just be my poor Aussie taste for a good image. :)

[Thanaboon Jearkjirm]

Well worth lying on your belly for this shot, love the sharpness, the details, the reflection in the water and the environment shown. The grass help telling the size the bird, which in this case seem small. Do agree about CW rotation though. Really like this image, TFS.

[Nancy A Elwood]

Marina perfect as presented!:)

[Marina Scarr]

Then we get a bit serious and suggest that it needs a little CW.

Do agree about CW rotation though.

Hello Jay & Thanaboon:

If you use the crop tool or ruler to make a line from the plover's beak to it's reflection, with this calm water, they should and do line up perfectly. As a matter of fact, this brought the highlight on the bird's beak to my attention (might remove that) and the highlights actually fell right on top of one another. Therefore, I believe that my horizon is on even though it may look off.

Thank you both for looking, for your opinions/suggestions and your kind words.

[Bonnie Block]

Marina, this is a beauty--and I'll bet would make an awesome print.
I think viewers have to be careful about horizons sometimes. Often the habitat curves and the viewer mistakes it for a lopsided horizon, especially aloing water edges. This image looks very good to me as presented.

[Doug Brown]

I like the dreamy feel and the nice composition. Very nice!

[Myer Bornstein]

I like the composition a natural scenic :)

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

The low angle was really crucial in getting this. Well done Marina. loved the habitat. Small bird being small in the frame makes it look very natural. Loved it a lot.

[Bill Dix]

A lovely image as presented. I really like the pano crop showing the environment. I also like the fact that while you kept to the ROT vertically, you abandoned it in favor of a more dramatic comp horizontally. Very nicely done indeed!

[Mike Tracy]

Hi Mike:

Over time, my personal feeling about PP is that less is more. I strive to keep my photographs as original/natural as possible. While I appreciate your suggestion, this is something which I would no longer consider on a capture such a this. The grasses are part of the environment which is just as much a part of this image as the bird.

It is obvious that you used the crop tool to strengthen composition and eliminate distracting elements.
Then why not use all the tools at your disposal to enhance the image ?

[Marina Scarr]

It is obvious that you used the crop tool to strengthen composition and eliminate distracting elements. Then why not use all the tools at your disposal to enhance the image ?

Hi Mike:

I have posted the original image untouched (realized that I didn't even do a curves adjustment on this one) so that you can see the before and after.

You are absolutely right about the crop tool and it's use in strengthening composition, including in this capture. I have nothing against the use of ALL tools to enhance images. Over time, I have simply realized that I prefer trying to get it right in the camera. That doesn't mean that I won't clone, patch, add canvas and/or QM, but simply that I strive not to have to.

Thanks for asking. Marina

[Mark Young]

G'day Marina,
I really like the low angle and composition. I think lying on your belly is the only way to take a good shorebird shot. ;)