Results 1 to 14 of 14

Thread: Swallow-tailed Bee-eater

  1. #1
    BPN Viewer Pieter de Waal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Swaziland, Southern Africa
    Posts
    1,677
    Threads
    91
    Thank You Posts

    Default Swallow-tailed Bee-eater

    Name:  Swallow-tailed-Bee-eater.jpg
Views: 156
Size:  140.9 KB

    Another image from my recent trip to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Taken from vehicle , beanbag.This little guy kept flitting ahead of the vehicle and move just as I was ready, eventually stopped long enough for a few shots. Fullframe added canvas on right and bottom blurred BG

    50D/EF500f4+1.4/f5.6@1/250/ISO400

  2. #2
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Haverhill, Massachusetts
    Posts
    1,647
    Threads
    313
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Cool looking subject and it presents well as a vertical.

    DOF looks perfect to me.

    I wish the bird were looking up at just a bit less of an angle (I'm being picky).

    I think that if you used the burn tool or a QM on the lighter colored background area to the right of the subjects head, it would be less distracting.

  3. #3
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Irvine, CA, USA
    Posts
    358
    Threads
    24
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Beautiful bird, Pieter, with spectacular colors. Image is nice and sharp, but you could have stopped down to f/6.3 or f/7.1 to get the tail in focus. Exposure is good, but I think the bird's head could be lightened a bit.

    The entire upper part of the BG is distracting to me - there are some artifacts, particularly in the URC. As Jim suggests, some work on this area would improve the image.

    John

  4. #4
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    3,867
    Threads
    169
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Beautiful. Gorgeous bird and superbly sharp image. Great colors.
    If anything, I wish the end of the perch wasn't freshly cut. I would also consider cloning out that bit of branch that's forking downwards.
    I also find it slightly tight above and below, but do absolutely love it as is.

  5. #5
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Stoney Point, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    6,868
    Threads
    512
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I love seeing images of these birds and this one is a beauty! I like the sharpness, detail and colour.

  6. #6
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Exquisite bird, colors, image design, and BKGR. It could use a bit more space all around. The broken ends of the perch were bad luck. Be right back.
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  7. #7
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    It took a bit of effort but the results were well worth it (to me) as the bird and the image are so, so beautiful. Removed a few nubs from the perch and then reworked the end of the perch. It looked to phony so I went back and grabbed the "end" of the perch from the original, rotated and enlarged it, and tidied it up a bit. I am quite proud of my efforts :)
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  8. #8
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    ps; Most of the work done with the Clone Stamp Tool and a series of Quick Masks as described in Digital Basics and APTATs I.
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  9. #9
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Somewhere in Africa
    Posts
    3,723
    Threads
    251
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Very nice..Good detail and BG...The natural colors are superb

  10. #10
    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Centurion, South Africa
    Posts
    21,360
    Threads
    1,435
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Pieter, super comp and pose, and you have exposed the colours very well. I like what Artie did to the end of the perch.

  11. #11
    Ken Watkins
    Guest

    Default

    One of natures best marvels, I thought the BG on the original a little dark.

    Artie, Very clever work on the repost, both the bird and pose make it very worthwhile;)

  12. #12
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks Ken. No good for most contests but very good for wall hanging and for sales :)
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










  13. #13
    BPN Viewer Pieter de Waal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Swaziland, Southern Africa
    Posts
    1,677
    Threads
    91
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks all for your kind comments and suggestions.

    I was'nt happy with the oof broken end of the perch but was in two minds wether to fix it. Arthur you made up my mind , great job on a tricky bit of cloning thanks. I now need to try it as well. Will also do some work on the background which was a sand dune with shadows. I suppose when shooting in the wild without setup and with birds not behaving a little leeway in processing is alllowed.

    John G. thanks for your suggestion I agree. The bird kept sitting in the shade so it was a compromise between shutterspeed and aperture and the bird only gave me a few shots.

  14. #14
    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Indian Lake Estates, FL
    Posts
    32,506
    Threads
    1,433
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    YAW sir. Very little cloning and lots of Quick Masking :) And I agree that some BKGR work would be advised. Try using the Clone Stamp Tool at about 40%.
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

    BIRDS AS ART Online Store: we will not sell you junk. 35 years of long lens experience. Please e-mail with gear questions.

    Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,

    E-mail me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.










Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics