In contrast to where Richard photographed his Whooper, this was the only whooper in the area. Originally when shooting I thought it was unfortunate that the light was coming from behind the bird, however, I quite like how the small rim of light in someway separates the bird from the ice.
7D
500mm +1.4
Av +2
f/5.6
1/640
ISO 800
Removed some debris from the ice.
Ben, I like the components of the image but something feels "off" to me. I think it might be the angle here. The swan is beautiful and detailed and you're right - it's nicely separated from the BG. I like the foliage. I like that you didn't put the horizon through the head of the swan. It's all technically right - but I think having him so low on the ice makes it feel like the foliage/shore is out of place somehow.
He also feels a little centered in the image from a vertical standpoint. You might try using Content Aware Scale to move the clump of grass on the right towards the center and removing the OOF foliage in the center above the bird and, thus, taking the right side in a bit.
Or not...your call. Let's see what the others say.
I feel like Jules that there is something "off". I would test a tighter croping since the ice and the background doesn't do much for me, that I believe would also make it possible to off-center the bird a bit. I would also test by blurring the background quite a lot.
I think the technicals are all good. I'm not sure if this was the best way to compose it or not. I'd be tempted to get low and let the black feet and a bit of the belly be in front of the ice and the white bird be in front of the foliage but I'm not convinced that would be the best way to compose it either. Maybe getting only ice might have been the way to go or maybe this was it. I do think having the 'heaviest' part of the background above the bird makes it feel out of balance or what Julie calls, something being off but it's just hard to say. I definitely think you are right about the rim lighting working in your favor here.
Geez, the more I look at it the more I like it because it is unusual...you just don't think to yourself "nice image" then move on, it forces you to study it.
Thanks for all the comments guys. I normally like to get lower, but in this case I was on a slight bank. Getting as low as i could would have meant that the border of the vegetation cut just below the head. Not good. So I decided to place the whole bird in front of the ice. Here is a repost with the bird a little more off centre.
Whooper Swan III
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