I shot this environmental of Bohemian waxwings in a mountain ash tree a bit over a year ago and it has sold well as a print. I've never been especially sure that I like it because I prefer less clutter in my images, but my wife was looking over my shoulder as I sorted the day's work and, as is her talent, she elbowed me and said "That one, dummy!" as I was about to pass it by. She's done this a number of times with images I might not have chosen, and she's invariably right.
I have many other Bohemian waxwing images (they winter here every year) with far less clutter, ones I like better.
So my question to all you other avian shooters is, does this work for you? Why or why not? I should note this is a slight crop, so if you feel it's too tight that's easily corrected.
It definitely works for me, Steve. It's so much hard to compose for more than one, and you've done it for three!
Last year we had CW's in my area of south Florida around February, but I didn't get any good images. I sure hope they reappear this year. Beautiful creatures.
P.S. I still can't get over your black wolf from last year.
I know what you are feeling Steve. I personally find it too cluttered, but you can't dispute a client's taste! My wife has also prefered some of my photographs that I would have overlooked...and others that I have drooled over and her being indifferent about. This is the importance in getting a variety of images in order to cater to all tastes!
Last edited by Daniel Cadieux; 01-04-2008 at 10:55 AM.
I think it works very well, although it goes against the "bird portrait" motif that dominates critique forums. It shows the environment as part of the image and it is a very colorful background. If it were just the sticks, it would be busy, but the red berries are distributed evenly across the frame, and fill out the composition.
The positioning and behavior of the three birds makes it work.
Agree with Samuel Mulder on all counts. I also think it could use a bit more room around the edges, the birds are a bit close to the edge of the frame though I could understand that choice if there are not splotches of red in the parts cropped out.
I've found so far, in general, that what many of us consider excellent portraits of birds don't seem to sell well as prints to the general public unless there's some other element that sets them apart. There are a few exceptions, of course. Eagles in dramatic poses always seem to do well. This has been my experience, at any rate, and one that seems to be echoed to some degree by other nature photographers.
I haven't fooled with the crop on this one since I initially processed it a year ago, and I think it's time to loosen it up. I don't think it'll harm print sales even a tiny bit to put another inch around the birds.
Last edited by Steve Foss; 01-04-2008 at 12:31 PM.