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Thread: Here's To The Girls!

  1. #1
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    Default Here's To The Girls!

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    Nikon D7000 w/Nikkor 80-400mm vr lens @ 370mm, tripod mounted and manually focused
    Camera in manual mode; ISO 400; f/18, 1/250sec; - 0.67 EC
    SB-800 strobe illumination w/four SB-26 optical slaves (power 1/16), firing simultaneously.

    A photo of part of a natural conservation area was placed on an easel behind the setup for background. A native Monarda flower from the conservation area spiked with sugar water was used to attract hummingbirds.

    It's easy to appreciate male Ruby-throated hummingbirds, with their brilliant red gorgets. Lacking such gorgets, females of the species are not quite as spectacular. Still, they are beautiful in their own right, as I've tried to show here.
    So here's a toast to female Ruby-throated hummingbirds everywhere!

    Norm
    Last edited by Norm Dulak; 06-20-2011 at 07:05 AM.

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    Forum Participant Joe Senzatimore's Avatar
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    Seemas like lots of work , but well worth the effort when you come up with a stunning image such as this. You brought all the elements to gether in this one. If it were mine , I might have cropped a bit tighter , but that is just a matter of taste.

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    Lovely capture, Norm. What a beautiful hummer. Great BG and EXP.
    Might tone down the leaves a bit as their brightness really pulls my eye; and also place the bird a bit higher in the frame (or lop some off the top). Is there a slight halo around the bird or is it just my monitor?

  4. #4
    Ofer Levy
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    Sweet! Nice pose and a good flash work. Agree with cropping off the top and I also see the halo around the bird.

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    BPN Member Bill Dix's Avatar
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    Nicely done. Terrific position of the bird, eye contact, wing position. Great work with the flash setup. Ditto the above comments about crop and halo; and there's one dust spot midway between the flower and the RH edge of the frame. Nits on an otherwise fine shot.

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    Hi Norm,

    A lovely image, and I agree with the comments already posted. I'd like to add that this shows that the often denigrated Nikon 80-400vr can still produce sharp and well focused results in the hands of a good photographer.

    Richard

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    To everyone who has commented so far, I must say that your powers of observation are excellent!! And thanks for all you have suggested to improve this image!

    In this repost I've tried to address most of your issues. Hopefully, the changes I've made present this pretty hummingbird in an even more favorable light.

    Norm

  8. #8
    Brendan Dozier
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    Beautiful bird and capture, Norm! Repost works well, beautiful color, detail, and composition!

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    Hummers are just amazing and I can keep on looking images of them whole day long. Re-post is great with having less room around. Like the pose, colors and IQ a lot. Very nice work.

    Lorant

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    Sweet!!

    Looking forward to photographing these little guys real soon

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    Repost is tops... Nice work!

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    Ofer Levy
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    Hi Norman, here is what I had in mind as regards to the composition.

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    Thanks Ofer. I really appreciate your continuing interest and expertise.

    But I personally prefer the bird a bit less centered vertically, as in my repost. I also think the additional space above the flower looks better, but that's just my opinion.

    Norm

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    BPN Member Bob Pelkey's Avatar
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    Levy's composition lends to improvement in bird imagery often seen.
    This thread reminds me of a venue recommended to me to visit on last
    vacation. The place is called Butterfly World in Coconut Creek, FL.
    Missed it, but looks promising.

  15. #15
    Ofer Levy
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    Hi Norm, here is another repost with a bit more room at the bottom to move the bird off the vertical centre. In your repost, there is too much empty space above the bird which doesn't help this lovely image IMHO.
    Wonder what others think.

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    Ofer: This composition makes me uneasy! Invariably these birds will back off and then fly above the flower. With this composition, there is little room for the bird to fly into. I think behavior has to be taken into account for this species, thus the extra room above.

    Linda

  17. #17
    Ofer Levy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Linda Dulak View Post
    Ofer: This composition makes me uneasy! Invariably these birds will back off and then fly above the flower. With this composition, there is little room for the bird to fly into. I think behavior has to be taken into account for this species, thus the extra room above.

    Linda
    Hi Linda,
    I guess it is a matter of taste - this is why I am keen to hear other people. However, it doesn't make sense to me to base the composition on the assumption that the bird will eventually fly above the flower.
    I am sure the bird can also fly to either side of the flower or even below it to reach a lower flower.
    Last edited by Ofer Levy; 06-21-2011 at 06:12 AM.

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    sweet image and BGD, I like the repost better.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ofer Levy View Post
    Hi Linda,
    I guess it is a matter of taste - this is why I am keen to hear other people. However, it doesn't make sense to me to base the composition on the assumption that the bird will eventually fly above the flower.
    I am sure the bird can also fly to either side of the flower or even below it to reach a lower flower.
    Hi again Ofer.

    I've already acknowledged your opinion and have thanked you for it. But taste is a personal thing; we should say what we think and go on from there.

    Rather than presenting arguments as to why one opinion may be better than another, and instead of in effect soliciting a vote to prove that one viewpoint is superior, can't we all just express our opinions and leave it at that?

    Your opinion is valuable, but I think mine also has some value. And so do the views of all of the other BPN members and moderators who respond to what we post and try to make us better photographers.

    Norm

  20. #20
    Ofer Levy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norm Dulak View Post
    Hi again Ofer.

    I've already acknowledged your opinion and have thanked you for it. But taste is a personal thing; we should say what we think and go on from there.

    Rather than presenting arguments as to why one opinion may be better than another, and instead of in effect soliciting a vote to prove that one viewpoint is superior, can't we all just express our opinions and leave it at that?

    Your opinion is valuable, but I think mine also has some value. And so do the views of all of the other BPN members and moderators who respond to what we post and try to make us better photographers.

    Norm
    Hi again Norm, this is a critique forum. We are all here to comment on images and learn. I am not trying to prove that my viewpoint is superior nor I am particularly interested to help you improve your photography. However, I am interested to help other photographers who are interested to learn by having an open discussion and I am also interested to learn from this discussion as well.
    I think that your composition in the OP and the repost are not great. I would love to hear what other people think and I don't see what is wrong with that considering this is a critique forum.
    Cheers mate...

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    Excellent flash work, bg and dof. The bird and flower are of course gorgeous.
    Very nice work. I have a female ruby throated visiting my backyard this season. You have inspired me to try photographing them.
    Fwiw, I too prefer Ofer's last repost. To my eyes, that's the right crop for this image. In fact, I'd take a tiny sliver off the top from that one too. Just my 2 cents.
    Last edited by Sidharth Kodikal; 06-21-2011 at 09:34 AM.

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    Thanks everyone!!

    The views expressed in this thread have been very helpful to me.

    Norm

  23. #23
    Ofer Levy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sidharth Kodikal View Post
    . In fact, I'd take a tiny sliver off the top from that one too. Just my 2 cents.
    Agree...

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    Super Moderator Daniel Cadieux's Avatar
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    I think everyone can benefit in a friendly discussion about the pros and cons of composition options...no harm done by Ofer. It is your image, and you can compose it as you please...it is your decision. Having said this, the comp in pane #12 is my favorite of the bunch. It feels better balanced than the others as I too felt there was a bit much space above. No right or wrong, just my thoughts.

    Norm, you are right about the female hummingbirds...we do not see them nearly as often as the males, but they sure are pretty. Your technicals are perfect to showcase this. I love how you got some shining green feathers from the flash work. Well done!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Daniel Cadieux View Post
    I think everyone can benefit in a friendly discussion about the pros and cons of composition options...no harm done by Ofer. It is your image, and you can compose it as you please...it is your decision. Having said this, the comp in pane #12 is my favorite of the bunch. It feels better balanced than the others as I too felt there was a bit much space above. No right or wrong, just my thoughts.

    Norm, you are right about the female hummingbirds...we do not see them nearly as often as the males, but they sure are pretty. Your technicals are perfect to showcase this. I love how you got some shining green feathers from the flash work. Well done!
    Thanks Dan, for bringing your talents to this conversation! I greatly appreciate your views, and Ofer's, on how to best compose my image.

    I entered this thread with my preconceived notions of composition but am eager to learn how I can improve.

    And I think that the interactions that occur on BPN are for the most part terrific!

    Norm

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    BPN Member Don Lacy's Avatar
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    HI Norm, wonderful image love the BG and great flash work it really helps to show this little girl off at her best. As far as comp goes I am in agreement with Daniel as far as pane 12 working the best for me. In your two post she seems to get lost in the frame a little and I also feel the 3/4 formats de emphasizes the lines of the hummer were as the 2/3 crop of pane 12 helps elongate the subject making her more graceful I also prefer her in the center of the frame for the same reason I want her to be the center of attention.
    Don Lacy
    You don't take a photograph, you make it - Ansel Adams
    There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs - Ansel Adams
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    Thanks Dan and Don. I think I see your point about the virtues of pane 12.

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    Well worth all of your efforts. Beautiful result!

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