Abracadabra

[Petros Petrou]

I found this Whiskered Tern in a local park feeding at a man made pond. I got some photos of it and this is one of them. At first I thought that I should remove the green leaf. Then I noticed that leaf's position in the frame created the illusion that the bird was looking at it. In addition Tern's pose was as if it was going to cast a spell on the leaf!
What do you think? All comments are welcome and appreciated.

Canon 7D with 300 f/4L IS. 300mm, ISO 1250, f/6.3, 1/1600, manual exposure.

[Dan Busby]

Petros - I agree about the leaf - it looks like the bird sees it as a threat! I like the wing spread and the way the head is looking at the leaf. I think the underside of the bird as a bit on the dark side and I think a mild round of NR on the two wings could help.

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

I like the pose and light but I'm on the fence about the leaf. What saves it is that the bird does appears to be looking at it but I'm still not sure.

[Joe Senzatimore]

Just a matter of taste , but if it were mine , I would get rid of the leaf. Sweet image either way.

[Stu Bowie]

Great wing position, and love the crossed legs. I would move the tern a little higher in the frame, and remove the grass.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Hi Petros, I see your point about the leaf, but I would still remove it. Had it been a cluster of leaves anchoring the bottom right then that would have been better than a single strand jotting out of nowhere. It's a tough decision though as removing it does create a bland BG. Dynamic pose, I do wish the left wing was open more.

[Arthur Morris]

Count me as the odd man out. I like the leaf. I lightened the image a ton, added contrast, then lightened the darker parts of the bird even more. Then moved the bird up and left with a Quick Mask. As Ofer would ask, WDYT?

[Petros Petrou]

Thank you Arthur. I like the lighter version even if it is too light compared to what I saw. Did you use the Levels adjustments (moving the center point) or Curves adjustments (lifting the curves line) in order to light the image in the first place? I just wonder which is the best way to do it.

[Arthur Morris]

YAW. Terns are pretty much white birds :). Either would work but Curves gives more control. Even after I pulled up the curve I used Tim Grey Dodge and Burn to lighten the shaded side of the bird. I should have added that everything I did here is detailed in Digital Basics.