Fly, bird, fly... (B&W)

[ruifo]

Fly, bird, fly... by ruifo

 

[Rick58]

I'm not sure the B&W is working for you here. It almost camouflages the bird

 

[ruifo]

That was the intention, to mix it with the background...

 

[bribrius]

generally, they critique things pretty hard on here so this might not find a good receptions. But because I have actually done this in color I understand what you are trying to do here (blend the bird into the photo) and I think you pulled it off. From a artistic standpoint this works.

 

[ruifo]

Tks bribrius. You got the spirit here

But any pro/cons critiques are welcome.

 

[sm4him]

I too, understand what you were going for, but for me it just doesn't work here. I wish SOMETHING on the bird was in focus. With the bird completely blurred and the branch in the foreground nice and sharp, this just looks like a missed shot rather than an artistic statement. IMO.

I did something similar back sometime ago--you can see it here. I did it very intentionally, and on one hand, I kinda like the result, it was primarily a fail because I just need something in focus on the bird, preferably its head.

If you do this and get the head in focus, but a real good sense of motion blur on the rest of the bird, and a completely blurred background, then you'd have something.

 

[ruifo]

Very interesting, sm4him. Nice shot of yours, as well.

I did got the bird sharp in other shots in this particilar sequence, but this one showed up intrigating and nice to me.

The focus was on bird (who was sitting in this branch), but as soon as it flew away, I got this image (70-200mm f/2.8 lens @ 200m, 1/250 sec, f/4.0, ISO 1250). This setting made the bird motion blur it away, and blend it with the background (with some extra help of the B&W colors), despite it was still inside the DoF area, right above the branch.

The confusion caused by the motion blur is what attracted my eyes. You can see its legs moving out of the branch, if you pay attention to it.

However, a 1/500 or 1/750 shutter speed could have resulted less blured and closer to what you describe. Anyhow, I kind of liked the end result, of course, that's why I'm bringing it here.

Thanks again, very much!!

 

[bribrius]

for me. if you want it to be better.
a. if the bird were flying toward you off the branch, more branches in focus not just one.
b. if the bird was more in focus
c. if the photo was more well balance with a branch above the bird or something else in focus as well. just having that one branch in focus draws the the eye just to that branch. it leaves the rest of the frame pretty much empty as well. If you are looking to blend in the bird, you need to balance the frame so it actually blends with its surroundings (but not enough that its presence and movement isn't seen).
the way it is now, the branch don't blend in but draws attention, because the frame isn't balanced.

 

[ruifo]

Thanks much, again!!

 

[bribrius]

Thanks much, again!!

hope it made sense. I still haven't pulled off this shot either. close, real close. But not totally. its a total timing and luck shot.

 

[ruifo]

Thanks much, again!!

hope it made sense. I still haven't pulled off this shot either. close, real close. But not totally. its a total timing and luck shot.

Totally agree.
Being in the right place/time (with the right camera settings) is not easy, at all...

 

[bribrius]

its the birds. they don't stay put when you want them too, they don't wait for you to adjust your camera, they hide behind branches, they don't let you know before they are taking off, and they don't let you walk around the tree to find a good angle to balance you frame and focus etc. They really just, don't cooperate at all.

 

[ruifo]

hehehehe
Well said!