Recent Birds

[PixelRabbit]

These are a few recent bird shots.

The first are Common Mergansers, usually they are flying away but I got lucky this time, I was down at the river for a while watching them upriver and they got used to me, while I waited the Chickadee in #2 gave the bush next to me a good once over looking for seeds and bugs, he was too close at times for my 100-400 but I managed a few nice shots without a mess of branches in front of bits of him. So, back to the ducks! Eventually unbeknownst to me a fisherman was kayaking in our direction and scared the ducks up and they flew towards me (woot!), the whole time I panned them I was saying please focus please focus please focus!! I think out of 7 shots 2 were in focus lol

The last one is a beautiful Female Cardinal

Would love to hear your thoughts, thanks for taking a look!

 

[sleist]

#1 is nice, but the birds are lost in the background a bit. A shame because the formation is quite a nice capture.

#2 is too soft.

#3 is quite good. I might crop it a bit to make the bird more prominent in the frame.

 

[Devinhullphoto]

Why is it that people never just have good comments. It's like they just comment and point out the bad things. I think all 3 are great. My favorite is 3. I enjoy 2 a lot even if it is "too soft".

 

[sleist]

Why is it that people never just have good comments. It's like they just comment and point out the bad things. I think all 3 are great. My favorite is 3. I enjoy 2 a lot even if it is "too soft".

I assume that when people post a request for comment and critique, they are looking for more than an "ata boy". There are ways in which "I felt" these images could be improved.
PR can listen or ignore as she sees fit. My opinion is just that - an opinion. You "enjoying" a flawed photo isn't helping PR become a better photographer.

 

[cgipson1]

Why is it that people never just have good comments. It's like they just comment and point out the bad things. I think all 3 are great. My favorite is 3. I enjoy 2 a lot even if it is "too soft".

What do you think C&C is? It is meant to help improve! If all you do is say, I like it... how is that going to help someone improve? Maybe tell them WHY you like it... and what you don't like... and WHY you don't like it.

Even a total noob can do that (and we like it when they try, because there is no better way to learn!), without getting into technical or composition at all. For those with a little more knowledge... diving a little deeper into the image can be very useful to the poster. Learning to give good C&C helps one to learn to SEE... and know what is right.. or wrong! So by helping others, you can help yourself!

I have seldom seen an image that didn't have something wrong with... but sometimes the good overrides the bad to an extent where it isn't even worth mentioning the bad. But those are very rare!

 

[matthewo]

Yeah, i agree, the worst comments to get are: good photo, nice work, good job, etc.....

If you like something about a photo tell the person what makes it good, composition, lighting, subject mater, color, etc and maybe how other parts of the photo other than the subject interact. Like maybe framing of a subject or contrast of subject to background.

The 3rd would make a great Christmas card. The green winter like evergreen folage with the red bird, like said above a little more crop would be great. Might be a juvinile cardinal, i have one that looks a lot like that one

 

[MiFleur]

I like the first one and the last one
1- I love to see the birds in their natural habitat, also love to see them in flight, it looks like music notes to me!
3- very sharp with a great composition and nice warm tones

 

[Aloicious]

I agree with Sleist, except perhaps for #3, I enjoy your current composition, there may be a little extra at the bottom that could be trimmed, but it doesn't bother me.

 

[shyanni]

As a long time birder, I found the #1 hard to read. I would not have recognized these as mergansers if you hadn't provided that info. That aside, I think you did a great job of capturing the action -- not an easy thing to do, even in the best of light.
#2, I don't agree that it's too soft -- the bird looks in sharp focus, and you want the background blurred so as not to distract from the subject. However, I do think the image is over exposed a bit. Darkening the mid-tones a touch might be an improvement.
#3 looks pretty near perfect to me. I wouldn't crop it at all. Good composition -- rule of thirds and all that, but also, the other elements, the branches and cones all lead the eye and keep the viewer circling back to the bird.