Two bird shots

Mbnmac · Nov 26, 2010

As well as watching some surfers I had a wander through the dunes and caught a few nice bird shots, I'm particularly happy with these two for the colour and action. Catching birds in poses that aren't running away is hard!

DSC_0055 by mbnmac, on Flickr
Love the colours is this one, even if nothing much is happening.

Take off by mbnmac, on Flickr
Really happy with the action I caught here, watched a pair in this flax bush for about 5 minutes eating and dancing around.

Any comments and C&C welcome

-Martin

sobolik · Nov 26, 2010

I think they both need help. As they are they are lacking. I take a bazillion that are lacking when I see them later so I have a lot of practice trying to rescue them.

I copied both and opened in PS elements 5.0
I opened the crop tool and selected 4x6
I shrunk the crop borders and tilted the crop pane about 20 degrees to the right placing the crop pane corners within the photo edges and sized to position the birds in the left bottom 1/4 of the crop
The result is a stylish trendy somewhat startling viewpoint of an otherwise lacking composition.
I like them much better.

Bitter Jeweler · Nov 26, 2010

Pictures, or it didn't happen.

HikinMike · Nov 26, 2010

On the first image, it would have been better if you were closer to the ground and if the bird was facing you.

The second one is way too busy and honestly I had to look for the bird.

Mbnmac · Nov 27, 2010

I'll try to keep those in mind, all the birds were very wary of people on the beach so to have one even looking in your direction was difficult.
I get the busy picture complaint, so I'll try a crop, but I also like the Flax PLant in there

zbo2408 · Nov 27, 2010

HikinMike said:
The second one is way too busy and honestly I had to look for the bird.

I understand the busy comment, but have no clue how the bird was not the first thing that caught your eye.
Even with the second one is a lil busy I personally like it.
Although the first one just doesn't do anything for me
:/

HikinMike · Nov 27, 2010

zbo2408 said:
I understand the busy comment, but have no clue how the bird was not the first thing that caught your eye.
Even with the second one is a lil busy I personally like it.
Although the first one just doesn't do anything for me
:/

Mainly because the bush was red. :lol:

Fausto · Nov 27, 2010

Next time try laying on your belly and have a bag of bread crumbs. Then you wont have an issue with the birds running from you. Laying low will give you a birds eye view and a better perspective of the birds environment. It will also give you a different background with a horizon. Hope that helps.

Mbnmac · Nov 27, 2010

Fausto said:
Next time try laying on your belly and have a bag of bread crumbs. Then you wont have an issue with the birds running from you. Laying low will give you a birds eye view and a better perspective of the birds environment. It will also give you a different background with a horizon. Hope that helps.

That's a good idea, however I wasn't aiming for just bird shots with this walk, I went out for about an hour and a half and just walked, taking what pretty much amounted to snapshots when I saw something, mostly to see what is even near my house.
I'll try that next time

jamesdavidboro · Nov 27, 2010

I agree about the busy comment. I had to look for the bird.

Ron Evers · Nov 27, 2010

I get the busy picture complaint, so I'll try a crop, but I also like the Flax PLant in there

Say it is a composition to show the plant, the bird is an extra.

GooniesNeverSayDie11 · Nov 27, 2010

The first one isn't a keeper IMO. The bird isn't facing you, its too small in the frame with a bunch of dead space. The second one is nice. If you had used a longer lens and were closer to the bird the house would have been more blurred and less distracting. Then I think the bird would have stuck out more because it would be a black bird on a pastel blue/white blurred background and is pretty much at the intersecting thirds. The larger versions show that the bird is extremely blurry. ( small pics hide flaws easily ) some flash ( maybe with an extender ) could help with this as well as higher ISO and faster shutter speeds. Nice effort though for just accidental shots you stumbled upon.