White Crowned Sparrow

DLeeT · May 6, 2014

I don't think these guys are rare, but this is
the first time I've got a shot at one.

Hey, folks, do you find these shots too busy?
I'm always torn with shots like these whether to tone down the backround
to emphasis the bird or leave it as shot. After all the background is rather pretty too,
but no doubt detracts from the bird.

What do you think? Lee

sm4him · May 6, 2014

I love White-Crowned Sparrows! They aren't that rare, you're right, but they can be pretty tough to find and get good shots of.

My general rule of thumb on the background is that if it is tending to "camouflage" the bird, as it is in these, then I try to minimize that impact. Desaturate it a little, lighten it a little (OR darken it, depending on the bird), and then sometimes doing a slight curves adjustment on the bird as well to enhance it.
I do it ONLY when I feel like the background is really causing the bird to just blend in; otherwise, I usually leave the background alone. In these, I'd probably try to tone it down, at least desaturate some of that green.

Raj_55555 · May 6, 2014

"I feel", with an emphasis on those two words, that irrespective of how cool something else is in a picture, if it distracts the eyes from the main subject, it's not worth having/highlighting in the shot.
Really beautiful shots Lee, we don't have these either.

baturn · May 6, 2014

On these two I 'd just crop tighter to get rid of some of the background

DLeeT · May 6, 2014

Thanks all! I basically combined all you advice
and came up with this. Perhaps less busy? Lee

sm4him · May 6, 2014

Yes, that does a much better job of bringing attention to the bird. I assumed you'd already cropped as far as you felt like you could without destroying the image quality.

DLeeT · May 6, 2014

sm4him said:
Yes, that does a much better job of bringing attention to the bird. I assumed you'd already cropped as far as you felt like you could without destroying the image quality.

Well, thought I would try to get by with a little more crop. OK for the web, I think? Not sure it would print well at the second crop. Thanks, Sharon, Lee

TheNevadanStig · May 6, 2014

I don't know Lee, I think these are pretty good. It's getting pretty knit-picky improving on these. I do agree that they could be cropped a little tighter, though I think your repost was a bit too tight. I'm extremely bored so I had a go.

DLeeT · May 6, 2014

TheNevadanStig said:
I don't know Lee, I think these are pretty good. It's getting pretty knit-picky improving on these. I do agree that they could be cropped a little tighter, though I think your repost was a bit too tight. I'm extremely bored so I had a go.
View attachment 73170 View attachment 73171

Thanks for your versions. I'm not sure I see a lot of difference between the first one and mine, but your crop of the second is definitely better. A lot of this is of course very subjective, but it is fun -- and instructive -- to see how others edit one's shots. Thanks again, Lee

robbins.photo · May 6, 2014

Wow.. great stuff. Love the pose on #2

DLeeT · May 6, 2014

robbins.photo said:
Wow.. great stuff. Love the pose on #2

Thanks -- and the pose was consummate skill on the part of the photographer... Hmm... my nose seems to be growing. Correct that statement, the pose was pure blind luck. Ahhh... the nose is shrinking. :biglaugh:

Lee

nzmacro · May 7, 2014

Yep that crop is excellent Lee. Well done and what a beautiful Sparrow, send a few down mate

First shot is great for the details and the second for that look you got Lee, just love that look. We always try and get those sorts of looks and stares and bang, you got it alright. A gorgeous Sparrow and nothing like that here, great stuff.

All the best Lee and nice work.

Danny.