Randolph Shine  


The Swan by Randolph Shine

July 2021 - The Swan

July 2021 - Randolph Shine

Original

About the Image(s)

My neighbor just built a pool and put this swan in the pool, I saw it walking by and thought - a big bird in a small pond. The original is through the gate to the pool.

The swan is the keeper of the hot tub. I took THE SWAN through the gate.
1/640, F5.6, ISO 360,70mm on a 18-270mm Tamron.


This round’s discussion is now closed!
12 comments posted




Michael Hrankowski   Michael Hrankowski
Randolph, You have captured a whimsical scene. The huge blow-up flamingo in the spa makes it look as if he flew in for a little soak. It's a cute image but my eye keeps getting distracted by the orange whatever-they-are in the back left. I have noticed you rarely mention your editing process... but I think the image would be more successful if you were to bring it into Photoshop or similar and see if you couldn't remove the distractions.   Posted: 07/05/2021 20:21:09



Mary Ann Carrasco   Mary Ann Carrasco
Hi Randolph, this is a fun image! I, too, am curious about the editing you used. I agree that the distractions can be taken out. I also thought if you could get more of the pool in front of the jacuzzi, that might be a fun perspective.   Posted: 07/06/2021 14:54:06



Ruth Sprain   Ruth Sprain
Who says flamingoes don't have fun? So did you take a closer photo through the bars of the gate or edit out the bars on your original? If you edited out the bars, I'm quite impressed. I'd love to hear more about your editing process too. I agree with Michael that you have some distractions in the background that could be removed or lessened.   Posted: 07/07/2021 16:33:33



 
Yes I took the shot through the bars because the gate was locked. I could not see the "pool" area.
I only did some cropping and little intensity to get the pink darker.
I left the pool fixtures to emphasis the pool setting.   Posted: 07/10/2021 10:24:17



Lisa Cirincione   Lisa Cirincione
(Group 85)
Love this image, very whimsical. Maybe you can change the orange color to a pink color to match the swan and be less distracting but still leave in all the pool fixtures? All else is great!   Posted: 07/10/2021 11:47:14



LuAnn Thatcher   LuAnn Thatcher
Ok, I took Lisa's suggestion and changed the color of the chairs in the background. What do you think of this edit, Lisa? Too bright, to saturated? Suggestions?

LT   Posted: 07/13/2021 12:49:16
Comment Image
Lisa Cirincione   Lisa Cirincione
(Group 85)
I actually think it works LuAnn… not too saturated for me. Less glaring than the orange pool chairs. Very cute image.   Posted: 07/13/2021 15:30:59
LuAnn Thatcher   LuAnn Thatcher
Thanks, Lisa!

LT   Posted: 07/13/2021 15:37:44



LuAnn Thatcher   LuAnn Thatcher
Hi Randy,

Cute photo this month; who doesn't love a pink swan!

I see you had your camera settings in manual mode; this is good; it gives you lots of flexibility. With the sun as bright as it is, you probably could have used a lower ISO value. With the image as you have it, I suggest lowering the brightness a bit on just the swam if you can mask it out on the image. I also would reduce the highlights a bit as well.

In the future, I recommend using a polarizer filter to eliminate the glare off the surface of the water from the sun. A polarizing filter would produce more saturated colors in the overall scene.

The photo attached to this comment is the Sunny 16 rules of photography. It shows you four different types of sunlight and recommends starting points for camera settings when you shoot manually. In this photo, you could try a high aperture with lower ISO and shutter speed.

Let me know if you have any questions.

LT   Posted: 07/13/2021 13:21:15
Comment Image
 
Thank you. I printed it.   Posted: 07/16/2021 11:31:56
LuAnn Thatcher   LuAnn Thatcher
I am glad it was helpful, Randy!

LT   Posted: 07/16/2021 11:33:23



Kieu-Hanh Vu   Kieu-Hanh Vu
It's a fun image! You were able to observe and capture the beauty of everyday life around you nicely. It's interesting that you found the swan in your neighbor's hot tub and captured it through the locked gate. The swan is quite sharp and the composition works well with all the pool settings for your image. The robe on the lounge chair, and lotion or drink on the table indicated that someone just sat there. Hope that they understand that you are not a paparazzi!   Posted: 07/15/2021 23:01:54