Keisha Becerra
October 2024 - Flight
Original
About the Image(s)
I took this shot while feeding birds at the park with my kids. This bold little pigeon had no fear and flew straight at me, even landing on my lap for some food! I managed to capture it mid-flight with my camera set to 1/5000 shutter speed, F/11, and using a 200mm lens. I love how its wings are spread out and the geese in the background add a nice touch to the scene. Such a fun and unexpected moment!
White balance, sharpening
This round’s discussion is now closed!
9 comments posted
Hi Keisha, just a perfect capture of the pigeon. You sure did have the settings right for it! My only thought would be to bring up the shadows around its visible eye so we see it more clearly.
As you say the ducks are a key part of your story although for me they are a bit distracting and I would probably clone out all of them so we just have a bif shot. Posted: 10/01/2024 22:12:28
As you say the ducks are a key part of your story although for me they are a bit distracting and I would probably clone out all of them so we just have a bif shot. Posted: 10/01/2024 22:12:28
Hi Keisha, as you know I love, love BIF. Great job on capturing so sharp!
I agree with Mark. His comments are spot on. One additional comment is try to open the shadows on the tail and darken your background a bit especially on the uper part of the bird. Posted: 10/02/2024 19:38:06
I agree with Mark. His comments are spot on. One additional comment is try to open the shadows on the tail and darken your background a bit especially on the uper part of the bird. Posted: 10/02/2024 19:38:06
Keisha, I've attempted many BIF images but rarely get one as perfect as yours. Nicely done!
I agree that the ducks are part of the story, especially the one the pigeon appears to be looking at. However, I find the "partial pigeon" on the right-hand side distracting.
I played with your photograph in Camera Raw to experiment with different lighting. (I also removed the duck on the far right.) What are your thoughts?
Posted: 10/02/2024 20:44:10
I agree that the ducks are part of the story, especially the one the pigeon appears to be looking at. However, I find the "partial pigeon" on the right-hand side distracting.
I played with your photograph in Camera Raw to experiment with different lighting. (I also removed the duck on the far right.) What are your thoughts?
Posted: 10/02/2024 20:44:10
Thank you so much, I'm glad you liked the BIF shot-capturing the timing was definitely a challenge. I find your edit interesting, and I really like the adjustments you made to the pigeon. However, I feel the background is a bit too dark for my taste. Thanks again for your feedback and for taking the time to work with the image! Posted: 10/26/2024 09:06:35
Very nice BIF. It is difficult to get a sharp image when the subject if moving directly at you, even at your shutter speed. Very well done. I agree with Mark about bringing up the shadows around its visible eye. The three geese don't bother me. I find that the triangle of the three geese and the triangle of the pigeon and two geese compliment each other and balance the image. They also define the flight path of the pigeon. The fact that none of the geese are 100% in the image gives balance versus if only one was partial and the other two were complete. The three work as a frame putting the focus on the pigeon. Posted: 10/03/2024 14:47:18
Hi Keisha, congratulations on your showcase image. So engaging Posted: 10/07/2024 21:15:02
Well captured Keisha. I noticed you shot at an ISO of 6400. Did you require any noise reduction? Reading others comments I am undecided on whether you need all 3 ducks but I would probably keep all them. I think Oliver has done a good job but for my taste he has darkened the background a little too much. Posted: 10/11/2024 10:36:19
Thank you so much for the feedback! I did apply some noise reduction, but not too much since the Canon handles higher ISO settings really well. As for the three ducks, I'm also on the fence-they do contribute to the story, and I can see the appeal of keeping them. I really like the edits Oliver made, and I think they work well, though I could go either way on them. I do agree that the background in his version might be a touch darker than I'd prefer. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts! Posted: 10/26/2024 09:13:07
Keisha, although pigeons are rather ubiquitous I would not consider them to be a waterfowl. Your BIF seems to reflect a possible paradigm change as the pigeon prepares for a water landing among the Canada geese. I think the geese are a key element to the story, however, removing the one on the right as Pete has done improves the overall story. If this were mine, I would dodge the bird's eye to make it brighter. Posted: 10/11/2024 21:22:56