Barbara Mallon
April 2026 - Allen's Hummingbird Claiming Territory
About the Image(s)
The Northern California conference of Camera Clubs held a workshop in Santa Cruz, CA last weekend. One of the sessions was photographing hummingbirds in the Santa Cruz Arboretum, Australian Plant Garden. So although the bird oil Native here the plant is native to Australia, I suspect the photo is not usable in Nature. Does the spider strand help or detract? Overcast, about 9:30 AM. (Canon r5 mark2, Canon RF200 to 800 lens, f9, 1/400 sec, ISO10,000.)
5 comments posted
Barbara - You chose a very interesting and colorful composition that draws the eye.
However, the gorget dominates the image because it's both the brightest and most saturated element, making it a visual magnet. The issue isn't that it draws attention-it should-but that nothing else in the frame supports or balances it, so the rest of the bird and foliage collapse into secondary or tertiary elements.
I think I know what you were going for and good on ya for doing so, but as presented the image is more of "an orange patch on a plant" than a fully integrated subject . And that affects its visual hierarchy. The bright orange gorget should be the entry point, not the entire experience. Right now, the viewer's eye lands there and stops, because the surrounding elements are comparatively muted and busy at the same time, which unintentionally amplifies the gorget's dominance. In another presentation the spider strand could be a welcome storytelling addition but, in this case, it really has no influence on the image.
Posted: 04/01/2026 20:09:02
However, the gorget dominates the image because it's both the brightest and most saturated element, making it a visual magnet. The issue isn't that it draws attention-it should-but that nothing else in the frame supports or balances it, so the rest of the bird and foliage collapse into secondary or tertiary elements.
I think I know what you were going for and good on ya for doing so, but as presented the image is more of "an orange patch on a plant" than a fully integrated subject . And that affects its visual hierarchy. The bright orange gorget should be the entry point, not the entire experience. Right now, the viewer's eye lands there and stops, because the surrounding elements are comparatively muted and busy at the same time, which unintentionally amplifies the gorget's dominance. In another presentation the spider strand could be a welcome storytelling addition but, in this case, it really has no influence on the image.
Posted: 04/01/2026 20:09:02
Hey Barbara. I will have to agree with Butch on this. The perch forms such a large portion of the image that the main subject is dwarfed in comparison. The bird is sharp, you have a nice catch light and the colours are brilliant. I removed the web as it was distracting without really adding to the image. I burnt the white a wee bit on the chest of the bird as it was also a bit washed out. I finally cropped the image to make the bird the main subject of the image. Posted: 04/13/2026 18:53:27
I agree with Butch and Hoshedar that cropping is needed as the perch 'steals' the show. I find that Hoshedar cropping is fine as it enables the eyes to focus on the main subject: the bird. The web also is distracting. The bird is sharp. Posted: 04/14/2026 12:45:55
Ok, assuming this isn't for a Nature competition I'd do even more radical on the crop. By trimming a few bits of leaves, the bird is now the top of a triangle so much more the star of the show. Just a thought! Posted: 04/16/2026 09:04:02
Great pose of the bird and it is very sharp with an excellent background. I agree that you need to crop off part of the bottom. I think that Hoshedar went too far and like Judith's crop. Her crop shows the two flowers and the bird in a triangle. Posted: 04/16/2026 21:37:02