Al Swanson
March 2025 - Show Off
Original
About the Image(s)
I bought a new lens and I wanted to play with it when I was in Arizona so I went up to Gilbert (near Phoenix) and visited their Riparian Ranch and Preserve. It's usually full of birds so I thought I'd get some good specimens. Sadly there were only a few cormorants and ducks to pick from. I did run across the playful trio and one of them was a true show off--trying to impress the others. Midday sun was no help. Cropping and cleaning up the image was the main post edits. I did add some light and saturation to put some life in the birds. Technical stuff: Canon 7D, 150-600mm lens, 1/125, F22, ISO 250.
3 comments posted
Very nice Al. Congratulations on your new lens, which I am sure will give you many beautiful close ups. I am sure you must have taken other pictures. I wonder if you have one with the center bird looking to his left and avoiding the merger with the wing of the left one. You have nice light coming through the wings of the bird on the left. Although the trio is centered, I am comfortable with that. Because of the way the waves of the water are flowing, my only sugestion is to tilt the image up from the right, so that you can eliminate the feeling of tilting to the right. Posted: 03/03/2025 08:34:50
I think Joe is correct in that the image would benefit from leveling off the waves. The juxtaposition of the birds with all of the busy lines of the fallen tree is nice. While the original is too blue, I wonder if the final is a little to yellow. I lean toward the blue, in that there doesn't seem to be all that much sunlight. Overall, well done. Posted: 03/12/2025 19:52:36
Nice capture. Personally I like the original for the coloring. Not sure the coloring on the birds in the final is natural. I agree with Jerry in thinking the colors are too yellow. Posted: 03/26/2025 19:11:34