LC Boros
June 2021 - Cannonball
Original
About the Image(s)
The jays were enjoying the spring weather prior to settling in to raise a family. This was shot from my office chair looking out into the north garden. For fun I worked this image a lot experimenting with healing out the fill valve for the birdbath. Then I adjusted the brightness and clarity and cropped/flipped the image. A final edit might forgo the hiding of the irrigation valve and instead go for a square crop.
Canon 5D Mark IV with 100-400 f4.5-5.6L IS II USM
This round’s discussion is now closed!
8 comments posted
Wonderful action shot. The jay is tack sharp and you caught him frolicking. There are even water droplets in the air. The bokeh is great, but I would tone down the white streak under his beak as it competes with his white breast. The reflections and swirls in the water add interest. I prefer the rectangular crop you show here as it gives just the right amount of negative space in front of the jay. I think removing the valve is good, AND I would also remove its reflection in the bath. Posted: 06/11/2021 21:19:52
A beautiful capture of the jay just before he hits the water. What was your shutter speed? I think your crop and flip works really well. If I didn't see the original I would not have know what the reflection was in the water so I think it might help to clone it out. I think you did a very nice job in post processing. The jay is sharp and the colors are beautiful. My only suggestion would be to tone down the bright areas in the background so the eye is not pulled back there. Very nice image. Posted: 06/12/2021 16:43:49
I think you have done a wonderful job capturing a decisive moment. The bird is entirely sharp and you have the catch light which enhances its life-like appearance. I think you might consider darkening the whole background above the bird bath which I believe would make the bird pop. Also, the mechanism in the water doesn't seem to fit, so I would suggest removing it. Were you in Manual Mode? I would love to know how fast a shutter speed was required to stop the action like this. Posted: 06/13/2021 11:48:40
Great shot of action. I like the landing. The bird's colors are natural, and inviting. The water droplets are OK with me, however, if you removed them, it might put focus on the bird. I also think darkening the background as well as the structure of the bird bath will make the bird pop. Posted: 06/13/2021 14:24:44
(Group 42)
A very nice image of the Bluejay landing landing in the bird bath. The only I would suggest is to Blur out or darken the background. I also would try to lighten the eye a little. But a very nice image. Good Job. Posted: 06/16/2021 16:22:48
Fun shot and love the way you have captured the motion. Great detail and colour in the Blue Jay. Probably would have darkened the background slightly with a vignette perhaps. I am curious to know what the protocol is for flipping the bird...does it make it easier on the eye whether it is left or right? Great shot! Posted: 06/22/2021 13:01:26
(Group 90)
Flipping an image so that it "reads" from Left to Right is a common technique. Most western eyes are trained to look at something and view the action from left to right. In this case because the bird's movement is into the water and it was originally shot with action right to left, it made sense to flip the image. While this construct is just a convention, because viewers are predisposed to view left to right, editing to take advantage of this is often done. It is also common to then break this construct intentionally to jar the viewer. Posted: 06/23/2021 01:20:23
Thanks so much for the explanation on 'flipping'...good to know. Posted: 06/23/2021 13:51:09