Blair Roy
November 2023 - Pelican
About the Image(s)
Pelican Ornament
Sony AR74
metadata: iso 400, 28-75 @ 75mm, f4.5, 1/60s
This is a metal yard ornament that we bought to remind us of our Louisiana roots. Pelicans are plentiful in that area and are always a treat to see. We placed it on the stump of a silver maple where an enormous limb broke off and nearly demolished our living room, as I was watching. There is a lot of emotion around this image and all that it reminds us of. I think there is too much light coming through the pelican that might be distracting. I tried to blur the white spot near the eye in photoshop but did not like the results. Is it even worth trying or should I just take another photo?
This round’s discussion is now closed!
10 comments posted
Hi Blair,
The metal Pelican is a nice subject, but it blends in with the background. I agree with you the white in the background is too bright. Perhaps I would place your Pelican in front of a clean, darker background to show its' shape. It is an interesting subject with great texture, but in my opinion needs more contrast against its background to pop. Posted: 11/11/2023 17:24:40
The metal Pelican is a nice subject, but it blends in with the background. I agree with you the white in the background is too bright. Perhaps I would place your Pelican in front of a clean, darker background to show its' shape. It is an interesting subject with great texture, but in my opinion needs more contrast against its background to pop. Posted: 11/11/2023 17:24:40
Barbara, thank you for your suggestion. I think I will try to take the picture at a later time in the day to see if that would change the too bright of a background. When I have a chance to get up in the tree again, I think I will try your suggestion of a clean, dark background shot. Thanks! Posted: 11/19/2023 16:27:58
Blair,
Because the interior of this ornament appears to be transparent (open), the background shining through the opening is visually distracting and makes it difficult to separate the background from the foreground. Posted: 11/13/2023 15:55:51
Because the interior of this ornament appears to be transparent (open), the background shining through the opening is visually distracting and makes it difficult to separate the background from the foreground. Posted: 11/13/2023 15:55:51
Thanks, Dean. I thought so. I am going to revisit some other options to try and capture the shot. Posted: 11/19/2023 16:28:57
Hey Blair, good on you for applying your growing photography skills to your own life. I mean, I can take some pretty gnarly shots of shoes and pancakes (product and food), but a lot of my shots are still "snapshots" that only have meaning to me and my family. But, they're still much better shots than I would have taken 10 years ago, so keep it up.
I think your colors look vivid (the greens anyway) and natural. I think the exposure is well done for the most part (Whenever you include shade AND sky, you're really in danger of overexposing the sky. Oftentimes, I'll simply recompose the image to avoid sky altogether.).
Do you remember what exposure mode you used? Kudos on the your use of wide aperture/low f/stop to speed up the shutter (sharper) and reduce your depth of field in order to bring attention to the subject, which is definitely the sharpest object in the frame.
A agree, the subject should stand out more. One of the toughest things to remember is to observe your background, and to place your subject on the right background for the image you're trying to create. If I had a dollar for every time I had something I didn't like in my background, I'd be a rich man.
Anyway, glad to see you mixing it up with everyone else. Keep up the good work. Posted: 11/13/2023 16:53:30
I think your colors look vivid (the greens anyway) and natural. I think the exposure is well done for the most part (Whenever you include shade AND sky, you're really in danger of overexposing the sky. Oftentimes, I'll simply recompose the image to avoid sky altogether.).
Do you remember what exposure mode you used? Kudos on the your use of wide aperture/low f/stop to speed up the shutter (sharper) and reduce your depth of field in order to bring attention to the subject, which is definitely the sharpest object in the frame.
A agree, the subject should stand out more. One of the toughest things to remember is to observe your background, and to place your subject on the right background for the image you're trying to create. If I had a dollar for every time I had something I didn't like in my background, I'd be a rich man.
Anyway, glad to see you mixing it up with everyone else. Keep up the good work. Posted: 11/13/2023 16:53:30
Hi Damon,
Thanks for the comments. I am not sure what exposure mode I used. I might be able to look at the date and guess, but a guess it would be. I really appreciate the details and explanations you give. I am learning so much from participating in this group. So many things to consider while shooting and so many things to consider afterwards. What a rewarding hobby! Posted: 11/19/2023 16:33:15
Thanks for the comments. I am not sure what exposure mode I used. I might be able to look at the date and guess, but a guess it would be. I really appreciate the details and explanations you give. I am learning so much from participating in this group. So many things to consider while shooting and so many things to consider afterwards. What a rewarding hobby! Posted: 11/19/2023 16:33:15
Blair, what an interesting subject. I would love to have that in my yard! The light in the background is diffuse, so I think it is fine. Posted: 11/19/2023 16:41:57
Thank you, Rita. I also have a hummingbird one. Love them both. Posted: 11/22/2023 00:09:45
Blair, I read the above comments and mostly agree with them. The background is too busy and hides the pelican. Maybe you could try to lighten the background by desaturating the green. I wonder if that would help the pelican stand out. I like your idea for composition. Posted: 11/19/2023 21:11:42
Thank you, Anne. I appreciate suggestion and give that try. Posted: 11/22/2023 00:10:54