Nancy Rich  


whirlybirds by Nancy Rich

June 2021 - whirlybirds

About the Image(s)

I took this photo in a wildlife refuge in Concord, MA. It was shot with a 50mm lens on my Canon R6. ISO was 100, F stop 2.8, and speed at 1/200 of a second. I intentionally wanted to get the leaves around the maple tree's "whirlybird" to be out of focus in order to give a soft effect to the image. I love the detail of the "veins" in the dried "whirlybird."


This round’s discussion is now closed!
6 comments posted




 
Probably every one of us who grew up with whirlybirds remembers throwing them up in the air, peeling them open, and whatever else we could think of when we played with them.

I like your composition and how the subject's curvature s into the image. The background is well suited to the overall feel of the setting and the whirlybirds are nice and sharp. Your out of focus stems wasn't a bad idea, but maybe consider having the transition from out of focus to focus a little more subtle. Overall I like your image (and the memories they bring.)   Posted: 06/18/2021 12:45:51
 
Thanks for your feedback, Lynne. You raise a good point about the switch from in-focus to out-of-focus.   Posted: 06/24/2021 07:50:29



Very nice: it's fun to watch these transition from flowers to seeds and then to grow all in the matter of weeks. Might be interesting to crop out some of space on the right, which would give more focus on seeds and balance to photo.   Posted: 06/18/2021 14:33:58
 
Thanks, Michael. I will play will cropping more on the right. The original had even more background there, but it was too much.   Posted: 06/24/2021 07:51:54



Charles Ginsburgh   Charles Ginsburgh
(Group 63)
I am enjoying both the subject and your compositional choices here. The color and plain of focus works well here as does the color pallet employed. Generally the clarity of the subject is fine except for the point discussed below. I do wonder if cropping a bit from the right might aid the overall image a bit.

I don't disagree regarding what has be described as the "transition" of the soft to sharp areas. I do appreciate that soft areas do add a bit of whimsical or imaginative feel to the composition, and perhaps that was your intent (recalling playing with these seeds in our youth). However, when the balance between soft and sharp areas become a point of contention, then perhaps it might be more problematic than helpful. I don't always get this balance right, and striking that balance is a more challenging part of our macro photographic art, perhaps more so than other photographic forms.
  Posted: 06/25/2021 14:05:42



Peter Newman   Peter Newman
(Groups 20 & 79)
Nancy, I have a similar opinion to that already said by others. I cropped your image to illustrate my version of a crop. While I was at it, I also toned down the bright leaf to the right of the main.   Posted: 06/25/2021 20:33:42
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