Brenda Fishbaugh, QPSA
February 2025 - Sitting Pretty
Original
About the Image(s)
Canon R5, Canon 200-800
ISO 5000 800mm f/9.0 1/1600 sec
We spent a week birding in Belize in January. Instead of showing you the magnificent toucans and aracaris, I thought I would share a different type of image, a little more "art" oriented composition of this male Vermillion Flycatcher.
I'd like a better title, maybe "Weighing Options" because of the branch unchosen. Or "Branch Not Chosen", playing on the Robert Frost poem?
Although its easy to think I oversaturated the bird, you can see I actually desaturated him.
I cropped, used ON1 DeNoise/Sharpen because of the 5000 ISO.
I used Camera Raw to darken the background.
My initial idea was to enter him in PSA Nature, but I think he might do better in PSA Color, as there isn't much of a nature story (feeding, nesting, babies, multi-species).
Given that I am going to PSA Color, I can make any changes (other than AI) to the image. So, suggest away!
22 comments posted
What a beautiful God creature! I love your post processing and totally on board with your decision :-) If I had to make any comment, I would suggest you reverse the aspect ratio of the bird and the tree branches. Posted: 02/03/2025 18:03:18
Thanks, Jean! To be clear, so you recommend this as a horizontal composition? I appreciate it! Posted: 02/05/2025 02:05:14
It is my personal subjective thinking. The "Y" shape tree branches are beautiful but it occupied larger space in comparison to the little bird in the frame. It is overpowering. I thought you may be able to enlarge the bird and reduce the size of the "Y" with the same background which is beautifully done. Posted: 02/06/2025 00:15:56
I'll take a look at it, thanks!
Posted: 02/11/2025 20:20:01
Posted: 02/11/2025 20:20:01
Jean, thanks for your thoughts! I've put two new versions at the bottom of the thread. Please check them out and let me know what additional suggestions you have. Posted: 02/23/2025 14:46:48
My title suggestion is "Longing". That was quite a lens that you used. Did you take this using a tripod or some other support? The processing feels just fine to me. Posted: 02/08/2025 02:01:51
Robert, with the newer cameras and lenses, tripods are not necessary. The DeNoise software takes care of the noise easily. Birds are fast and tiny, there isn't time to set up a tripod. And hiking through jungles or riding in a car and stopping on the side of the road is how most images are captured.
I am using a birding blind in South Carolina in April, and I'll use a tripod there, since we are stationary and the birds are baited. And I'll use a tripod for a landscape workshop in Idaho in June to get stacked images. There isn't a way to do night photography without a tripod, so I do have a great one, and use it for the different genres.
Thanks for the questions and title suggestion! Posted: 02/11/2025 20:30:11
I am using a birding blind in South Carolina in April, and I'll use a tripod there, since we are stationary and the birds are baited. And I'll use a tripod for a landscape workshop in Idaho in June to get stacked images. There isn't a way to do night photography without a tripod, so I do have a great one, and use it for the different genres.
Thanks for the questions and title suggestion! Posted: 02/11/2025 20:30:11
Robert, you liked my image "as is", but some other members had different thoughts. Check out the lively discussion and my latest two posts at the bottom. I'd love to hear any additional suggestions you have after reading the banter. Thanks! Posted: 02/23/2025 14:48:32
Neat photo! But, I feel there are a few problems with this image. First there is too much negative space. Second there are some major selection errors which have introduced artifacts in the final version. Here is what I'm talking about. I have some of the selection errors circled and to the right is how I would have done it. Neat photo non the less. Posted: 02/08/2025 22:49:51
Great catches! Its actually from the noise removal software. I'll go back and look at that and see the best way to process without the artifacting.
I'm not sure I want to lose my "Y", but both you and Jean recommended it, so I may go with two versions. Thanks! Posted: 02/11/2025 20:40:18
I'm not sure I want to lose my "Y", but both you and Jean recommended it, so I may go with two versions. Thanks! Posted: 02/11/2025 20:40:18
Ed, great catch on the selection errors--when I chose "background" in Camera Raw, it did not get in and around the leaves very well. I explained how I fixed this problem with two posts today 2-23-25. I was actually looking to have a lot of negative space, to show the tiny bird in a wilderness area. But I did go in closer by cropping up from the bottom and top on my re-do. I also did a tight crop to avoid the second branch going off into no where. As you know, I can't use a vignette in PSA Nature, so I left that out of my rework versions. Thanks so much! Let me know what you catch on the new new versions. Posted: 02/23/2025 14:52:10
This is good, I loved every aspect of this photo, from the moment it was captured to the final post-processing. Posted: 02/14/2025 03:45:30
Wow! Thank so much! There are have been a lot of recommendations to crop tightly. I was going for more of an artistic look, as opposed to a "bird on a stick".
So you think its okay as is? I appreciate your opinion. Posted: 02/17/2025 02:13:02
So you think its okay as is? I appreciate your opinion. Posted: 02/17/2025 02:13:02
What you originally posted is great and doesn't need any correction. If you want to make any changes, consider cropping slightly to achieve a perfect square. Your composition is excellent-it creates a triangle within the square frame, keeping the viewer's focus contained. Remember Hasselblad? Famous for its square format, this image has that same classic composition. I'd keep it square. Posted: 02/17/2025 02:49:24
Great, thanks for the idea! Posted: 02/17/2025 02:56:59
Sunil, I just realized my new image isn't a perfect square. Should I crop in tighter to make that happen? Thanks! Any other thoughts on my reworked images below?
Posted: 02/23/2025 15:01:50
Posted: 02/23/2025 15:01:50
The new post, with a tight crop of just the bird, feels like any other ordinary bird photo. Your original post was much stronger-it had something special that sparked discussions and diverse opinions. While there are countless single-bird photos out there, your original composition stood out. I'd simply make it square while keeping the bird and the tree branch, as previously suggested. Posted: 02/23/2025 15:14:29
It is a nice image, it is a quiet time at this moment. I chop the image a little bit and also use camera to enhance the green color of the background. Posted: 02/15/2025 01:10:38
Thank you! I am not sure I want to crop in, but I will give it a try. Posted: 02/17/2025 02:17:22
Pei-Fan, I posted a new crop, let me know your thoughts. Lots of differing opinions on this image--its a great discussion and a great way to learn more about composition.
I tried to keep the background really natural looking, as it is a PSA Nature image and one can't make changes that don't reflect what you saw.
Posted: 02/23/2025 15:04:02
I tried to keep the background really natural looking, as it is a PSA Nature image and one can't make changes that don't reflect what you saw.
Posted: 02/23/2025 15:04:02
Great discussion, thanks so much, everyone!
I have dozens of images of Vermillion flycatchers from our Belize trip, so what I was trying to do with this was a more artistic approach and giving an idea of how small the bird was in such a big environment. As Sunil points out, I was making a triangle, which is a good compositional element. Ed pointed out that there was a bunch of artifacting. See his circles on his feedback image. I experimented with a new image and discovered the artifacts appeared when I selected "background" to blur it a bit more. It was easy to fix this, I just used the brush masking tool and decreased clarity and texture on the brush that I swept over everything but the tree. I think this fixed the issue, thanks Ed! Here's my redo of my image, but check below for my tight cropped version. Let me know your favorite! Posted: 02/23/2025 14:31:15
I have dozens of images of Vermillion flycatchers from our Belize trip, so what I was trying to do with this was a more artistic approach and giving an idea of how small the bird was in such a big environment. As Sunil points out, I was making a triangle, which is a good compositional element. Ed pointed out that there was a bunch of artifacting. See his circles on his feedback image. I experimented with a new image and discovered the artifacts appeared when I selected "background" to blur it a bit more. It was easy to fix this, I just used the brush masking tool and decreased clarity and texture on the brush that I swept over everything but the tree. I think this fixed the issue, thanks Ed! Here's my redo of my image, but check below for my tight cropped version. Let me know your favorite! Posted: 02/23/2025 14:31:15
Pei-Fan, Ed and Jean suggested I crop in tighter. I didn't care for a partial branch on the left, and I can't remove that in a PSA Nature pic, so I cropped the left branch out entirely.
As I mentioned, I do have close up versions of this bird that I think are better, but wanted to try it, since y'all suggested it!
Let me know your thoughts! Posted: 02/23/2025 14:34:17
As I mentioned, I do have close up versions of this bird that I think are better, but wanted to try it, since y'all suggested it!
Let me know your thoughts! Posted: 02/23/2025 14:34:17