Kathleen Colligan
July 2026 - Bluebird Family Get-Together
About the Image(s)
I took this photo this past month, where I was lucky to have a bluebird family in my yard. The settings were 1/400, F6.3, ISO 10,000. I did some subject masking in Lightroom, making the photo darker and cooler. Topaz was used to sharpen and denoise the photo. Any suggestions to improve this would be appreciated.
6 comments posted
Kathleen, this is a fabulous photo of your backyard birds. I don't know how true it is that odd numbers are more interesting for groups, but I think this might be improved to eliminate the bird in the back, which seems a bit soft. Also, the stick across their tails is a bit distracting. Otherwise, the colors are beautiful and the editing is well done. Posted: 07/05/2026 22:09:14
Thank you! I did not remove anything because this is a possible nature entry. As I look at it here, it looks like the birds might be too sharp and not blend in naturally with the background. Help is appreciated! Posted: 07/05/2026 23:36:07
Hi Kathleen, I like this image. The birds are sharp and stand out as the main focus of the picture. I like the catchlights in the eyes and the harmonious colors. I agree with Teresa. The stick across the bottom is distracting and should be removed. ISO 10,000!!! Posted: 07/06/2026 02:39:15
Thanks, Peter. Any other suggestions are welcome. If I enter this in nature, nothing can be removed, so I did not take the branch out. Posted: 07/06/2026 11:06:30
Understood! I also like the diagonal composition. It is dynamic and powerful. Posted: 07/07/2026 01:10:34
How interesting to have them all lined up like that, and obviously looking at something, which creates a story. I wonder how it would be to crop in from the left to eliminate the branches as best you can, and perhaps a little off the top. Beautiful bokeh. Posted: 07/10/2026 01:05:01