Another try with Birds before Puffin Island trip

[Nathaniel]

All taken with the Canon 60d +300mm +1.4 TC

(i) Coots- bit of hanky panky


(ii) Sleeping Mute Swans
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(iii) Egret
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(iv)Mute Swan


(v) Oyster Catchers in flight


(vi) Heron

[Macgb]

Re: Another try with Birds before Puffin Island trip

I like the Heron and Mute Swan pics, the others seem to have a lot of dead space around that you could crop out to improve the composition.

The Egret shot would be better if the leaves and twigs behind the beak weren't there, do you have any others where the head has moved? I like the reflection in that shot so with a bit of cleaning you could have something there.

[Nathaniel]

Re: Another try with Birds before Puffin Island trip

Thanks Macgb. Yes, I have other pics of the Egret and I take your point. The dead spaces too can be cropped out which I will do so shortly.

[colin C]

Re: Another try with Birds before Puffin Island trip

Getting better and better Nathaniel.

The swan exposure is perfect. Think of reflections with water - a little repositioning and change to portrait format would have made that shot a lot more interesting. I tend to grab a shot instinctively and once it is in the bag, I give some thought to improving it. Perhaps a different angle, portrait format, or even coming back later.

Colin

[Nathaniel]

Re: Another try with Birds before Puffin Island trip

Macgb, I have cropped the coots and the flying birds as suggested and posted here. I have posted another Egret photo in place of the previous one which had objects by the face. Trust these are better.Colin,thanks for your C&C

(i) Coots

(ii) Oyster catchers in flight.

[Hereford_EOS2]

Re: Another try with Birds before Puffin Island trip

Love this set Nat, shame that the half the egret relection is missing but it's a great image all the same.
Well done.

[Nathaniel]

Re: Another try with Birds before Puffin Island trip

Thanks Stephen. I am getting the hang of this lens. Yes, I must check my other pics to see whether I have the full reflection for the Egret.

[Les McLean]

Re: Another try with Birds before Puffin Island trip

Technically, this are fine Nathaniel, but as mentioned, a bit more thought about composition, particularly cropping, a subject rarely looks it's best dead centre in the frame, although when shooting it's often best to keep the subject central for exposure/focus reasons and crop later during processing.

I like where you are going, so keep on the treadmill

[mwphoto]

Re: Another try with Birds before Puffin Island trip

Getting batter Nat! Composition is the next thing - there are of course no strict rules, but I find the rule of thirds also works beautifully for birds - simplistically a bird looks best in a frame when it has some space to move into! Also think about portrait mode for reflections and move your focus point (tho as mentioned in my msg I don't know whether the spot metering follows the AF point on the 60D)

[Nathaniel]

Re: Another try with Birds before Puffin Island trip

Thanks Les,Mike. I am doing my best with all the advice I am getting. Yes,composition is next and also to think about portrait format after getting one or two shots in the "bag".