Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: dalethorn on June 12, 2009, 10:43:53 pm

Title: House Sparrow at Home
Post by: dalethorn on June 12, 2009, 10:43:53 pm
I've made many attempts to capture this little bird on camera, and this time I finally have one good enough to post here.
Panasonic G1, 45-200 at max. zoom, ISO 80 auto-exposure.
Title: House Sparrow at Home
Post by: MR.FEESH on June 12, 2009, 11:22:39 pm
Crazy good!
Title: House Sparrow at Home
Post by: jani on June 13, 2009, 04:52:40 am
Yes, it's a bird, and it's looking at us. Unfortunately, at the size shown, the image isn't quite sharp (or the bird and/or camera was moving slightly), yet it appears slightly over-sharpened.

You have also been unfortunate with the foreground leaves; their dominance, combined with the low out of focus qualities (bokeh) or leaf movement here is constantly distracting, and I think there is too much space around the bird - especially the roof(?).

In my opinion, you should have gotten closer, and considered a slightly different angle to avoid most of the foreground leaves. Here's an example of a crop that shows an alternate composition:

[attachment=14502:dalethorn_bird.jpg]

What was your plan behind the image? Why did you select it for criticism?
Title: House Sparrow at Home
Post by: dalethorn on June 13, 2009, 06:15:35 am
Quote from: jani
In my opinion, you should have gotten closer, and considered a slightly different angle to avoid most of the foreground leaves. Here's an example of a crop that shows an alternate composition:
What was your plan behind the image? Why did you select it for criticism?

That's a very good alternate you provided. I could not get any other angle, shooting between a carport and a tree. This shot represents one of the most difficult I can do because of the bird's size and shyness. It's also not a given that I would get an accurate critique, so I thank you for that, and of course you answered your own question better than I could with that new image.
Title: House Sparrow at Home
Post by: RSL on June 13, 2009, 09:53:43 am
Quote from: jani
What was your plan behind the image? Why did you select it for criticism?

Dale, What Jan's asking, to put it in a less gentle way, is this: Since you knew the picture was a failure, and you just admitted you knew that, why did you post it? Were you trying to show what not to do"
Title: House Sparrow at Home
Post by: dalethorn on June 13, 2009, 11:31:55 am
Quote from: RSL
Dale, What Jan's asking, to put it in a less gentle way, is this: Since you knew the picture was a failure, and you just admitted you knew that, why did you post it? Were you trying to show what not to do"

When you worship the dead, everything looks like a failure, Russ.
Title: House Sparrow at Home
Post by: RSL on June 13, 2009, 12:31:37 pm
Quote from: dalethorn
When you worship the dead, everything looks like a failure, Russ.

Well, that certainly answers Jan's question.
Title: House Sparrow at Home
Post by: dalethorn on June 13, 2009, 01:54:35 pm
Quote from: RSL
Well, that certainly answers Jan's question.

Did you want to post any real information, as Jan did, or just be negative and say nothing except "failure, failure, woe is me?"