this way...

[Jeremy Roussak]

... or that?

Jeremy

[francois]

I slightly prefer the first one. Both birds are looking at something interesting, obviously.

[guido]

Looks like it needs the bubble of the penguin commenting to his buddy...

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Another possible title: "Standing on the corner, watching all the girls go by!"   

My preference is for the first.

[RSL]

Well, they're more interesting than burgs, Jeremy, but not as interesting as people and their artifacts. I'll confess that the same thing's true of paths and stumps.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Sorry, Jeremy, couldn't resist:

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Sorry, Jeremy, couldn't resist:

[FataMorgana]

Personally, I'd crop both as the lens seems to have been focussed on dead-centre / middle of the frame, perhaps the eye of the taller bird, meaning there's a vast space above both birds, and little below them and looks quite unbalanced. Taking 15 - 20% off the top will perhaps redress this composition? 

Both looking in the same direction is my preferred image.

[RSL]

See that, Jeremy. Shooting birds is going to make you come a cropper.

[Jeremy Roussak]

Well, they're more interesting than burgs, Jeremy, but not as interesting as people and their artifacts. I'll confess that the same thing's true of paths and stumps.

Ah, Russ, there we differ. I generally derive no satisfaction from photographing people, particularly people I don't know. That's why I fail to understand street photography, despite your (much appreciated) efforts to educate me.

Personally, I'd crop both as the lens seems to have been focussed on dead-centre / middle of the frame, perhaps the eye of the taller bird, meaning there's a vast space above both birds, and little below them and looks quite unbalanced. Taking 15 - 20% off the top will perhaps redress this composition? 

Yes, the focussing was on the eye, as it should be, but given the multitude of focussing points in a 5Ds, that's irrelevant to framing. The "same way" shot has in fact been cropped to match the framing of the other: there's more rock to the bottom which I will restore before printing. This, and your comment on "berg and boat" indicates that you like centrally-placed subjects; while that's a preference, it's never appealed to me.

Sorry, Jeremy, couldn't resist:

If only I had had time to train the birds...

See that, Jeremy. Shooting birds is going to make you come a cropper.

 

Jeremy

[FataMorgana]

More rock in the bottom of frame would be preferred as it look quite unbalanced as they stand.

My concern is / was that so many amateur photographers simply line up the head / eyes with no regard for the rest of the composition, and that's why you can so oft' tell a manually focussed camera system; a professional from an amateur.

A pal of mine swore he could tell negs shot on Leicas whilst working at Magnum 25yrs ago. Now, having owned and used 35mm and MF rangefinders extensively and also systems such as the D800 with long lenses, I wholeheartedly agree. So when I see what seems to be an AF camera with a long lens, this central focus point and what to my eyes seems to be a disregard for the full frame composition, I try and point this out.

Not knowing at the time what you shoot (I now do), this shot seemed to fall into that category to my eyes. It's a feature I see in wildlife and portraiture and to a point, landscape images all the time and caution my students against disregarding the integrity of the entire frame. I ask them to switch to manual everything and the improved results follow.

In my defence, I too fall into the same trap with the D800 / 200mm lens combo for some mountain landscape work, and one reason why I dislike taking the long lenses out on shoots with me.

The boat shot, to my eye, looks more balanced with around 15% shaved from the left of frame.

All the best.

[MattBurt]

I like them both but prefer the second. Looks like they are conversing or exchanging looks.

[armand]

I'll raise you 2 (pigeons that is)