Black-throated Gray Warbler in Silver Leaf Oak

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SonoranDesert

SonoranDesert

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My aim here was to capture this "bird on a branch" in a way that shows some behavior and intrigue...do you think I accomplished that or....????
Thanks for any consideration.

Black-throated Warbler.jpeg
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I like the shot. More importantly if you were after a bird in a tree shot, all is very good! This shot also shows the colouring of the bird nicely (those two yellow spots!). Seeing the eyes is a nice objective but there are hundreds if not more award winning, cover of magazine wildlife photographs in which the animal's eyes are not seen. But all that aside, as someone said above, this is a photograph that is pleasing to look at; and engaging for me -- wondering what the bird is looking at :) Oh and technically, the light is superb and the focus plane as sharp as that beak! :)
 
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ssheipel said:
I like the shot. More importantly if you were after a bird in a tree shot, all is very good! This shot also shows the colouring of the bird nicely (those two yellow spots!). Seeing the eyes is a nice objective but there are hundreds if not more award winning, cover of magazine wildlife photographs in which the animal's eyes are not seen. But all that aside, as someone said above, this is a photograph that is pleasing to look at; and engaging for me -- wondering what the bird is looking at :) Oh and technically, the light is superb and the focus plane as sharp as that beak! :)
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Good morning Steven, thank you very much for taking the time to look at my photo and give me feedback. I truly appreciate it.
 
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Hi Lisa, first off this is a species that I have never photographed. They are very rare in NY where I live so I am envious.

I think you have captured a typical hunting pose of most warblers and indeed it does show so behavior and intrigue and a bit of drama as we don't know if it will find some tasty morsel.

I think there are a few things you can do to improve on this photo. One would be a less distracting background that would allow us to concentrate more on the bird and the drama. Specifically the dark trunk of the tree that is basically right where the face is.

In addition the whole photo feels dark, specifically evident in the face of the bird where you can not make out where the eye is.

Warbler are one of the most difficult birds to get really good shots of. The vast majority of shots are dead stick or mossy log type shots because getting one in the open in a nice spot with a clean background and also at or near eye level is extremely difficult. Keep at it
 
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Isaac Grant said:
Hi Lisa, first off this is a species that I have never photographed. They are very rare in NY where I live so I am envious.

I think you have captured a typical hunting pose of most warblers and indeed it does show so behavior and intrigue and a bit of drama as we don't know if it will find some tasty morsel.

I think there are a few things you can do to improve on this photo. One would be a less distracting background that would allow us to concentrate more on the bird and the drama. Specifically the dark trunk of the tree that is basically right where the face is.

In addition the whole photo feels dark, specifically evident in the face of the bird where you can not make out where the eye is.

Warbler are one of the most difficult birds to get really good shots of. The vast majority of shots are dead stick or mossy log type shots because getting one in the open in a nice spot with a clean background and also at or near eye level is extremely difficult. Keep at it
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Hi Isaac, thanks you so much for taking the time to give me feedback. I do have some additional shots that I will review based on your recommendations to see if there may be one that addresses the obvious challenges of shooting this bird.
 
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@Isaac Grant @ssheipel @MorganP @Bill M @Butlerkid
Hi All, thanks again for your feedback. If you have time/desire I'd love to hear your thoughts on these 4 shots of the same bird. Worth cropping? Any other post processing suggestions? (I don't do much PP - I try to capture what I want the photo to be in real time...challenging, I know!)
I picked the original photo above because it had a more "artsy" feel to it. These others are more typical BOB (bird on branch) which can have interesting qualities...
Thanks!
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Bravo! Additional interesting images in post #11.

I can't tell, the the first image seems a bit soft, but #2 and 3 are very nicely focused. I like both of these because the bird is in front of a simple background, which allows it to really stand out. I also like see the catch light in the eye and the touch of yellow on the forehead! Both are interesting poses.

#4 is nice also. What post processing s/w do you use? I did a quick 5 minute play.....it is not perfect! I used PS ACR to increase the exposure about 1.3 stop. Then selectively lightened the bird. In PS CC, I again lightened just the bird using a dodge and burn adjustment layer. Perhaps the bird may now be too light compared to the surroundings...??? Lastly, I cropped a bit off the right side.....

I will delete immediately if you do not want this posted.
BlkThrtGray_4_KP copy.jpg
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Butlerkid said:
Bravo! Additional interesting images in post #11.

I can't tell, the the first image seems a bit soft, but #2 and 3 are very nicely focused. I like both of these because the bird is in front of a simple background, which allows it to really stand out. I also like see the catch light in the eye and the touch of yellow on the forehead! Both are interesting poses.

#4 is nice also. What post processing s/w do you use? I did a quick 5 minute play.....it is not perfect! I used PS ACR to increase the exposure about 1.3 stop. Then selectively lightened the bird. In PS CC, I again lightened just the bird using a dodge and burn adjustment layer. Perhaps the bird may now be too light compared to the surroundings...??? Lastly, I cropped a bit off the right side.....

I will delete immediately if you do not want this posted.
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It's true I'm at the mercy of whatever is happening with my subject as it relates to fore/background...and more times than not with these little guys the environment is "busy". I do see how simplicity of both fore/background make the star of the show (subject) pop. It appears that in #4 I can have both the simplicity and the props (tree/branches) and still bring the eye to the subject. Thanks for taking the time to "doctor" my shot. I was hoping for examples.
As for post processing s/w...not much. I'm very new to photography and have spent most of my learning time on camera and settings. I use Topaz DeNoise and the resident photo editing on my Macbook Pro. I haven't made the leap to a more robust PP software....feels a bit intimidating...along with so many, many options...a bit overwhelming. BUT....I will take the leap.

(BTW, they all look a little "soft" - but the originals are tack sharp.)
 
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For just starting out, you are doing amazingly well! I think cropping the right side just a bit really helped the image.

Take you time choosing a post processing program. I'm a PC gal, but I'm sure several folks here can advise about using the photo program on the Macbook Pro got now...... Most s/w companies offer either a 15 or 30 day trial period. So when you are ready for that step, you can try various ones and see which ones you like.
 
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Butlerkid said:
For just starting out, you are doing amazingly well! I think cropping the right side just a bit really helped the image.

Take you time choosing a post processing program. I'm a PC gal, but I'm sure several folks here can advise about using the photo program on the Macbook Pro got now...... Most s/w companies offer either a 15 or 30 day trial period. So when you are ready for that step, you can try various ones and see which ones you like.
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Hey Karen, thank you very much. I look forward to seeing more of your photos (just saw your site - IMPRESSIVE!) and learning more from you and all the other great photographers on this site!
 
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Just wanted to chime in. I much prefer these photos. I think photo 3 shows the searching of the first but in a cleaner way.

As for post processing it is both intimidating, overwhelming and a necessary monster. It is a vital part of the process and has taken years and years to refine for me. Yet I am still learning. I use Lightroom and Photoshop.

I have mentioned this in another thread. The background will make or break your photo. To me it is more important than the bird. Take your first photo and put it against that nice blurred green background in the 3rd and it is a completely different frame. It is hard enough shooting birds, but the background is where you will set yourself and your photo apart from the rest.
 
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Isaac Grant said:
Just wanted to chime in. I much prefer these photos. I think photo 3 shows the searching of the first but in a cleaner way.

As for post processing it is both intimidating, overwhelming and a necessary monster. It is a vital part of the process and has taken years and years to refine for me. Yet I am still learning. I use Lightroom and Photoshop.

I have mentioned this in another thread. The background will make or break your photo. To me it is more important than the bird. Take your first photo and put it against that nice blurred green background in the 3rd and it is a completely different frame. It is hard enough shooting birds, but the background is where you will set yourself and your photo apart from the rest.
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Hi Isaac, point taken. I see what you mean. I'm glad I offered some additional photos in order to drive that point home. Thanks again for taking the time to give me feedback. As for post processing software I've been leaning towards the Adobe products. Thanks for the info and the truth about its necessity and learning curve.
 
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I would have increased the f stop to maybe 6.3 and see if it was enough to get that first photo in full focus of the bird but they are very pleasing photos and I a warbler that I have never gotten a chance to shoot.
 
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SonoranDesert said:
I use Topaz DeNoise and the resident photo editing on my Macbook Pro. I haven't made the leap to a more robust PP software....feels a bit intimidating...along with so many, many options...a bit overwhelming. BUT....I will take the leap.
Click to expand...

You might want to try either or both Photoscape to edit photos, it's free and easy to use -- won't do everything, but it's pretty darn good. Here's a link to a tutorial for an older version -- https://akiwiretrospective.wordpress.com/photoscape-tutorial-3-fine-tuning-your-images/
 
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