Snowy Egret

[OviV]

http://www.shareapicture.com/vsalbum/getpic.aspx?fld=\OviV\Photography\2004-02-21%20Everglades&pic=123_2319_800x600.jpg&W=640&H=4 80&OV=0

I know it is not the sharpest picture. Mostly due to the fact that I shot it hand held. I did not want to run back to the car for the tripod.

Shot with:
DRebel and 75-300 EF III Non-IS
A 7.1
S 1/60
ISO 200

All comments welcome.

Ovi

[msol]

Great shot. Personally I would have changed the composition by getting the heron (correct?) out of the center, towards the lower right corner. You know the rule of thirds...
This would also have added what the bird is looking at. I believe it is a kind of rule of thumb in photography to keep space in the direction of the action or view.
On the other hand, lowering the position of the bird would remove part of the reflection. Hmmm... difficult.

[CyberDyneSystems]

This is a great photo,. I like all the elements in it...

..but I too am unsatified with the composition... but there is no easy crop fix without sacrificing some of the nice elements,. I wouldn't WANT to crop any tighter than the full width of the roots where they meet the waterline,... definately we can't losse the reflection...

I think it may be worth a crop though,. with the image as taken we need to ignore the rule of thirds,.

Here's something you might try;...

Crop right down to almost the top of the Egret's head, just a littel taller than the bottom crop is to the reflection... (leave the bottom alone)

But for this dead center to work I think we DO need to loose part of the roots.. crop so the bird is essentially dead center,. use the REFLECTION of the tree trunks at the bottom edge as the guide to the width...

See what that does for it.. :?:

[OviV]

CDS,

Is this what you meant? Not sure if I undertood you correctly.

http://www.shareapicture.com/vsalbum/getpic.aspx?fld=\OviV\Photography\2004-02-21%20Everglades&pic=123_2319_Crop.jpg&OV=0

[CyberDyneSystems]

Thats what I was thinking... exactly.. what do you think?

Sometimes we have to put the subject dead center,. and it works,. but usually when you do that ,. the best treatment is to fill as much of the frame as you can with the subject,. in this case the subject is both the bird and the reflection,. ....

there are now details that I never saw before that add interest to me,. the stance of the legs,. looking almost hyrglyphic..etc..

But we have absolutely demolished the "rule of thirds" .... hmmm..
But was it succesfull?
Let's see what others think of this crop,. I'm curious. :)

[OviV]

Being a programmer and having given in to the evils of conformity and logic, it is not always easy for me to bend the rules when I know what they are. I am embarrassed to admit that I knew little of the rule of thirds until this post motivated me to research further. I am truly a rookie with passion for photography and nature but very limited knowledge. Having said all that, I truly like the version you inspired but like you said, lets see what others think.

Ovi

[Dawg]

Crop down the right side of the tree and crop through the reflection leaving about 1/3 of the reflection. Then resize. Please.

The reflection is not needed.

Dawg :)

[OviV]

O.K. Here are all the versions:

Original
http://www.shareapicture.com/vsalbum/getpic.aspx?fld=\OviV\Photography\2004-02-21%20Everglades&pic=123_2319_800x600.jpg&W=640&H=4 80&OV=0

Crop #1
http://www.shareapicture.com/vsalbum/getpic.aspx?fld=\OviV\Photography\2004-02-21%20Everglades&pic=123_2319_Crop.jpg&W=640&H=480& OV=0

Crop #2
http://www.shareapicture.com/vsalbum/getpic.aspx?fld=\OviV\Photography\2004-02-21%20Everglades&pic=123_2319_Crop2.jpg&W=640&H=480 &OV=0

Crop #3
http://www.shareapicture.com/vsalbum/getpic.aspx?fld=\OviV\Photography\2004-02-21%20Everglades&pic=123_2319_Crop3.jpg&W=640&H=480 &OV=0

Thanks for your input,
Ovi

[CyberDyneSystems]

Well,. I guess Dawg didn't like our experiment! lol :)

I like your last crop,. to me it's either all the reflection or none,. just as you cropped it in the last selection.. that is a good solution indeed.

Personally I liked the "centered" image with the whole reflection... :wink:


You last crop is certainly more conventionla and perhaps the best of the bunch.

[Dawg]

No I didn't like the experiment, I felt the picture was 50% bird and 50% water, just didn't like the composition. In my attemp to satisfy the theroy of thirds I suggested the #2 picture. This did move the bird to the right and down. However the #3 picture is the best.

Thanks for posting all three shots and keep up the good work, as soon as I get up to speed I will subject my photos to this board. This is a great learning place and I thank the owner of this board and it's members.

Dawg :)

[msol]

Yep, too bad for the reflection, but also I like #3 the best. There must be some truth in this rule of thirds. Being a mathematician myself, of course I like such rules to guide arts. :D

Another "rule" as I suggested in my earlier post is to leave space in the direction of the action or view. #2 and #3 achieve this since now suddenly the major part of the picture is in the birds view-field. Do you agree that this improves the picture? I've read about this rule in some book, and try to use it whenever applicable, but would like to hear your thoughts on it.

[OviV]

I do agree and I like the way #3 looks. This place is great.

Thanks for all the input.

[OviV]

O.K Guys, one last version. I did a blended exposure in PS to keep the Egret from being so washed out. What do you think?

http://www.shareapicture.com/vsalbum/getpic.aspx?fld=\OviV\Photography\2004-02-21%20Everglades&pic=123_2319_800x600.jpg&OV=0

[Dawg]

I'am afraid we're starting to lose to much color.

Dawg :)