Two birds

[0ozma]

What do you guys think? Is #1 ok despite the lack of sharpness? I actually meant to take a still shot of him and the little bugger jumped right towards me when I hit the button (slow shutter speed)

#1
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2733/4411066237_64bb1608f9_o.jpg

#2
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2741/4411067295_46340917f0_o.jpg

[Viva-photography]

not too crazy about the first one but the second one is absolutely beautiful.
the colors really pop! :D

[tonydee]

First one's not a keeper. Second one needed the entire tail in shot... the eye is taken downwards and to the edge of frame - red making it worse. It's also important to think about the background - getting a tiny bit lower would have avoided the concrete (?) strip along the bottom. You haven't included EXIF data so can't tell what you've actually used, but generally 200mm f/4 is probably your best bet for such situations, giving you reach and a chance to blur the background beyond recognition. It is good that the DOF encompasses the bird well.

Cheers,
Tony

[mattaura]

I like #2 a lot. I would just focus on bringing out a bit of detail on the bird while trying to minimize any distractions...kinda like below. The diagonals in the background don't particularly bother me. Nice exposure, really sharp...well done.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/mat987/OTHERS%20EDITS%20-%20NOT%20MY%20PHOTOS/parrot.jpg

[0ozma]

thanks =)

[JimMcrae]

I prefer the first. #2 is technically a very nice shot, but the type of bird that sits perfectly still, often seen in zoos & aviaries, so you can sit and shoot it all day on a tripod. If shot in the wild though, that's a different story.

#1 I don't recognise the species - we don't get those over here - but small birds like this are much more difficult to shoot because of their tendancy to stay 'on the move' to avoid being nabbed by bigger predators. I notice it's got rings on it's legs, but even if it's a captive bird, I find it much more interesting than the parrot. If it's a wild bird, I'd say it's a very good catch!

I know the photography purists won't agree with me here, but from a nature photographer's point of view, I think #1 is a much more interesting.

[jetcode]

I like #1 but want the subject to fill the frame which means crop. I like the motion. I like #2 though I wish the subject was higher in the frame and I saw the whole tail.

[0ozma]

It's tail could have been another bird or two on it's own, the thing was massive. Didn't want to sacrifice zoom distance to get it all :(

Both of those were taken at the same spot - a zoo. One over here has a butterfly/bird walk-through with 25-30 different species of birds. Not sure what kind #1 is either, but they can freely fly around.