Action comp entries

I am entering a couple of photos in a local show and the theme is 'Action'. A broad theme

Here is a selection of choices
(excuse the watermark - I was potentially selling these shots as I was shooting an event)

Which do you think is best to enter? (max 2 allowed to enter)

#1

IMAGE LINK: http://www.stonemeadow​.com.au/personal/e699c​ce62

IMAGE LINK: http://www.stonemeadow​.com.au/personal/e69ff​b693

IMAGE LINK: http://www.stonemeadow​.com.au/personal/e6b07​b25a

IMAGE LINK: http://www.stonemeadow​.com.au/p669993123/e64​25398e

Lovely captures. I'm assuming the 4th one is a composite?

All are technically well done...the first three would hold no interest unless the riders were me or mine.
The forth one...you should follow the "rule of odds" by using only three egrets in the series.

I prefer the last shot...

Hmmm. I'm thinking drop the last egret. Do you agree?

1 - stop down, back off
2 - stop down, back off, recompose
3 - no context at all, doesn't work for me
4 - nice effects, how do you do that, I think three & tighter crop, or five would be worth a try, blurry BG is distracting, f/11?

just opinions

Maybe the one before, since the last egret it is reached being in flight and so completes the process of taking off. Just my thought.

I like #s 1 & 4. #1 because of the great expression, & #4 because I think the judges will like it.

#1, and #4

For the last one, my thought is the second from the left. I feel the rest give the most complete transition from takeoff to flight

I've got a fair number of those BIF series...they do require a lot of patience in the capture process.
Next time try to find clear water without the vegetation...makes for cleaner reflections.
You have some blown areas in the birds...select the birds and lower their RGB numbers down to 245.
Drop the one the right and crop.

Yes, but then maybe there's no egret over the clear water. Or maybe he should've gone in there and yanked out all the vegetation.. come on.

You sound like you're one of those "good enough" shooters.

#4 for me. Unusual, creative. 4 birds works just fine. I might be tempted to crop some of the top to make it more of a letterbox. If I was judging, it would score quite high. The others are OK but its nice to see something different.

the iso but specifically and quality of the colours in #1 makes it a no in my book

#2, similar iso, but the colours are much better - the center crop isn't great but it is centered between the two light towers so the symmetry is good

#3 I think, if there is anyway to pull some detail from the clouds it would improve the image - i would re-crop it to create more of an motion look to the photo if possible

#4 - I would lose the 4th bird - it is the odd man out - the 'action' is better in the 1st 3 - i would clean up the vignette i think it would be cleaner - i think from a crop perspective i might try and even more panoramic crop (1/2 inch off the bottom and top)

atsilverstein wrote in post #17899008
Yes, but then maybe there's no egret over the clear water. Or maybe he should've gone in there and yanked out all the vegetation.. come on.

That's what I woulda thought too...I understand being patient, but I'd think you're ultimately at the mercy of where the bird is and chooses to go.

chauncey wrote in post #17899030
You sound like you're one of those "good enough" shooters.

Guess I'm in that boat too. Probably why I don't shoot Birds In Flight.