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Calling it a day.
Calling it a day.
glad2badad


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Birds II (Advanced Editing VII)
Collection: 2008
Camera: Sony DSLR-A700
Lens: Sigma 50-500mm f/4.0-6.3 EX DG HSM for Minolta
Location: Virginia
Date: Jan 22, 2008
Aperture: F6.7
ISO: 400
Shutter: 1/500
Galleries: Animals
Date Uploaded: Jan 25, 2008

 SilkyPix
- exp +.5
- film color v2
- convert to tiff

PSP X2
- histogram (7,1,190)
- HMS (0,100,-25)
- crop
- resize
- HPS (15,20,overlay)
- new canvas
- create drop shadow for image bg layer
- merge all
- save as JPG

What an outing! Filled up a 4GB card shooting so much. :) I actually started laughing out loud at one point it was so crazy. There were birds everywhere! Flocks of birds were flying overhead, landing in trees, near, far, didn't matter...

Originally I stopped at this location to check out a subject for the free study. Then I noticed a hawk in the distance circling around so I figured I might try and get close enough for a shot or two. Did get a few shots of the hawk on the hunt, but they were still quite distant (200-300 feet away). Almost used a crop of one for the challenge but chickened out in the end. Wasn't quite right.

About ready to call it a day and started back to the truck when the flocks of birds came rolling in. :-)

Wanted to use this shot at full 720x720 but couldn't get anywhere close to the 200kb limit. Even this as submitted was saved at compression 12...too many details with all of the branches I guess. :-/ So, taking a chance on the drop shadow and wide border. Should generate a few comments if nothing else! :-D

Statistics
Place: 49 out of 251
Avg (all users): 6.3033
Avg (commenters): 7.6071
Avg (participants): 6.1765
Avg (non-participants): 6.4220
Views since voting: 1167
Views during voting: 365
Votes: 211
Comments: 31
Favorites: 3 (view)

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AuthorThread
 02/06/2008 10:36:42 AM
Originally posted by Eyesup:
my eye's don't know where to look so they look everywhere.


I love that feeling.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/04/2008 08:01:39 AM
So here it is, my critique. Starting with the good; The colours are just great you shot this at a perfect time of day. you've processed this very well, with shots like this there is the tempatation to overprocess to make the colours stand out even more you've avoinded this and that's great.

A couple things I don't care for much. 1) that border. either a simpler border or none at all would do. the problem with doing too much of a border is it detracts from the photo it self which you never want to do. 2) the branches, to me atleast, make the photo feel very busy. my eye's don't know where to look so they look everywhere. maaybe zooming in on a smaller area or (if you have the lens for it) just one bird.

I didn't vote in this challenge, but I would have given it a 7

good job.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/04/2008 04:05:42 AM
Thanks so much for all of the wonderful comments on this. Truly appreciated, as are the 3 favorites too!!! :-)
 Comments Made During the Challenge
02/03/2008 06:27:49 PM
beautiful. painterly.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/03/2008 12:57:32 PM
Very pretty, I like how the composition is punctuated all over by these bird shadows.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/03/2008 09:27:08 AM
just like it 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/03/2008 07:03:30 AM
This is a super capture, and certainly up there in my own personal top 10. The soft sunset palette is very attractive.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/02/2008 06:50:34 AM
I like this one a lot; the birds stand out well against the background. A common subject, difficult to shoot. Nice job. 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/01/2008 07:16:48 PM
Thank you for sharing this beautiful shot:)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/01/2008 01:23:07 PM
7 - Very nice. Wish it was 720.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/01/2008 10:32:12 AM
Love the colours of the sky and the silhouettes. Your frame is overpowering and unnecessary, though.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/01/2008 10:31:50 AM
What a lovely composition, very warm and inviting- a very beautiful picture, spoilt by the big white border IMO
Not sure how to rate 8 without border and 6 with....7
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/01/2008 07:43:00 AM
You have a very good photo here but the border is annoying.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/31/2008 10:59:40 AM
The frame is so overdone, I wonder if it's to disguise a lack of sharpness in the image. However, the image is good and it will end up with at least a 6 from me.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/30/2008 05:11:59 PM
Splendid!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/30/2008 12:59:00 PM
very soft focus. But nice colors and contrast.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/30/2008 09:19:18 AM
That border is horrible. Totally kills the shot for me. I'll give it a 6, but without the border and a full 720x720 pic, this could have gotten up to a 10 from me. The concept and colors are fantastic.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/30/2008 07:54:25 AM
this image is unique in composition and colors. It deserves a place between the first 10.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/30/2008 05:14:48 AM
I love this natural batik, it's exceptional. 9. (Not in love with the framing though).
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/30/2008 01:50:18 AM
I quite like this! The diagonals of the limbs supplemented with the horizontal bands of color work very well here - an excellent composition. I like what you've done with the border as well - hopefully you'll put in your comments how you did it - showcases the shot very well!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/29/2008 04:35:45 PM
This would make a good talking point if hung...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/29/2008 03:54:06 AM
This is a really nice picture - love the lighting and atmosphere. However, the frame really detracts from the picgture. It doesn't seem to belong to this picture at all.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/29/2008 01:20:10 AM
beautiful, love the colours, ribon forsure
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/28/2008 05:14:54 PM
i like the photo quite a lot. the colours of the sky and the silhouettes of the birds is very interesting to look at. my only complaint is that frame. i don't think it suits it at all.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/28/2008 02:29:18 PM
I love the photo but to be honest the drop shadow needs to go. It's very cheesy looking, the kind that says, "Hi I'm an editing newbie". No offense just telling you how that comes across although I'm sure others new to it may like it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/28/2008 12:12:40 PM
There are quite a few images going for the "birds in landscape" angle, but this one stands out for the artistic colours in the background that complement the silhouettes. 9.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/28/2008 11:24:30 AM
Beautiful understated framing for a nicely colorful capture. 7
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/28/2008 10:13:24 AM
amazing capture, one of the best with multiple birds 9 because the border is killing me
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/28/2008 04:30:27 AM
A bit busy. The color makes it work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/27/2008 09:56:55 PM
very nice composition of birds in front a beautiful sunset. Nice idea. But th frame is a tad overdone, IMO
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/27/2008 09:47:13 PM
this is beautiful. I'm going to pretend I didn't see the border. 7
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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