Ibis in a group

[ginger_55]

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/39938763-L.jpg


I let this photo go dark in RAW. When I did that, it seemed to have an old fashioned quality to it, so I played to that. My goal was to have this photo look like a painting that my grandmother might have had in her house. I lowered the saturation a bit, rather than raising it as I usually do.

I liked the way there were little buds or something on the top of the grass which was one reason for picking this out of about 5 photos of the Ibis.

I decided to use a matching dark frame to accentuate the "dark" feeling in
the photo.

I am happy with it, but comments are welcome, and this time I knew what I was going for in the post, something specific.

In taking the picture, I was trying to get a flock of Ibis flying. HAHA, that did not work out.

ginger

[rahmonster]

I love it Ginger. It has a very different feeling to it than man other birds shots-and thats what I love about your shots, you are always trying new and different approaches to things. I see that oil painting sort of quality in this too. Nice job:thumb

[gus]

Thats great G..looks like that 400 is well suited to you. Do you find it a big improvement ?

I think mine is back today...got a note in the mail for a collection at a freight depot & im not expecting anything else. Problem is that they will be closed over the week-end & its late friday now.

I wont see it till monday.

[ginger_55]

Thanks, Gus, Rahmonster. Yes, I love that lens. Funny, people remark on my equipment, but I only have three lenses all total. the 17-40L, the 70-200L f4, and the 400 f5.6 that we both love so much. Seems all I need in many ways. I would like a macro, and I seem to think I do need a more normal type lens.

These are the three I have, though, and for now I am very happy with them.

I looked at my photo this AM. Remember so much of yesterday was spent, on one thread, talking about talking about rules. I was looking at my "rules" in my photo, I would like to share some.

There are 4 birds, but they are placed, naturally, I did not set up a bird still life, but they are happily in a group of three and a single bird. The odd number, especailly three is a happy number, often. The birds, three and one, they are each off center, kind of in the bottom third,left side, with the single bird, in the bottom 1/3 spot, on the rt, with the three birds.

The grasses frame the birds in a way. The photo is cropped a tiny bit to make the bird's position a bit more pleasing to my eye. In doing that, there is a grass thing on my left that I wanted to keep in the photo for a frame. The birds are subtly framed by the grasses on the sides, the seeds and grasses on the top.

There is room on either side for the birds to breathe. Their is no perceptible feeling of motion, so I did not feel a need to leave room for the birds to move into a space in their fwd position.

Also, the most fwd bird, that is the single bird, it is the "lesser" bird element, another reason it did not need room to move fwd.

The exact positioning is eyeballed until I reach a moment of unhappiness with any further movement or a change in position even a fraction of an inch.

I used to do it completely by feel, the whole composition, until I became self conscious a bit here. Now I look at the rules, sometimes I get into a muddle in my head and there is no clicking of "that is it", but here there was.

I am sure there is something about the colors in the rules, right now I have no idea what that is/would be.

ginger (I am glad that people did stop and comment while I took a sleep break. The light is beautiful right now, but I just woke up, feel guilty for not being somewhere: don't know where I should be. I do know where I would like to be, it is the furthest place: maybe tomorrow.) I wanted to share "the rules".

There may be a fourth bird in that group of three, but there are only three heads, the three birds are most obvious. They are the major design element, balanced by the one.......a touchy thing there.

[Ric Grupe]

http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/39938763-L.jpg

gingerVery nice Ginger! :thumb

I hope you don't mind but here is another look thru my eyes.

http://rickay.smugmug.com/photos/39954611-L.jpg

Frame colors from your photo and local contrast enhancement. ???

[Harryb]

I like this shot Ginger. I think its one of your best bird shots. The colors work well, the exposure is on the mark and I like the composition. :clap

[bfjr]

Looks like a Home Run to me Ginger
the lighting as well is spot on
Well done :thumb

[ginger_55]

Thanks, Ric, Ben and Harry. I am too tired to say much except that I really appreciate your taking the time to stop and comment.

It was nice to come home to find nice comments on that photo. I like it, too.
and the irony is that the Ibis is my least favorite of the white birds. I try very hard to avoid them.

I do like that photo, I am glad you all do, too.

I went to a nature preserve, whatever, today, shot. No really great shots or anything. But I did see a couple of deer. I have a few pixels of each deer on about 100 photographs. I have already deleted some of them.

I am too tired to do this tonight.

Thanks again,

ginger

[jwear]

looks like you did just what you said, very nice all around good shot :thumb