Canada Goose and Pink Sunset

[mpreslar]

Just a quick post in the midst of a busy weekend!

[gahspidy]

Very nice, Marty. i think though I would prefer not to see the houses and cars in the foreground. Maybe cropping them so only the tops of the trees at the bottom and a bit off the right side to keep your aspect ratio. Still, very nice as it is.

[Loupey]

Great detail in the goose and clouds. On my screen, the bird looks almost like an illustration. I'd go farther to suggest cropping out all evidence of the ground (trees and houses). Let the viewer imagine how high this bird is really flying or how you shot the scene.

Cropped tighter, I can imagine this as one of those motivational business posters. Good job!

[LeeIs]

I love the bird's pose. The wings are perfectly extended, the peak is pointed slight up and is pointing forward. Just perfect. The clouds in the BG are also nice and fluffy and they break up before interfering with your bird. You've got a winner here. I agree with cropping the bottom out, I'm with Loupey here and get rid of all the bottom.

Good work Marty!

[julsoph]

I like this a lot. I agree with the others about cropping...but I'm undecided whether I would like it with a bit of the trees or just sky. Either way seems like it would work for me.

Emily

[swmdrayfan]

I like the cropping idea......cut it off just above the trees and you make a great shot even better.
John

[payn817]

I kind of like it with the FG, perhaps you could somehow remove the houses/cars. In the darker areas, yoiu could airbrush it out. The rest may be able to be cloned?

[picturetaker1239]

i think its a nice foto. the colours are impeccable. the only trouble i'm having with the picture is the bird. its a good placment, but to me it looks photoshopped in. maybe it's my moniter. its something with the shadows underneath the wings that make the bird animated. its still a very nice shot though looks like a postcard.

[CLKunst]

Great catch! Glad you managed to squeezed this into your weekend. I too wish the houses were not there, but oh well, folks got to live somewhere right? You get what you get and I think this is just great shot! It could also be viewed as a comment on the overlap of wildlife and suburbia. In my area there are communities that actually hire people to scare the geese away so they won't lay and return because, get this, they poop too much! Some folks have too much leisure time . . . and that probably includes me. Anyway, nice shot Marty, I love it!

[Hippo]

Awesome shot, the sky and the bird here are perfect. You captured the birds wingspan at just the right moment. I would suggest cropping the image above the houses but still keep the tree line (as many others have said). Your exposure, contrast, and framing are dead on here.

[mpreslar]

Thanks for all the suggestions and comments folks! I have a bit of a confession - picturetaker1239 is right, the goose is photoshoped in! I put it up without stating it because I know this is a place I can get honest comments about the work. I thought it was a pretty smooth job of dropping in the bird. I figured if you folks thought it looked fake you'd let me know. I am posting 2 crops (with and without trees) and the original bird, which was taken at a local "lake" (resevoir, more likely - certainly not a natural lake!) that is in a park in Champaign. The shot was on a bright overcast day and I upped the exposure to wash out the sky and get the bird exposed correctly.

Thanks again for the suggestions!

As for our busy weekend, my son played goal in his first hockey tournament this weekend. He had played individual games, but never a full tourney. His team (our local "House League" team) won 2 of 4 games and came in third place! The two teams they lost to are both real "Travel" teams that have been practicing on full ice as a team since last October. Our kids were tossed together last month and played one practice game to get ready for the tourney! The real good news is that my boy played great! Even in the games they lost, he had tons of saves (28 in one and 22 in the other!) He wants to play travel next year and I can't wait to see him play with players that know how to play D in front of him! He also came in second (by one save) in the goaltending skills competition on Saturday night! I got lots of pictures of him! I expect I'll post some here to either share or get critiques! (We're talkin' about 2 gigs worth of JPEGs! I have LOTS of post processing to do!

Sorry to ramble... I'll attach some photos now!

[gahspidy]

I like both cropped versions, so whichever you choose would be fine. As for the Photoshopping of the bird, I have no problem with it, and, although it may have a slightly animated or surreal look about it, I find it to be part of the pleasurable aspect of the image. So, for me , it works. Good job, with the technicals of it.
Although your weekend was very busy, it most certainly sounds to have been very rewarding, and exciting. I can appreciate your delight in your sons noted potentials and look forward to seeing a few of the 2gigs of images

[Alison]

Wow! To all of them. I love that pink in the clouds. And the houses don't really bother me. I feel they add to the dof.

Having said that I really love the crops you have done.

It looks like you have taken a photograph out of an aeroplane window in the first crop. That has to be my favourite.

[readingr]

Marty,

Don't know why I missed these - Oh yes - its work getting in the way again!

The top 2 crops are terrific - and your editing skills must be excellent. I'm just learning this side of Digital photography.

Very nice

Roger

[jar_e]

I'd be reptitive with everybody else if I said my comments, but that is an amazing, crisp Canadian Goose. Very impressive, definately a wall hanger!

[mpreslar]

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate all of your suggestions and comments.

[GB1]

The crops are nice. The bird is a classic, could be on a stamp or used as a logo.Too bad there isn't a nice wetland below him/her. But that's what digital programs are for!

GB

[mpreslar]

Thanks GB, when I get a chance to shoot some nice wetland I'll be sure to drop the goose in!