Hummingbird

[OldClicker]

Any help on improving this shot? I'm having trouble with the empty space bottom left and the blotchy background (which is worse when downsized).



Terry

[arne saknussen]

First of all, this is a remarkable shot. I am glad you posted this, I remember your posts from a year or two ago, documenting your experience of shooting the hummingbirds...good stuff.

I will make a suggestion based on your concern.

I think the stems and leaves of the flower are too much in focus in comparison to the wings. Which only means that they take a focus from the main subject. So, simply crop the leaves and stems, leave the yellow flower and get rid of the lower left BG that bothers you.
Please note that I think the wings should be out of focus.

[Frog]

I like the background...a lot actually.
If you don't like the empty space bottom left, can you clone in some more of the stem/leaves?

[AgingEyes]

Any help on improving this shot? I'm having trouble with the empty space bottom left and the blotchy background (which is worse when downsized).

The biggest problem that presumably nobody can help you is: the wing position of the hummingbird. As far as I know, the wings are not in the best position. The flowers look sharp and so are the bird's eyes and body. I suppose they on the focal plane and so that's the expected result. Many bird photogs would not mind all the empty space at all. If you really want to do something about it, there's always Photoshop :-) .As for the blotchy background, well, if you want to, you can work some Photoshop magic on it such as replacing it with one that you like, using the brush to paint the back-ground, or just blur it (or some part of the background). :-) I personally find it quite difficult to fix the entire background. As is, of the size presented, it doesn't bother me much. I quite like the overall green tone of the image.

[llewpics]

First off, you are very good at these types of shots, and this one is no exception. The background is fine ...if it was in the competition, I would not "knock you down" for that at all. The slightly blurred winds do not but me either ...I think totally frozen motion makes no sense either. If anything, I would crop this differently. I think it helps with some of the perceptual issues you had originally.

I was using the "triangle" compositional rule (can see it in Lightroom or Photoshop CS6 when cropping) and I flipped the image, because to me - looking from left to right, the bird and then the flower makes more sense.

[Frog]

I think llewpics has got it figured...cool edit

[OldClicker]

Thanks all.

I picked this image because it was different and yet had good, clear shot of the eye. It is a composite, so I can work with it. I also think llewpics has nailed it. Every time someone mentions flipping the image and checking it out, I think that I will always do that from then on....and then forget.

Terry

[Anbesol]

was this from your 200 f/2.8? Excellent shot, I think I'd like to see the shape a little less perpendicular to the framing. Thats the only nitpick I can muster up.

[AgingEyes]

It is a composite,.

Well, it would be great if you had mentioned that in the first place.

[OldClicker]

Well, it would be great if you had mentioned that in the first place.

Sorry, I didn't know it mattered. - Terry

[armando_m]

nothing reaaly to add, a great image, the background looks good to me and the edit by llewpics looks great