Author Topic: Photos Birds of Prey workshop 7th of April 2019.  (Read 2466 times)


Hayo Baan

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Re: Photos Birds of Prey workshop 7th of April 2019.
« Reply #1 on: 09/04/2019, 21:38:34 »
Hi Bor,

Wow, that's quick 8)  Thank you for posting these nice pictures from the workshop :)
Super that you also included the full resolution version; that allowed me critically examine focus and other things.

Here's some feedback:

* Alaskan Bald Eagle (landing): Really love the pose. Pity about the background (though it's much less distracting than I would have thought) and I'd have preferred a little bit more room at the bottom. Post processing-wise, I'd probably tweak the white balance a bit (make it warmer) and also tweak the exposure (make it brighter overall).

* Alaskan Bald Eagle (portrait): Good portrait. This one looks a bit on the dark-side too. Actually this is something I notice with most of your images. This may actually be because your monitor is set too bright; most people's monitors are…

* Alaskan Bald Eagle (flight): You caught him well in flight!

* Burrowing Owl (portrait): Nice, have you tried cropping it (a lot)? The tree trunk is now quite dominant but not really interesting.

* Barn Owl: Good pose. Compositionally I'd crop the top (and a bit of the right side to keep it proportional), I think that will make it a much stronger image.

* Barn Own (flight): Very well caught! Good wing formation and a good background.

* Black-crowned Night Heron (flight): Again a good catch.

* Black-crowned Night Heron (water): Good portrait.

* Black-crowned Night Heron (branch): I like this one very much, together with the Barn Owl in flight this one is my favourite. I like the fact it shows the bird “belonging” in its natural habitat.

* Eurasian Eagle Owl: Hmm, I think this is your least shot. Compositionally it doesn't work for me (perhaps a bit more room on the left would help) but even then the pose feels a bit boring (to me). Post processing-wise, perhaps make it a bit warmer and almost certainly (?) add some vibrance to make the colours pop a bit more.

* Turkey Vulture: Not the easiest bird to catch in flight!

* Black-winged Kite: Good, sharp catch. Compositionally I think I would prefer it landscape though (with extra room on the right).

* Harris's Hawk (flight): I think this was the fastest bird we tried to photograph in flight so kudos to you you managed to pull it off!

* Harris's Hawk (portrait): OK, but…
* Harris's Hawk (portrait): …I like this one's pose much better. Just a pity about the background (the roofs, but especially the white tree trunk behind the bird). Sometimes you just can't have everything fall place at the same time (pose, background, light, etc.).

All in all I think you can be proud of these images and remember, what I wrote above is my personal opinion. Please feel free (nay, encouraged) to disagree; that means you've done things for a reason!

Thanks again for posting,
Hayo
Hayo Baan – Photography
www.hayobaan.nl

Borreltje

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Re: Photos Birds of Prey workshop 7th of April 2019.
« Reply #2 on: 09/04/2019, 22:00:04 »
Hayo, thanks for your reactions on my pictures.
I surely get most of the input you give, and the fact that all my pics turn out a bit too dark/under-exposed is my personal taste, I hate pics that are flat and over-exposed.
Take a look at my flickr page to see all my other pictures, they all look alike.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/borreltje

About the Burrowing Owl, I did that completely on purpose, I like the tree to fill the picture, the owl is a bonus in this one. I do have one portrait the way you like it to be:

https://www.borreltje.nl/files/topvogel/HolenUil1.jp

I also got another Eurasian Eagle Owl portrait, I like this one better but was just curious of your opinion of the other one.  :-)

https://www.borreltje.nl/files/topvogel/Oehoe5.jp


Thanks again for a wonderful day and for giving me your honest opinion, I will keep it all in mind.


Kind regards, Bor.

Hayo Baan

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Re: Photos Birds of Prey workshop 7th of April 2019.
« Reply #3 on: 10/04/2019, 06:21:12 »
Hi Bor,

Excellent! Good to hear you did the things you did on purpose ;D

For both new portraits (that are exceptionally well in focus by the way), I'd have liked it better if the owls either looked at you straight, or that they'd have something (even if it is just blank space) to look at or to.
Hayo Baan – Photography
www.hayobaan.nl