# Does this photo work?



## sanj (Feb 17, 2015)

Am confused if this looks ok or not. Please critique. Appreciate. Is the chroma boost hurting?


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## privatebydesign (Feb 17, 2015)

I like it, and the colours.

I would clone out the leaves over the foot and darken both the rock and the greenery to the frame left down, they are bright enough to detract from the composition.


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## privatebydesign (Feb 17, 2015)

What do you think of this quick rework? I am happy to take it down if you object.


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## privatebydesign (Feb 17, 2015)

I decided to try without the rock and leaves bottom left.


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## privatebydesign (Feb 17, 2015)

Sorry, I am working late!
Version 3

P.S. I don't mean to offend by manipulating your file, it is just easier to do it and show you my thoughts rather than write it all out.


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## sanj (Feb 17, 2015)

Thank you PBD. Your suggestions are great! Thanks… 

Why take them down? This is what I posted it here for.


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## Maximilian (Feb 17, 2015)

Hi sanj! 

I second almost all that privatebydesign said and! 

with this blurry motion effect of the heron the oof leaves at the stone are distracting.
I think it would have worked - even with the bright stone - , if the leaves weren't there. 
I like the colors because they support the motion blur. 

Maybe just a little bit too much chroma boost. That's my only different suggestion.
But as this is a more artistic photo, I'll say it's just about taste.

When I see the croped pictures done by privatebydesign I think they work very well. 
But after I've seen that prominent bright stone as the herons airbase in the original i somehow miss it.

But I think you two have already found a solution that is working well.


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## sanj (Feb 18, 2015)

Thank you Maximillan…


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## privatebydesign (Feb 18, 2015)

sanj said:


> Thank you PBD. Your suggestions are great! Thanks…
> 
> Why take them down? This is what I posted it here for.



Thanks Sanj,

I had done a similar thing in another thread and the poster got annoyed about it, I didn't understand why after posting for opinions but there you go, I just stepped more gentky this time 

Glad you found my thoughts interesting, I can so see this as a double spread with writing on the right side.


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## RGF (Feb 27, 2015)

The revised work is better. If you can, getting a better eye (perhaps paint it in) would help.


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## Orangutan (Feb 27, 2015)

sanj,

The photo almost works for me. I don't have time to try right now, but I'd see if adding just a bit more blur would help. That would make it less realistic and more impressionistic, which (I think) might work well for the color boost.

Just musings, not criticism.


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## Jack Douglas (Feb 27, 2015)

This is most interesting and informative. For my taste I think I'd like a little more blur and I do prefer some inclusion of the launch pad even though I agree it can be somewhat distracting. For me the educational value of this thread is enhanced by folk making their changes to the photo - seems I can only really appreciate a change when I see it as opposed to hear it. 

Jack


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## Jack Douglas (Feb 28, 2015)

After further reflection for my personal taste I'd go with the original composition with the launch pad included and not chopped but perhaps toned down. It positions the bird more favorably in the frame.

Is this strictly motion blur due to a low shutter speed, with the bird perfectly in focus?

Jack


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## RLPhoto (Feb 28, 2015)

I prefer the original composition with the launch pad. It brings my eye back into the frame after looking at the blurry bird and then back to the launch pad. Without it, it doesn't do anything for me.


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## Khufu (Feb 28, 2015)

Ooh, lots of loveliness in this thread, Sanj & PBD! 
Private's given you an alternative composition, which is great, but I do feel it's an alternative product; either is a great composition but not of the same outcome - so it's a judgment call as to what's wanted - but as mentioned above I also appreciate the education of another's ideas in action, so thanks for sharing, PBD!

I love what you've captured, Sanj, but for me there's one thing that's not been mentioned so far that's compositionally a b****** consequence simply of how the scenario played out... and it's the "spilling out of the frame" of the blue blurring. This could maybe be muted somehow towards the edge (this kind of thing isn't my usual territory) but I reeeally do feel that if the wing/blurring were contained and captured entirely within the frame, well, the world would be a better place, perhaps?! 
It just has a bit of a "ooh, just missed it!"/clipped-image vibe to me - anyone else's thoughts on that?

Otherwise, regarding the original composition thing, I do like that the original seems to be an image of a location, and it's being vacated, whereas PBD's composition is more about the bird - though both great


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## Ripley (Mar 4, 2015)

RLPhoto said:


> I prefer the original composition with the launch pad. It brings my eye back into the frame after looking at the blurry bird and then back to the launch pad. Without it, it doesn't do anything for me.



+1

The bird is blurry, out of focus, and therefore doesn't work well as the subject. The launch pad might be subtle, but it's the star of the show.


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## privatebydesign (Mar 4, 2015)

Ripley said:


> RLPhoto said:
> 
> 
> > I prefer the original composition with the launch pad. It brings my eye back into the frame after looking at the blurry bird and then back to the launch pad. Without it, it doesn't do anything for me.
> ...



Only if you look at it in the literal. Start to look at it in the abstract and the rock kills it. Defocus your eyes and they get pulled to the 'launch pad', take it out and you drown in the colours, your mind is free to swim in the abstract that is the blur and motion. 

Take a look at some of Franz Lanting's work, for many years he was a preeminent wildlife shooter and I have a signed ltd edition of his book Eye To Eye http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/photography/all/01008/facts.frans_lanting_eye_to_eye.htm (and yes it also comes with a signed Cibachrome!) he explored this kind of wildlife abstract many years ago.


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