Why does this shot suck ?

[chrisk]

there is something not quite right with this shot. i think its the colours or the WB ?? the bird colour itself is spot on in isolation but something is still not right. maybe the green background is throwing me off...too dark ?? the hues ?? is it giving an olive-y cast to the whole shot ?? i thought he looked bizarre in the frame here. looks like a half-man half bird the way he's posed.

i've tried different crops of the same shot and they all look crap. i mean this should be a good shot. but it's not. i want to go back and reshoot this guy but not until i figure out how to get the best out of the situation.

ideas would be appreciated.

[sirhc55]

Looks fine on my calibrated monitor

[W00DY]

I wouldn't say the shot sucks... I would be pretty pleased with it.

I am no bird photographer and don't even really like looking at them (but I don't hate them ) but I think it is the angle for me. Maybe if you were slightly to the right more with a more side on profile it might work a little better? Do you think?

To me the beck (sp?) lining up with the birds frame is a bit off putting.

But as I said I am no bird lover so what do I know

[Bugeyes]

A dark bird on a light background, light bird on a dark background? Maybe a different composition and angle?

[dawesy]

Honestly I think it's just the direction he is looking. If he was looking more to camera left so you only saw one side of his face I suspect you'd be more pleased. I certainly think it would be stronger. For mine there is not really a big technical issue here so it's just down to the pose of the bird. Only way to improve on that is to keep getting the technical bits right and shoot it repeatedly!

[wendellt]

i liketh etones and the green background all the tones they work in harmony

the issue is the compsoition for this bird i think a portrait dead centre composition would of presented the subject better

its an eagle they are tall full of confidence a portrait comp would of obviously suited it better

about the existing crop the subject is not centred theres a wasted space to the left that draws the eye
no contextual element in that space so its wasted space and i think this is what weakens the composition

[phillipb]

I think it's both the crop and the dark background, if I couldn't re-shoot, I would probably do this...

[chrisk]

thansk for all the advice. that helps alot. thanks for rubbing it in with those great shots bugeyes. lol
phillip thats already a big improvement. how did you do that ? is that using layers ? if so, how do you lighten just that one bit of it ?

[phillipb]

Yep, just layered, selected the background and used the levels adjustment slider to lighten it.

[Bugeyes]

Not trying to rub it in or show you up there Rooz, just trying give you a couple of ideas with composition, you really need to be on top of your game when shooting these critters, there just like kids... they don't take direction and are some what unpredictable. You also don't get much time to work with them unless you have a season pass, so if you go back there, try and have a few shots all ready taken in your minds eye before you get the camera out of its bag. I'm not a big fan of the square on portrait, but if you do try it, make sure you have sufficient DOF for the beak and eyes to be in focus.

Here are a couple more examples...






Regards,
Mike.

[hamster]

I'd like to say your shot "sucks" because it's taken in the wrong orientation. That was the first thing that jumped out at me

[bwhinnen]

I like the shot as is, but I think what may be annoying you and giving you the man-bird thing is the shadow under the beak. It takes away from the glorious curved beak of this raptor. To me the depth is lost on the shadow.

Just my thoughts. But I like it as it is personally...