going batty

[LaurieE]

well - I have to be brave and post some pics sooner or later.

these were taken down by the yarra the other day at lunchtime.

I am surprised by just how many flying foxes there are in this area.

I learned a few things.

I need a longer lens to do this properly.

It is really hard to point a lens straight up and hold it steady - even with VR!

It doesn;t take much to make these guys take flight

any and all comments to help improve are very welcome.



photo removed to comply with 4 photo rule (sorry ) http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g244/ ... 502of5.jpg

[DebT]

I like the first three crisp,clear, exposed OK with nice eye contact , interesting shots showing plenty of detail
the other two contain too many OOF distractions..no matter how long our current lens we all want a longer one so join the club PS you may want to remove one to stick with the four shots per post rule
DebT

[gstark]

Hi Laurie,

Mostly, these are great, but (and this is easier said than done) marred ever so slightly because of the backgrounds' and foregrounds' intrusions into the images.

Look first at the third image. In this one you have managed to isolate the subject with just a bit of branch and then the plain blue sky as the background, and with no distracting elements. For extra credit, you have nailed the exposure and focus, to the point where we can see that this little critter is hanging on to the branch by just four of his five toes!

Great stuff, but now look at the other images, and try to see if any of them are a s pleasing to look at, if any of them are easy to look at ...

As I said, getting that clear viewpoint, and the subject, all in proper alignment ... easier said than done. And that's your challenge.

Your first one.

Now, let's remove your awb setting too, if you please. I'm going to climb out on one of those distracting branches and say that these were shot using awb on your camera. Look at the variance in the colours in the sky for starters: I'll bet that you had a glorious clear blue sky when these were shot, and that the sky did not display any of the colour variations that we're seeing in these images.

One of the major features of making images is that we need to relearn how we see things. On a clear bright sunny day, two things are fact: you may set a constant exposure (once an EV has been determined) and likewise, you can shoot using a constant, predetermined wb setting.

So, great work, and the really good news is that as good as these are, you know that you can do even better.

[LaurieE]

thanks guys - great comments.

guilty as charged - AWB was indeed used. Have not yet got into the habit of changing it to suit the conditions.

its funny when it is pointed out how distracting those branches and other elements are.

I tried to not get too many of the creatures in the same shot (at times there were up to 8 or 9 on the same branch!) and trying to focus on the subjects that the other stuff was just there and I did not "see it" at the time - thanks for pointing out.

also - one photo removed. sorry - missed that rule.

[gstark]

I tried to not get too many of the creatures in the same shot (at times there were up to 8 or 9 on the same branch!)

Good decision there. That would have made the shots very different. And probably not as good. Up to three would probably be doable, but again, you're working with compositional challenges that could make things really tough.

and trying to focus on the subjects that the other stuff was just there and I did not "see it" at the time - thanks for pointing out.

That's one of the hardest things to learn - to take a second or two before releasing the shutter, and scan your viewfinder to see what, exactly, you are going to be getting in your images.

When shooting people out of doors, for instance, is there a tree or a telegraph pole growing out of the top of their head? Is there a dog, or a drunkard, (or a drunk dog) running in the background of that romantic, seaside shot of your bride and groom? Litter on the ground? Or a trashcan just off to the side?

also - one photo removed. sorry - missed that rule.

Not a problem, but thank you.