Have been trying to figure out how to use flash outdoors for birding. This is best I got this morning before the little one woke up and started crying. Parrot was in complete shadow.
PS: this is same photo but different crop. Which one do you prefer? I like the vertical one..
Hey Alex, I have been practising the same stuff. Funny you should ask about the crop as I asked someone the same thing on one of mine the other day, sometimes it is hard to see it for yourself. I think I prefer the horizontal one but you could crop it a bit closer if you wanted to
Hope you don't mind but I did this to show you what I mean....
and also as a general comment.... I am not suggesting that everyone who thinks they can should repost other people's pics, rather ... as you asked, I thought you may not mind. it is a very subjective thing how you crop a shot anyway :')
I always like to see a bit of context around the bird especially when they are as colourful as these beautiful bottle brushes
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Abeleski's image!!!
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Nice photo. I prefer the second one. I think the portrait orientation suits it more and also I like the closer crop because it focuses on the bird, the plant is not as necessary to the interest of the photo - IMO.
Jeanne
Brisbane QLD
Sorry Alex I forgot to say what a nice shot it was too! and if you want me to delete the repost I am happy to do it. Hopefully in the new forum we will have PMs that will make it easier to interact without everything being public.
Also did you end up getting a new flash ? I can't remember if you went ahead with it or not.
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Great quality shot. I like the vertical crop.
Cheers, Owen.
Thanks for the commenst everyone.
Birdie, I have no problem with what you did. Absolutely dont mind at all , actually appreciate you showing me what you thought would work better for you. I was with same thought as you, trying to frame the bird with the natural surroundings which is nice with the bottlebrush. The vertical crop is what I prefer though as jaytee said it puts more focus on the bird and I still managed to get some of the pretty flowers in the shot.
And yes I did buy a flash. Its what I been playing with mostly indoors unfortrunately after work as I haven't had much free time lately. This shot however was taken with the built-in flash. My wife apparently, hehe, i am embarassed to say, had used the batteries for the breast pump. LOL. *sigh*. Ahh my life has changed a bit lately. Even my off the limits camera gear is not safe anymore.
I was born to live and I live to die.
LOl that is funny ALex..... yes and life will never be the same again..but you do get it back a bit as they get out of that early stage .....then you become a soccer or a netball Dad and move into the next stage.... I think you get it back again about 14 when they don't want to know you for a while... but at that stage the alcohol is going to take over as the only way you can make it through the week :')
I like both crops actually I have decided, but I have the same trouble deciding whether to make it all bird or not. I try to do it in camera so I don't have a choice later much of the time LOL
Sunshine Coast Queensland
I think it is tough to get the exposure right on a bird with so many differen colours because with Birdie's version the yellow collar looks too bright while in the original the face needs lighting up. The flash is obviously working well though :)
Cheers, Owen.
Yes owen I didn't really do much except hit auto so it would have increased the contrast and I started with a very small sized image, Remember that when using PP it is easy to turn an image into anything ....that is why I start out trying in Photoshop and give up because I can never decide how it should look. I have only just got some software and apart from exposures and tone work I don't like playing too much . I have no idea what i am doing :')
Sunshine Coast Queensland
I never get sick of seeing these beautiful birds and I see them every day. I'll have to try and get some shots of them in our grevillea