for critique

[petert]

image #1

A serious question - how do you see this as having potential to be a "great shot"

can you explain your logic?

I thought it was unusual rather than great, I try to get something different if possible

 

[big soft moose]

I wished it was an eagle, variety is a bit poor but then you have to make do with whats available, these were shot in London, my mum gets.more birds in the garden there than I do in the country, all I get in mine this is the odd wood pigeon, collard doves and starlings

Its worth thinking about a feeding station with some natural perches arround the feeders - you won't get eagles, but in the country you should get tits, finches and sparrows, and possibly some rarer species (down here in Devon i regularly get GSW and nuthatch - what I lack is the time to sit and wait).

Everyone starts somewhere so if you've only got wood pigeons the thing is to get the best possible picture of a woodpigeon and hone your photographic skills so you are ready on the day that a red footed falcon decides to pay you a visit

 

[big soft moose]

I disagree and think that the reverse is true, by a factor of 10+ to one, maybe more

may be so , but if that was a WTSE you'd get a lot more wow, fantastic type posts even if the picture was actually worse in a photographic sense

 

[BillN_33]

I thought it was unusual rather than great, I try to get something different if possible

It is not a criticism - I think that maybe we all have different expectations when "great shot" is mention

Great Shot - I think myself very lucky if I see a "great shot" posted once a week or once a month, (in this section) …… and that's not a criticism

 

[big soft moose]

It is not a criticism - I think that maybe we all have different expectations when "great shot" is mention

Great Shot - I think myself very lucky if I see a "great shot" posted once a week or once a month, (in this section) …… and that's not a criticism

and its worth mentioning that I didn't say it was a great shot (no offence peter) I said it had the potential to be a great shot if it were improved because he'd done a lot of things right, and only a couple of areas that needed improvement

 

[petert]

Its worth thinking about a feeding station with some natural perches arround the feeders - you won't get eagles, but in the country you should get tits, finches and sparrows, and possibly some rarer species (down here in Devon i regularly get GSW and nuthatch - what I lack is the time to sit and wait).

Everyone starts somewhere so if you've only got wood pigeons the thing is to get the best possible picture of a woodpigeon and hone your photographic skills so you are ready on the day that a red footed falcon decides to pay you a visit

I have but still not a lot maybe the odd great tit or sparrow, have to get out there for more interesting stuff, did get these baby wagtails across the road

 

[BillN_33]

and its worth mentioning that I didn't say it was a great shot (no offence peter) I said it had the potential to be a great shot if it were improved because he'd done a lot of things right, and only a couple of areas that needed improvement

sorry about that, but I am happy to stick "potential" in front of great shot where I have used the words

I am not being funny at all, I just think that a lot of people are misled by what I consider are inappropriate comments

From where I stand ….. image #1, even for a beginner, should be put to one side, learned from and any "Critique" gained be used when the OP next has a chance to shot in such conditions

I see it as a beginner's shot - very little technical skill, ( it could have been taken in P mode with no knowledge of the appropriate camera settings), a poor composition with no "fieldcraft", even in the back garden fieldcraft, to get a position to take a good shot ……. but hey that's just my opinion.

i believe that it is really important that we all give each other sound advice to consider particularly at such a basic level.

(The "Windbag Sailor")

 

[petert]

I think my son could have taken it and he's useless :-D

 

[BillN_33]

I have but still not a lot maybe the odd great tit or sparrow, have to get out there for more interesting stuff, did get these baby wagtails across the road

They are Long Tailed Tits, Pete

 

[petert]

I stand corrected, not seen them till this year, not seen the adults just lots of wags

 

[big soft moose]

sorry about that, but I am happy to stick "potential" in front of great shot where I have used the words

I am not being funny at all, I just think that a lot of people are misled by what I consider are inappropriate comments

From where I stand ….. image #1, even for a beginner, should be put to one side, learned from and any "Critique" gained be used when the OP next has a chance to shot in such conditions

I see it as a beginner's shot - very little technical skill, ( it could have been taken in P mode with no knowledge of the appropriate camera settings), a poor composition with no "fieldcraft", even in the back garden fieldcraft, to get a position to take a good shot ……. but hey that's just my opinion.

i believe that it is really important that we all give each other sound advice to consider particularly at such a basic level.

I agree with your latter point but not the former - IMO getting the exposure right to capture the rain, composing with the bird to one side rather than bang central , using bokeh to throw the background out etc are all steps in the right direction... had the eye been sharp (and fur ultra picky had the bird been looking to the right and the fence been level) it would have been a good shot (of a woodpigeon in a garden)

As i said i agree we should give each other sound advice especially at a basic level, but that should include recognising whats good in a shot as well, rather than just focussing on the negatives, not least because the latter approach is what p***es people off, and what is fundamentally wrong with a lot of the crit in this section - as peter said in the other thread the Truth is fine, but its the way its put

 

[BillN_33]

I agree with your latter point but not the former - IMO getting the exposure right to capture the rain, composing with the bird to one side rather than bang central , using bokeh to throw the background out etc are all steps in the right direction... had the eye been sharp (and fur ultra picky had the bird been looking to the right and the fence been level) it would have been a good shot (of a woodpigeon in a garden)

As i said i agree we should give each other sound advice especially at a basic level, but that should include recognising whats good in a shot as well, rather than just focussing on the negatives, not least because the latter approach is what p***es people off, and what is fundamentally wrong with a lot of the crit in this section - as peter said in the other thread the Truth is fine, but its the way its put

Thanks Pete

 

[big soft moose]

I have but still not a lot maybe the odd great tit or sparrow, have to get out there for more interesting stuff, did get these baby wagtails across the road

now that is a nice shot (though as bill says they a LTT not wags) I particularly like the way you've framed them with the vegetation, the diagonal perch and the use of bokeh to create a relatively clean background - framing a little wider so as to not crop the tail of the one on the right would have improved the shot (assuming theres nothing nasty out of shot) and possibly taking a small step to your left to avoid the OOF leaf which is slightly in front of the right hand bird. Also the tails arent quite sharp - which could be unavoidable from the bokeh but could also be a shutter speed issue.

It is worth noting that LTT go around in family groups or tribes (which is why when we ring them we keep them all in a bag and then let them go together) so if they are in the area you might be able to attract them to your feeders, and if you get 1 you'll get 5-8 maximinsing shooting potential. I find they are particularly partial to high energy things like fat balls and suet nibbles (having such a small body they have a very high metabolic rate to keep warm, particularly in the cold weather

 

[petert]

Thanks they were in some bushes and moving around a lot so had trouble to get that shot and had to be quick, unfortunately they seem to have moved on now. Appreciate the comments, I've a long way to go but think I'm heading in the right direction