Haven't had swans for a while
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CT
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The first shot is the best of the three for me being quite unusual and well composed.
The second one has both swans heads looking in different directions - and both looking out of the frame at that so while it's a nice shot it doesn't quite work for me.
3rd shot - I find swans in close up problematic in that you end up with that long neck sticking up from the bottom of the frame. You get the same problems with ostriches/emus except that you can often use it to good comic effect, but not so with a swan shot. Your crop is as good a treatment as I can imagine to deal with the problem and it works well with the dripping water from the beak adding further interest.
The second one has both swans heads looking in different directions - and both looking out of the frame at that so while it's a nice shot it doesn't quite work for me.
3rd shot - I find swans in close up problematic in that you end up with that long neck sticking up from the bottom of the frame. You get the same problems with ostriches/emus except that you can often use it to good comic effect, but not so with a swan shot. Your crop is as good a treatment as I can imagine to deal with the problem and it works well with the dripping water from the beak adding further interest.
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dod
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CT said:
Totally agree, I don't know how many I've taken like that and consigned to the recycle bin. This one was lucky as it's not cropped and it kept dipping it's head under the water. I thought it might make it more interesting with a water drop and ended up with this, rather be lucky than good
EosD said:its that Vauxhall you drive that got you confused buddy.
top bit of info though, should have posted in Steves trivia thread!
ok, now the truth is out, yes i drive a vauxhall, but what a vauxhall
a 2.2 dti 53 black signum , debadged , lowered with 17's and tints
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Well I'm glad to see it's just not me who finds swans a problem. I have tried to take pictures of them and they all seem to come out looking yellow or greyish in colour. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong? These are really great Dod. I like the last one in particular. Well done!
Jewel
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CT
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jewel said:
Swans aren't always the snowy white creatures we like to think they are Jewel particularly around the head and neck where they're often quite yellow from rummaging around on the bottom underwater. Some of the best swan shots I've seen are in good old black and white which enhances the snowy white beauty oif them. You still have the usual problem with burned out highlights in strong light though.
This shot is strongly back lit and you can see the burned out highlights at the rear of the bird as a result. I also shot it as a jpeg not RAW which would have given me more processing control of the highlights, but hopefully it gives you the general idea of what I was after.
When swans are holding their wings aloft and fluffed out like that they're at their most beautiful, and preferably taken from a lower angle than I could manage here. One day I'll get this shot right. :annoyed:
CT
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I did have a quick play with your pic and I thought it was cropped a bit tight, particulary with mum's head being a bit close to the top of the frame, but of course, I don't know what bits you've left out, probably with good reason.
I thought it might benefit from the b&w treatment, but it's obviously taken on an overcast day, which does away with the exposure problems but reduces the contrast with would work so well in b&w. A 'blackish' darker backround ( the water) would have added to the contrast enormously, but as it stands it's probably best left in colour.
Still a great shot and I love the low angle you managed to get. :icon_cool
I thought it might benefit from the b&w treatment, but it's obviously taken on an overcast day, which does away with the exposure problems but reduces the contrast with would work so well in b&w. A 'blackish' darker backround ( the water) would have added to the contrast enormously, but as it stands it's probably best left in colour.
Still a great shot and I love the low angle you managed to get. :icon_cool
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CT said:Swans aren't always the snowy white creatures we like to think they are Jewel particularly around the head and neck where they're often quite yellow from rummaging around on the bottom underwater. Some of the best swan shots I've seen are in good old black and white which enhances the snowy white beauty oif them. You still have the usual problem with burned out highlights in strong light though.
This shot is strongly back lit and you can see the burned out highlights at the rear of the bird as a result. I also shot it as a jpeg not RAW which would have given me more processing control of the highlights, but hopefully it gives you the general idea of what I was after.
When swans are holding their wings aloft and fluffed out like that they're at their most beautiful, and preferably taken from a lower angle than I could manage here. One day I'll get this shot right. :annoyed:
Thanks CT. I know their not the beautiful white snowy things we like to believe they are. If done right they make beautiful pictures. Obviously I am no where near capturing that yet. I think the b&w works well. I see the wings are a tad overexposed yes, but I like it much better than the colour shots I have taken. I've posted a couple just so you can see what I had tried to do. The composition isn't great in either and with the lens I have I just couldn't get as close as I would have liked. Not good shots at all. I don't have photoshop so I can't do much with it either. One day though. In one of the shots I have no idea what the swan was doing. I took one picture and than it did this interesting pose for me,lol. Anyway take a look at these two shots. I think the second shot is just weird. Practice, practice, practice.
http://www.thephotographyforums.com/albums/album15/swan1.jpg
http://www.thephotographyforums.com/albums/album15/strikeapose.jpg
Jewel