HelenC's 52 for 2021 - Week 52: Showcase - critique welcome

That works really well for tall. High key and mono really does bring out the textures.

I’m catching up on comments, so for a moment I thought your gravestone was for ‘tall’ - I thought because she painted ceilings [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] I love the gnarly look with the twisty design and the lichen - definitely works in colour. I also like the lighting.

I really like the TALL redwoods in high key, my eyes were scanning the photo photo because not one thing was drawing me in it was the whole picture. I do think the mono brings out the best in it too, I cant image it would look as good or have as much detail had it been in colour. Thumbs up from me.

Another tree but a good one (y)
Given lockdown and where I live I suspect there will be a lot more trees this time around :D

Bright yes, over exposed? not so sure. As you say, it has a high key feel to it.
@LC2 you should have seen it in the back of the camera - lit up like a christmas tree!

Good work Helen, it ticks the tall box so bang on theme. It is a little bright for my taste but it's brought out a lot of detail.

Lots of detail in there - hits the theme for tall for certain! The B&W has hidden any faint overexposure nicely - the high key look works.

Thanks for taking the time to comment folks. Much appreciated.
 
I like all three of those but do wonder if a black and white conversion would also be worth trying especially on the first :)
 
I definitely prefer the one you chose for the main theme post. The subtle colour difference between the sky and snow is nice and the main focus of the tree but minimalist at the same time. Might work as well in B&W but I like this. I could have this on my wall [emoji106]
 
Good work Helen, as for breaking the rules, I think that really works. It shows thought and attention to detail.
Having said that, I prefer the bottom image haha. Scrolling through your images it was the last one which grabbed my attention. I think it is because of the angle of the tree and how the large branch is parallel to the ground and the trees in the background.
 
I think breaking the rules here works. I like that the tallest tree is well defined against the background. All nice, and I think I'd have been torn between 1 and 3 for the main one.
 
Bit of a compositional rule breaker but I rather like it...
No rule of thirds .... nothing :D
Rules are meant to be broken, I think it works very well.
I like it.
 
I think I prefer the last one although they are all worthy nothing wrong with breaking the rules either
 
I think that I agree with David's comment above. I really like #2.

I don't have an issue with the rule breaking that you done Helen, I just think that there is too much snow combined with too much sky. If it were me, I would do one of three things, crop out half the sky or crop out half the snow or crop out about a quarter/third of both the sky an snow.

Just my preference, still a great image.
 
It's number 2 for me, a lovely minimalist type image that works very well indeed, really nice composition.
 
I'm drawn to #2 here. I really like the way it divides the frame in thirds horizontally.
 
You made the correct choice with your submission. I'd have been tempted to cut out some of the foreground....but i'd have been wrong! Like the way the trees line up too.
 
A bit behind with comments I'm afraid!

Tall: I like the high key processing. Works nicely to show detail in the tree.
Snapper's. Can't beat a bit of rule breaking and I agree with some other posters that it might look even better in mono. Same goes for the second, which I like a lot.
 
I like all three of those but do wonder if a black and white conversion would also be worth trying especially on the first :)
I definitely prefer the one you chose for the main theme post. The subtle colour difference between the sky and snow is nice and the main focus of the tree but minimalist at the same time. Might work as well in B&W but I like this. I could have this on my wall [emoji106]

No rule of thirds .... nothing :D
Rules are meant to be broken, I think it works very well.
I like it.

I think that I agree with David's comment above. I really like #2.
I don't have an issue with the rule breaking that you done Helen, I just think that there is too much snow combined with too much sky. If it were me, I would do one of three things, crop out half the sky or crop out half the snow or crop out about a quarter/third of both the sky an snow.
Just my preference, still a great image.

You made the correct choice with your submission. I'd have been tempted to cut out some of the foreground....but i'd have been wrong! Like the way the trees line up too.

Snapper's. Can't beat a bit of rule breaking and I agree with some other posters that it might look even better in mono. Same goes for the second, which I like a lot.

Thanks for the great comments. I revisited the shots and tried a square crop and bit of a punchy mono conversion with a smidge of vignette...


086A3864
by Helen Cannon



Good work Helen, as for breaking the rules, I think that really works. It shows thought and attention to detail.
Having said that, I prefer the bottom image haha. Scrolling through your images it was the last one which grabbed my attention. I think it is because of the angle of the tree and how the large branch is parallel to the ground and the trees in the background.

I think breaking the rules here works. I like that the tallest tree is well defined against the background. All nice, and I think I'd have been torn between 1 and 3 for the main one.

We’ll it looks as if I’m the odd one out because I really like #2 the best .... love the symmetry of those trees.

I think I prefer the last one although they are all worthy nothing wrong with breaking the rules either


It's number 2 for me, a lovely minimalist type image that works very well indeed, really nice composition.

I'm drawn to #2 here. I really like the way it divides the frame in thirds horizontally.

Thanks for checking by my images. I have to say I think, overall, #2 is my preference. I might revisit the processing and see how it turns out.
#3 is a tree I have visited so many times and never managed to get a good shot due to the crowded background. For once the snow on the branches highlighted it's shape so I was a very happy bunny.
 
Choice
Rules, what rules.
A good set of photos. I'm leaning towards the edited version you've added.
 
I'm resisting the temptation to shoot a pair of trees so am moving way out of my comfort zone and discovered that photographing the birds on the feeder isn't as easy as it might seem. Any helpful advice more than welcome (apart from clean your windows... as this was shot through very dirty glass. Our windy cleaner won't work during lockdown.. ).
This was fairly heavily cropped as my longest lens is 70-200mm.


086A4020
by Helen Cannon
 
I'll get it in first...

Cracking pair of tits :eek: :banana:
 
Well it's a pair! Birds on a feeder is about the extent of my wildlife photography and it's rarely very good because of the heavy cropping and through glass, so no suggestions here. Still - I find photos like this very enjoyable because I so rarely see it.

What are the birds? [/ignorance]
 
I love the apparent eye contact from the bottom of the pair, it really makes the shot!
 
Good work Helen, bang on theme.
As Nick mentioned above, great eye contact from the bottom bird.
Can't offer any advice about wildlife photography but from a viewers point of view, I find the sky just a little bright.
Don't know if it's possible to shoot from a lower perspective or perhaps raise the feeder a little in relation to where you shoot from. I think that would bring the lovely lower background in.
It's still a great natural history photograph, with the creatures 'doing something'
 
You have done fairly well to capture them they tend to dart about very rapidly can’t offer any advice though it’s not something I do a lot of
 
Well it's a pair! Birds on a feeder is about the extent of my wildlife photography and it's rarely very good because of the heavy cropping and through glass, so no suggestions here. Still - I find photos like this very enjoyable because I so rarely see it.
What are the birds? [/ignorance]
@Harlequin565 they are Long Tailed Tits. I get lots here and they tend to flock - sometimes I have up to eight at a time on the feeders.

I love the apparent eye contact from the bottom of the pair, it really makes the shot!
Thanks Nick

Good work Helen, bang on theme.
As Nick mentioned above, great eye contact from the bottom bird.
Can't offer any advice about wildlife photography but from a viewers point of view, I find the sky just a little bright.
Don't know if it's possible to shoot from a lower perspective or perhaps raise the feeder a little in relation to where you shoot from. I think that would bring the lovely lower background in.
It's still a great natural history photograph, with the creatures 'doing something'
@blakester. Thanks... there is a fence behind the feeder hence the split in the background making the top bright. Shooting from the window doesn't give me much option and, to be honest, I was just playing around so didn't think too much about composition... more about the judicious use of superglue on the feeders :D
You have done fairly well to capture them they tend to dart about very rapidly can’t offer any advice though it’s not something I do a lot of
@Allan.H Thanks.. I don't think I'll be doing a lot of it either ;)
 
Very nice capture and as one who is just getting into photographing birds I know the difficulties and I know how well you've done to make this image. If I were to criticise (and I am definitely NOT qualified to do so with any conviction) and be 'really really' picky I would have preferred the bottom bird to have been the sharper of the 2 (but, as already said, I know how difficult that would be). Great job!
 
I think that it's a great shot Helen regardless of shooting through a dirty window. Is it just multi-grain buns in the feeder?
 
Any helpful advice more than welcome


I'm no expert but my advice is to shoot on burst/continuous, and at a higher f/ number than you think you'll need.

A nice image. The bottom bird could be sharper.
 
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With the tits gag having gone, I'll have to make do with the Fat Balls!!

Despite your constrictions, you've produced a very good photo. I too thought the sky a bit bright. But on closer inspection, it actually compliments the subject(s) well.
 
Love those long tailed tits Helen, they have such cute faces don’t they, we just don’t get them here so I’m very jealous. I think considering you were shooting through glass they’ve turned out really well, I sometimes have the patio door open to take photos of the birds, I open it just a few inches to poke the long lens out while I try to keep in the warm :)
 
Nicely photographed given the limitations. I’m not a great bird photographer and my technique involves taking many photos and then binning them all
 
Very nice capture and as one who is just getting into photographing birds I know the difficulties and I know how well you've done to make this image. If I were to criticise (and I am definitely NOT qualified to do so with any conviction) and be 'really really' picky I would have preferred the bottom bird to have been the sharper of the 2 (but, as already said, I know how difficult that would be). Great job!
Thanks @FlyPhot - I was lucky to get anything in focus. I suspect it would have been even worse without the R6's amazing autofocus!

I think that it's a great shot Helen regardless of shooting through a dirty window. Is it just multi-grain buns in the feeder?
Thanks @Darkslinger - it's fat balls in the feeder. The Long Tail Tits love them.. they don't use any of the other feeders or food.

With the tits gag having gone, I'll have to make do with the Fat Balls!!
Despite your constrictions, you've produced a very good photo. I too thought the sky a bit bright. But on closer inspection, it actually compliments the subject(s) well.
:D :D:D

Love those long tailed tits Helen, they have such cute faces don’t they, we just don’t get them here so I’m very jealous. I think considering you were shooting through glass they’ve turned out really well, I sometimes have the patio door open to take photos of the birds, I open it just a few inches to poke the long lens out while I try to keep in the warm :)
Thanks @susiejb - they are really cute. I only get them if I put fat balls out.. they aren't interested in anything else.

Nicely photographed given the limitations. I’m not a great bird photographer and my technique involves taking many photos and then binning them all
Thanks @Cloudforest - I have an awful lot of shots of the bird feeders... minus the birds :D
 
Hey Helen, do you make the fat balls yourself or do you buy them?
 
Nice shot of long tailed tits. We have 9 that come to our feeder all at once - I love that they seem to come as a family. Such cute birds and you have captured them nicely - it even looks like you've got eye contact!
 
Pair
They're a nice pair.
I don't do any bird photography anymore, as I realised I'd need longer lenses (at the time my longest lens was 70-300). But what I did do, was set up my camera on a tripod outside and sit indoors and shoot remotely using the canon app on my phone. Not the easiest thing to do with a DSLR, but with your R6 I would think using eye AF it would yeald good results.
 
That's a lovely photo, we used to have a group of long tailed tits coming to our feeders at our old house and they were always one of my favourites.
I find it really Hard to get a decent bird photo, you have done well.
Pete
Nice shot of long tailed tits. We have 9 that come to our feeder all at once - I love that they seem to come as a family. Such cute birds and you have captured them nicely - it even looks like you've got eye contact!
Pair
They're a nice pair.
I don't do any bird photography anymore, as I realised I'd need longer lenses (at the time my longest lens was 70-300). But what I did do, was set up my camera on a tripod outside and sit indoors and shoot remotely using the canon app on my phone. Not the easiest thing to do with a DSLR, but with your R6 I would think using eye AF it would yeald good results.

Thanks guys.. I think the R6 helped a lot!

Hey Helen, do you make the fat balls yourself or do you buy them?

@Darkslinger I've never thought of making them myself... I buy them from the local feed shop - a box of 50 is about £7.50.
 
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