Hi 365ers!
Ok so those that follow me, know I've been entering photos into a photography comp in my local Newspaper, aiming to win a DSLR (as I currently only have a 'point & shoot' compact camera myself).
These shots were taken with a friend's DSLR camera that I've been borrowing & it has helped me imensely to grow as a 'learner' photographer...
I have been taking photos of birds on 3 different occasions this week & the first two birds sessions, I was very unhappy with the results. Today's shots however I'm Very, Very happy with & so the problem becomes, that I'm happy with toooo many of my shots & cannot decide for myself which one to use...
This weeks Theme for the Newspaper Photo Comp is "WILDLIFE". The article they had associated with the competition theme particularly mentioned bird photography as being difficult & so I was 'aiming high', trying to get a great bird shot... but of course when I was at the park shooting these ducks Mr Water Dragon turned up, caught my attention & had me chasing him all around (in a completely friendly & non-threatening way mind you...).
Please tell me which shot you like best from a "YOUR BEST WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPH" point of view... so that I can hopefully make a well informed decision & feel happy about entering the right one.
Responses will be greatly accepted for however long you wish to give your opinions, however I need to make the decision by tomorrow lunch time (Australian Eastern Standard Time...).
I love 365 for this very reason!!! Thanks in advance guys!!!
1/
2/
3/
4/
5/
6/
7/
8/
9/
10/
Sorry for there being so many, but my mind is doing Backflips!!!!
from my point of view i say no.1 all the way ...... BUT ..... im maybe slightly biased as we keep reptiles and LOVE our bearded drago and have a fondness for water dragons too and really quite fancy owning one hehe ! so no.1 for me from a personal "oh my god hes awesome" point of view ! :)
If the animal is not doing anything funny, weird etc. I think the closer the better. So #1 of the dragons is the best and I like the moss on his head :-)
However, from all of these shots I find the reflecting pool ones the most interesting. Of these, I'd pick #9, but of course I have to be a pain in the butt he he.. ;-) The best shot is the one you left out, you just need to rotate it straight and check that the birds are not cropped in weird way. The DoF & focus is awesome and there's enough empty space for the pic to "breathe". Since the birds are pretty similar an ordinary, no need to zoom in but to create an atmosphere instead ("birds chillin by the pool"). The line (or actually curve) makes it pleasing to look at and the reflections are super cool, they always give something extra to a shot.
agree! #1 is also my top choice.. Maybe because of the close-up and it is rarely seen.. (in our place, it is)... The rough texture of the dragon-like creature's skin is a great contrast to a soft bright grass bokeh on the background..
these are all amazing animal photos... you really need the DSLR cos with these shot you seemed to master the full potential of your P&S.. Goodluck Wadey!!
for reference this is the shot Jani is refering to:
@janmaki of course you would mention the one I hadn't included!!!
I have dilemmas with that one... can't straighten... thats actually the angle I took the photo ;-D he he, because of that curve, to emphasis it & I've cropped it to get rid of two other ducks that were messing up the shot's goodness.... he he
But thank you for the opinion, muchly needed & always appreciated from you ;-)
@arielmagyawejr Thank you! your opinion means so much!
I just amended the initial wording in the intro above though, because you pointed out (without knowing) that the camera I borrow was a DSLR, because I could not even dream of achieving these shots with a mere 'P&S'... just can't achieve the control & clarity of the DoF with a 'P&S' v's a DSLR! (well thats me, anyway!!!
I really like number 9, love the reflection and the detail on the brickwork that contrasts with the water and the ducks. I also quite like number 6 with the little ripples around the ducks feet from movement :)
@cazink thanks Carly ;-)
I like #9 for the clear focus I got on just that one duck, & it's almost like he's turning back at me... (to tell me to get lost!!) I had similar shots to this, but they just didn't have the same clarity on a single duck. & I took those shots for the reflections & mossy waters edge on the bricks... argh! I like them all for a reason... see my dilemma!!! ;-D
@wadey I read an article about how when photographing birds sharp eyes are important and that duck in number 9 is beautifully sharp and his feathers are gorgeous, the more i look at it i'd go for that one if it was me i think :)
Can you only enter one photo?
@cazink he he, yes only one... I learnt that one after my earlier entries maybe 4-5wks ago now... I would send in 3-4 of my best ones for what ever categorey/theme it was (they got printed & won for those weeks), but not long after the specifically changed the wording, to be ONE ONLY, he he he - I prefered them to make the choice for me... dammit! Now I get you guys to make my decision!!! he he he
& thanks for the info on they eyes... I would definitely agree with that! Thats why I was so unhappy with my Magpie shots the other day...
@giselle thank you Giselle ;-) looks like #01 is the popular choice so far... although I love hearing that the others are liked for their own reasons too! Makes me happy :-D
I quite like number 5 .. although they are all fab! It's hard to tell though - what I usually do is open two files up on your computer - maybe two completely different ones, like numbers 1 and 9 and make them both fill half the screen so they're side by side, then take a step back and decide which is most eye-catching. Sometimes that makes it blindingly obvious. Other times it makes it harder .. so ask someone else who maybe hasn't seen all of them that much, and just say 'pick a photo' or ask them to say which stands out better. Do that in pairs and through a process of elimination you should end up with the best one. If you do that - then stick with it, there is nothing worse than deciding on one for definite, only to look through the rest a day later and change your mind.
I'm sure you've heard all that before, but I wanted to join in. :D they are all fab photos, so whichever one you pick I'm sure you will do really really well. Again, I like number 5 :D
I absolutely adore nr. 1 - the detail, the colour and the focus are wonderful. Of the bird shots nr. 9 is my favourite but it definitely doesn't reach nr. 1. Good luck with your competition!
I absolutely love the first one - it just says wow!! so much more. The clear detail is fantastic and you get the feeling it is looking right at you!!
I must agree with you on the wonderful 365 community too - they helped me decide which pics to enter into our local agricultural show and their great advice helped me be very successful in my first ever show.
Good Luck and let us know what you decide on and how you go!!
I like #2. #1 is cool, but so bright, and those clipped highlights in the background are a distraction. #2 is nice and close, sharp as a tack, great subject isolation - just needs some of that negative space cropped off the left (maybe go for a square crop).
Second choice is #8 - great action shot of the duck, with just the right amount of motion blur. It might actually be better than my first choice, if printed large (it loses impact at small size I think). I also like #9 for composition, though it doesn't direct the eye very well to the subject (it's a bit confusing), and #10 for the better direction to the subject (though less for the composition).
I like #1 best, it immediately makes you go 'wow!'
#9 would be my second choice, the clarity on the single duck and the reflections, etc... all make a gorgeous photo.
Good luck! =D
I'm a fan of #2. It's the first one that really drew my eye - #1 is great, but, like Jinx said, I think the brightness of it is a bit distracting. Good luck Wadey!!!
Tweets ahoy!
Join the Group
Pin With Me
yes they are terribly cute, daring & run like maniacs!!! happy to have you enjoy the photos!
However, from all of these shots I find the reflecting pool ones the most interesting. Of these, I'd pick #9, but of course I have to be a pain in the butt he he.. ;-) The best shot is the one you left out, you just need to rotate it straight and check that the birds are not cropped in weird way. The DoF & focus is awesome and there's enough empty space for the pic to "breathe". Since the birds are pretty similar an ordinary, no need to zoom in but to create an atmosphere instead ("birds chillin by the pool"). The line (or actually curve) makes it pleasing to look at and the reflections are super cool, they always give something extra to a shot.
these are all amazing animal photos... you really need the DSLR cos with these shot you seemed to master the full potential of your P&S.. Goodluck Wadey!!
@janmaki of course you would mention the one I hadn't included!!!
I have dilemmas with that one... can't straighten... thats actually the angle I took the photo ;-D he he, because of that curve, to emphasis it & I've cropped it to get rid of two other ducks that were messing up the shot's goodness.... he he
But thank you for the opinion, muchly needed & always appreciated from you ;-)
I just amended the initial wording in the intro above though, because you pointed out (without knowing) that the camera I borrow was a DSLR, because I could not even dream of achieving these shots with a mere 'P&S'... just can't achieve the control & clarity of the DoF with a 'P&S' v's a DSLR! (well thats me, anyway!!!
I like #9 for the clear focus I got on just that one duck, & it's almost like he's turning back at me... (to tell me to get lost!!) I had similar shots to this, but they just didn't have the same clarity on a single duck. & I took those shots for the reflections & mossy waters edge on the bricks... argh! I like them all for a reason... see my dilemma!!! ;-D
Can you only enter one photo?
Lighting is the best from the bunch and the details are great.
& thanks for the info on they eyes... I would definitely agree with that! Thats why I was so unhappy with my Magpie shots the other day...
I'm sure you've heard all that before, but I wanted to join in. :D they are all fab photos, so whichever one you pick I'm sure you will do really really well. Again, I like number 5 :D
I must agree with you on the wonderful 365 community too - they helped me decide which pics to enter into our local agricultural show and their great advice helped me be very successful in my first ever show.
Good Luck and let us know what you decide on and how you go!!
Second choice is #8 - great action shot of the duck, with just the right amount of motion blur. It might actually be better than my first choice, if printed large (it loses impact at small size I think). I also like #9 for composition, though it doesn't direct the eye very well to the subject (it's a bit confusing), and #10 for the better direction to the subject (though less for the composition).
#9 would be my second choice, the clarity on the single duck and the reflections, etc... all make a gorgeous photo.
Good luck! =D
Capturing those moments is way harder than static shots. Just my 2 cents... :)
Thank you all so very much for your feedback, just wanted to tag you all to show you what the photo was I ended up going with...
Technically it's #3 with with the principles of #1
(#1 just had too busy a background for me to justify sending into a photo comp...)
Thanks all again soooo much, it really did help me!!!!!
365 love going to you all ;-)