Posted by Edwin kats on November 27, 2008 at 7:04 PM
I admit, it's different....
I would really like to know your thoughts about this one.
Do you like it, find it a bit bizar or just rubbish?
iso 400 1/50 sec. F4
Edwin Kats
Posted by John Robinson on November 27, 2008 at 7:19 PM
This will start an interesting debate Edwin, I am sure !
Its a set up unless you found the discarded antlers(skull ) and stuck some food for the birds nearby. There is however a semblence of composition with the line of the bone and the bird though.
If the perch is one that could happen in the wild without "pursuasion "by the photographer then, to me its ok. Its the ridiculous ones I don't like.
At the end of the day it is no different from my Fieldfare picture on an electric pole stuck in my hedge ! Or its no different from people sprinkling niger seed into teasel heads to get Goldfinches. There are those who say a bird pursued with a long lens is more of a true "wild" un tempted shot. Maybe they are right.
Life is one big set up isnt it ?!
I am sure there will be a mass of replies and opinions.
Cheers
John
Posted by David Kjaer on November 27, 2008 at 7:29 PM
Hi Edwin
I pretty much echo what John has said - I think it works quite well!
David
Posted by Chris O'Reilly on November 27, 2008 at 7:52 PM
Hi Edwin
This made me smile as it reminded me of a shot I tried to in Scotland using red deer antlers. I failed due to a lack of snow. I stole the idea from a Scandinavian image I'd seen featuring a Siberian tit (I think) - the inference in that shot was that the bird was visiting a deer carcass to feed on flies and insects it attracted - very clever.
While I like your idea the execution doesn't work for me - I'd have preferred a landscape shot with plenty of room on the left for the bird to look in to - this would have helped the 'rhythm' of the image more. Composition aside, I can imagine a great tit being curious enough to investigate such an object, so yes, the image idea works for me.
Cheers,
Chris
Posted by Mark Fellowes on November 28, 2008 at 3:54 AM
Hi Edwin
Great image and technically spot on, but I'm not sure if it works for me with a great tit - perhaps a more scavenging species would be ideal?
Mark
Posted by Mark Sisson on November 28, 2008 at 4:38 AM
Hi Ed,
Nice idea, not as much debate as I'd have expected perhaps, and certainly an unusual image. Think a snowy setting would add more poignancy to the image but you can always come back!!
Does look a touch dark on my monitor though.
All the best
Mark
Posted by Rene de Heer on November 28, 2008 at 4:50 AM
I think its a good idea Dont see a difference between using antlers or a twig! I think a horizontal as mentioned might work better for this image.
Very nice
Rene de Heer
I guess if the skull was there birds would use it to perch on... I can't quite make my mind up here after looking several times... Perhaps as mentioned a more scavenging species, perhaps a crow or something similar...
Posted by Dawn Monrose on November 28, 2008 at 5:54 AM
This works for me! The composition could be improved I think, as the bird is looking out of the frame and is a bit tight on the left. Perhaps a landscape would work, although I'm not sure. It looks a bit dark and flat on my monitor too.
The antlers/skull and great tit work well for me too. I was under the impression that tits do visit bones and carcasses not just to pick off insects as mentioned, but also to feed on the meat or fat. A friend of mine regularly hangs the bones from the sunday roast from his birdtable and the tits pick it clean. I also wonder if tits and other birds would peck at bones for the calcium in the breeding season?
Anyways, I like it!! A very good image, which if what I've read/been told is true, also illustrates a natural behaviour. It just needs a bit of a lift, and possibly a rethink with the composition.
Posted by Matt Cole on November 28, 2008 at 6:28 AM
I'm not quite sure what to make of this one. It obviously could be a natural image, but does look a bit too much like a set-up perhaps. Also a bit dark on my monitor. But strangely, the more I look at it the more I quite like it.
Matt
Posted by Major Gilbert on November 28, 2008 at 7:00 AM
It works to a certain degree Edwin, but just feel it would be better if the skull wa in a more open enviroment. It does tend to look as though its been put there even if it hasn,t.
An interesting image, i think I like it on the whole but as mentioned above a little too setup look perhaps.
Nice colours and pose though
Drew
Posted by John Varley on November 28, 2008 at 11:07 AM
Well I like the colours and textures, but it looks setup and the bird looks awkward - sorry - John
Posted by jack chapman on November 28, 2008 at 3:25 PM
really like this image, composition works well for me
Posted by Magnus Hird on November 29, 2008 at 12:58 PM
I like the way you've got us to engage with the image and taken our thinking a bit outside the proverbial box. I quite like it but agree that a landscape crop would work better for me, but can see how that may be tricky to keep the subject large enough in the frame given the height of the perch
Discussion
14 repliesI would really like to know your thoughts about this one.
Do you like it, find it a bit bizar or just rubbish?
iso 400 1/50 sec. F4
Edwin Kats
Its a set up unless you found the discarded antlers(skull ) and stuck some food for the birds nearby. There is however a semblence of composition with the line of the bone and the bird though.
If the perch is one that could happen in the wild without "pursuasion "by the photographer then, to me its ok. Its the ridiculous ones I don't like.
At the end of the day it is no different from my Fieldfare picture on an electric pole stuck in my hedge ! Or its no different from people sprinkling niger seed into teasel heads to get Goldfinches. There are those who say a bird pursued with a long lens is more of a true "wild" un tempted shot. Maybe they are right.
Life is one big set up isnt it ?!
I am sure there will be a mass of replies and opinions.
Cheers
John
I pretty much echo what John has said - I think it works quite well!
David
This made me smile as it reminded me of a shot I tried to in Scotland using red deer antlers. I failed due to a lack of snow. I stole the idea from a Scandinavian image I'd seen featuring a Siberian tit (I think) - the inference in that shot was that the bird was visiting a deer carcass to feed on flies and insects it attracted - very clever.
While I like your idea the execution doesn't work for me - I'd have preferred a landscape shot with plenty of room on the left for the bird to look in to - this would have helped the 'rhythm' of the image more. Composition aside, I can imagine a great tit being curious enough to investigate such an object, so yes, the image idea works for me.
Cheers,
Chris
Great image and technically spot on, but I'm not sure if it works for me with a great tit - perhaps a more scavenging species would be ideal?
Mark
Nice idea, not as much debate as I'd have expected perhaps, and certainly an unusual image. Think a snowy setting would add more poignancy to the image but you can always come back!!
Does look a touch dark on my monitor though.
All the best
Mark
Very nice
Rene de Heer
The antlers/skull and great tit work well for me too. I was under the impression that tits do visit bones and carcasses not just to pick off insects as mentioned, but also to feed on the meat or fat. A friend of mine regularly hangs the bones from the sunday roast from his birdtable and the tits pick it clean. I also wonder if tits and other birds would peck at bones for the calcium in the breeding season?
Anyways, I like it!! A very good image, which if what I've read/been told is true, also illustrates a natural behaviour. It just needs a bit of a lift, and possibly a rethink with the composition.
Matt
Major.
Nice colours and pose though
Drew