Big in Frame or Bird in Flight, take your pick. I have had absolutely no luck with my photography in the snow due to various reasons so I have had to make do with processing some past images. This one was taken in October. It is 'Big in the Frame' because it is cropped from the right hand side of the frame (about 80% of full frame) in order to make a composition that would fit around the right wing tip which is literally in the RH corner of the frame.
1/2000 @f6.3
500mm
iso 250
Posted by Nigel Blake on January 12, 2010 at 11:14 AM
Its both! It is big in the frame and needs some space to fly into, other than that its a fine image with great detail!
I have to agree about the space issue, although I expect you'll hear a lot of that.
I always think the wings-lower-than-body pose always looks a bit odd on birds, maybe I need to be more advernturous!
Can't fault the detail.
Chris
Posted by David Sewell on January 12, 2010 at 12:03 PM
Personally I don't have a problem with wings lower than body - presumably it happens 50% of the time with non-gliding species. It ought to be easy enough to add a bit more canvas right and top to give the bird somewhere to fly into, and with all the detail in this shot it is worth taking the time to do it.
I do a lot of BIF and I think you've done extremely well to capture so much detail on the underside of the wings, which often end up as blocky shadow areas in less than ideal light.
I prefer wings up to wings down but I have absolutely no idea as to why...
Posted by Adam Seward on January 12, 2010 at 1:14 PM
Great capture Rob, agree with David that its worth spending a bit of time to create some extra space.
Posted by Tim Taylor on January 12, 2010 at 1:46 PM
Great detail but a tad too BIF for me as well.
Tim
Posted by Craig Jones on January 12, 2010 at 2:06 PM
Beautiful detailed BIF Robert and I like the wings down as it adds a sense of impending movement to the image,lovely light too,very nice
Thanks for the comments and I have taken on board the necessity for more space. Unfortunately having now had a bit of a try at creating more canvas the results are less than satisfactory so instead I'm attaching another image of the same bird. This one addresses the issues of more space (though not much more) and the wings being in the down position. The biggest downside to this one is the loss of the wingtip at the top of frame ......!
Posted by Dave Bartlett on January 12, 2010 at 3:16 PM
Great detail in both images. I would go for the first as I like BIFBIF shots anyway!
Posted by Jeff Harrison on January 12, 2010 at 3:50 PM
Nits covered but I like both images Robert, especially the bird's rather startled look in the first one
Discussion
16 replies1/2000 @f6.3
500mm
iso 250
I have to agree about the space issue, although I expect you'll hear a lot of that.
I always think the wings-lower-than-body pose always looks a bit odd on birds, maybe I need to be more advernturous!
Can't fault the detail.
Chris
David
I prefer wings up to wings down but I have absolutely no idea as to why...
Tim
Cheers,
Chris
Space nits aside I prefer the first image as wings down gives the impression of a powerful surge from the bird as opposed to a wings up glide
Good stuff
Andy
Cracking detail and a great exposure - if you want to give me a call one evening I'll guide you through adding the canvass and re-comping the image.
Robert