To the 'Glorious 12th' - Purple Haze

This year the heather has been a real 'patchwork' and finding pockets of colour has been difficult and I do not think I'm alone.

The heavens had just opened with a deluge of rain, (sound familiar Simon/Des?), then the sun came up and he popped his head up, looking rather bedraggled and wet. All I wanted was the Grouse in a sea of heather, no PS blurring has been done on the image, all in camera, as there was a slight breeze I guess which helped the diffuse BG IMHO.

Steve
MKIII 500f/4 f/9 1/500 ISO 400 (HH, slight crop)

BTW For ALL who can remember, no cannabis was used in this photography

Steve, I'm undecided about this. I love the bird's head and pose and the immediate surroundings but can't help feeling that the purple haze is a bit overpowering. Be interesting to see what others think.

Excellent OOF haze effect, top shot

Looks superb to me Stephen. Perhaps a bit off the bottom otherwise a great image.

Beautiful picture, love the colours
Frederic

Colours look great to me.

David

Looks fine to me Stephen the bird really stands out from the background


Being really picky maybe a bit too central

Great eye contact Steve and very punchy, although for me I think its just a tad over-saturated. Ease it back a bit and I think it'll be spot-on.

I'm inclined to agree that the colours look a little too strong and that the bird is perhaps a little too central but a very nice image

Works for me-lovely image-would make a very nice greetings card

Dave

Great! Agree a wee crop of the rhs would be good, and if it was me I'd go the whole hog and remove those green bits at the bottom which really grab my eye. Colours dont look too desperate to me - if it was shot on Velvia it would look just like this. The extensive mush works for me and I think this is a lovely shot.

Agree with Simon, the heather looks oversaturated - tone it down a bit and it should be OK . Have you pulled the black point up in levels? Slight touch less sharpening for the web too.

Fine looking bird

Looks like a superb shot to me.

Keith.

Beautiful shot Steve, I love the purple haze and super detail in the bird
Bronia

Interesting feedback and some very valid points raised.

Re saturation, well it was worth pushing a bit just to see. Nick, no I have not pulled the black point, a fraction perhaps, WDYT?

Finally, crop. For me this was difficult as there is enough all round to play with, guess it can go anyway apart from central. Thanks

I like this but I also would like to see the image taken at f/4 with the heather slighly darker. But still very pretty. Well done!!!

Edwin Kats

Clearly I've missed the spot, very colourful! Like Ed said, it could do with being a bit more 'hazzy' by using a wider aperture.

All the best,

Des

I like the comp as it is but mabye just a fraction less on the saturation, apart from that a fine image. Lets hope it survived the 12th.


Calum

I think at Edwin has said this would have been sweet at f4! Nice detail in the bird though.

Ian