Fishing

Your thoughts, ratings and critique are welcome.

Thanks.

The almost total silhouette accentuates the lovely lines of this wonderful bird. The pigtail feathers become very strong and the overall effect is very vivid. Top grade, Regina.

You just reminded me how important a title can be. I was looking at this as a photo of a heron, wondering if maybe the boat and marina on the left couldn't be cropped out. But the title puts everything in a different light -- since everyone in this image is fishing! Very nice.

I was thinking of calling it.... "No fishing from the Pier"... But thought the single word would be better.

 

I am so glad someone finally posted a comment! Thanks Fred & JIm. I requested a critique several days ago and got little response. My concern was the centered subject and the centered horizon, but I had hoped the diaginol line of the sea wall and the background boats would help.

The centered subject actually works very well in this study of contrasts, as the very fine composition of fishing boats is cut by the silhouette of the fisherbird. The complete lack of detail in the bird (is it heron or egret? I sure can't tell) accentuates the rest of the composition.

 

The only very slight nit I have is the distracting small light area in the lower right. I think the picture would improve if that were burnt away.

It is a heron. I was surprised at how close it allowed me to get. This was taken very early morning, weather was very gray and overcast so I just desaturated to make the shot all shades of gray. The light spot is easily elliminated, thanks for pointing it out. Sometimes it takes another pair of eyes to see what we, the photographer, doesn't see.

I think this is a great composition. It's very nicely balanced. I agree the light spot is distracting.

Very good composition! well done.

This was a tough one for me to say anything about. The composition is fine, the detail level is fine, but something has always seemed a little off. Maybe it's the fact that the 3 boats make the image a bit crowded. If I could move the boats around, I'd probably put the left boat on the other side and get rid of the other two. Well I might like the little boat turned sideways and placed at the left side.

 

The centered horizon doesn't bother me as much as the fact that the horizon line is dead center with the heron. But, as I've never gotten this close to a heron, these are really all very minor nits.

I like it, I like it a lot but there is some odd masking stuff going on in this corner.

Wow... how did I not notice that? I burned the sky a bit so it wouldn't look so bright white and would better match the shade of the harbor. Would that have caused this? I am still such a novice with this PS stuff.

I like the contrast of the silhouette of the bird in the foreground and man made features in the background, i.e. the pier and the boats.

I like the contrast of the silhouette of the bird in the foreground and man-made features in the background, i.e. the pier and the boats.

 

That's not too bad though, And it was a good call to burn the sky in. Only a picky bastard like me would notice.

Hey,,, that is why I post to begin with... so that those with a better "eye" than me can help me to improve.

Regina,

all the superlatives, well deserved, have been used-up in previous comments. that leaves me only the peripheral to remark upon: this picture with three sides mostly in the light clearly needs a frame.

The internal frame you've devised works better than any of the conventional approaches to web frames.

Well done.

Quiet

Very nice shot!

Gorgeous picture (even without the herring). Well done..

Fantastic!