lacey_gribbin

I have a similar photo in my portfolio only mine is ice!  

The only real two-cents worth of a critique I have is I would probably crop out that leaf blade, or whatever it is, on the lower left edge of the frame.  

Cool photo!

Just because an animal might live in a sanctuary, zoo, etc doesn't make it any less wild.  If left to its own devices it would still thrive in its natural environment.  The same is true of photography and stitching images together - it doesn't make it any less of a photograph.  A good example of this is the ever popular "Froggy pose" you will see in Newborn Photography.  These images are not shot in a single frame.  The infant is posed and held into position in a series of 2-3 shots and then stitched together while editing out the hands of the person holding the child.  

I wouldn't say you have started out on a bad note at all.  Photography is an art and art is subjective.  Now if you had said this image was of your pet whale I might be saying something different.  ;) 

The color cast is much better!  

Now I must ask if you photoshopped 2 separate images into 1 photograph.  When I first viewed the image I didn't look closely and assumed someone was probably holding the bird, wings tucked back, and leaned back showing it's belly upward.  On closer inspection I notice around the neck some things that don't seem quite right.  The 2 horizontal lines on the right side especially stand out to me.  Then on the left side the feathers appear to go up into a body part that doesn't seem to be there.  Also there are highlights that are blown (over exposed) in the upper neck area, but no other blown areas in the body of the bird.  These are just a few of my observations, not meant to be overly critical.  :)    

Technically spiders are arachnids and not insects, but I agree insects are the closest category.  That or perhaps nature, either way.  I don't filter when browsing images up for critique anyway.  

Normally I am not a huge fan of selective color in a photograph.  I have been guilty of applying that technique myself, but for the most part it seems to be an over-applied cliche.  However this is one of those images where I find myself rather enjoying it.  The grey background really helps the web and the spider stand out.  It is clear what I am supposed to be looking at in this image.  Like a lot of people I rather detest the surprise visit from these eight-legged critters.  I do love to photograph them when I get the chance though, outdoors of course.  Any spider I find inside my home ultimately meets it's demise if I get the chance.  

Great photo, keep it up!  

I like the updated contrast you have added, it really helps make the image stand out better.  Though perhaps that contrast is being noticed not because it was applied but the crop allows me to focus more on the foreground.  One thing I notice more with this version (though I see it in both, it is more noticeable in this one) is the ghosting between the foreground hills and the darker background hills.  I see that you used PS to edit your image and I am guessing the ghosting is somehow related to the processing technique applied.  It's just a guess though.  As far a crop goes, I almost like the previous version more.  Each photo has its own merit though.  In this image I focus more on the countryside.  In your previous version I get more of sense of openness because the added sky allows for a little more breathing room.  As will all "rules" in photography I use them more as guidelines as opposed to hardened rules.  In the end it's all about your own personal preference, not what everyone else thinks.  Unless the goal of an image is to sell to a specific person/request/or to the masses, stick with what makes you happy.  Happy shooting!     

I am guessing this image was perhaps shot in the shade.  I say this because I notice a blue color cast to what is supposed to be white feathers.  I might suggest adjusting the white balance in post processing.  For me I find Adobe Lightroom is the easiest method to adjust white balance after an image has already been shot.  Under the Develop tab, you would grab the Eyedropper tool and click anywhere on the white part of the feathers and LR will make the adjustments for you.

You captured a great, up close photo of a raptor.  Congrats! 

It's hard to know what specifically you are trying to achieve, but I think I might have an idea of what you are looking for.  

I hope you don't mind that I ran your photo through PS, please don't take offense.  For this I duplicated the background layer and changed it from Normal to Soft Light.  Reduced the opacity to 40%.  With a graduated brush I erased the part of the upper edge the frame where I thought it was still a bit too dark.

By no means am I trying to say my edited version is better, it is simply a guess as what you are looking for.

I like the sun rays you captured, and I'm quite jealous over your graduated ND filters.  They are something I have not yet managed to get my hands on.  As mentioned above, your photo has a dreamlike quality to it that I very much enjoy.  The way the rocks almost hit vanishing point and the off-center sun creates a lovely composition.  One thing I do notice though is there is an apparent squiggle in the water above the largest foreground rock in the water, on the right side.  It is lighter in shade that the water behind it.  I'm not sure what that is from, perhaps a scratch on your ND filter?  It's just something I notice.    

Am I correct to assume this is a B&W HDR, or possibly an exposure blend?  I ask this because while I find the scene lovely, the overall lack of contrast leaves my eyes fighting for something to focus on.  I very much enjoy the soft greys you have achieved, however the lack of contrast between the shades makes it hard to discern the depth of the landscape.  I would be tempted to darken the shadows just a tad and see if that makes the image punch a little more.  Beautiful landscape, thank you for sharing!        

Even though I see the eyes as two slightly different color shades (likely due to the dappled shadows), I find them very striking!  Beautiful capture.    

I really like how the moon is right in the middle of the aurora!  I realize you don't control where they form, but kudos for making it work for you!  I bailed when the moon started coming up here (Juneau).  I had been out the night prior and the moon was just too bright to really capture much in the way of auroras.  The next night I jumped at shooting before the moon came up over the mountain and was able to capture a few decent shots.  

Congrats again!