Pidgeon Sentinel

[John 2]

Not sure about this one. It breaks a few rules but I keep coming back to it so comments particularly welcome.

Nikon D7000
1/800th sec @f5.6 ISO 320
70-300mm Nikkor at 300mm

[Brownbear]

Hi John,

Just to say that I think this is a gorgeous image! I adore the colours (pigeon and moss) and how the pigeon is looking at us. I also love how the mossy rock leads us to the bird.

I would also love it cropped in half, 2x3, ie; closer in on the beautiful pigeon but also for the sense of the pigeon being perched all alone at the edge of a cliff guarding the colony beyond.

[Wavelength]

A very lovely shot

[bnnrcn]

I loved it too John. I think it looks a bit soft but I really don't mind. I loved the colors and I loved the piegon. A vertical crop with less of the rock might look good compositionally but I don't know if it makes the image quality worse.

[Texas Dave]

I like it, I can't critique because I have crop issues and I would of cropped the same as you. ...but then again I like rocks, moss and birds sooooo... I like it!

[klpurkett]

I like it the way it is! I think if you were to crop it closer the viewer might be tempted to imagine that you just focused on one pigeon out of a group, whereas leaving this much of the rock illustrates his solitude. I wouldn't change a thing!

[Dave Humphries]

Hi John,

It does work for me, I rarely capture their neck iridescence as well as you have here - and it complements the moss on the rock.

If I had been shooting - I would have waited for it to 'look the other way', then it would be looking 'into' the rest of the image and more people may have been happy
For all I know, you may even have such an image, but actually prefer this one

It is a tad soft - at 200mm on a Nikon D7000, 1/800s, f/5.6 and ISO 320, it should be somewhat sharper, but that might well be improved in Post Processing.

In a tighter crop, the sharpness would have to be addressed.

Still a nice image though, Dave

[Rebel]

Lovely Shot John! I would try a slightly tighter crop with less of the rock. (Even though they do compliment each other well.)

Its also a bit of a strange image for me as I'm used to seeing pigeons in more urban areas.

[IzzieK]

John I am with the fan club of no cropping, just like it the way it is...to my very fertile imagination, the rock it is standing on resembles a hand outstretched with just the middle finger showing where the pigeon is. The moss also plays a big part of this image and the iridescent feathers at the neck is so utterly perfect. The pose of it makes it for me, a very good composition. Sometimes rules are made to be broken once you know about the basics of following them. And this is one case. Excellent shot!

[Shadowman]

Nicely done.

[Chri5]

It breaks a few rules but didn't Ansell Adams say "Rules are made to be broken"? I assume you refer to the active space being on the wrong side? I think it makes the shot all the more interesting. I love this. The depth of field is brilliant and the colours are rich and true.

My only gripe (and i'm nit picking here) is that its a little soft when viewed full screen but then that might just be down to the rendering from uploading it so ignore that?

Furthermore I would suggest that you don't crop it as I like the space on the out side. It gives a sense of solitude

[John 2]

Thanks for all the comments all of which have been very helpful. They have sort of confirmed that it is a nearly but not quite image. My problem with it was being undecided whether the negative space on the RHS was too much and whether the fact that the bird is looking into the frame is strong enough to counter the fact that it is facing out of the frame. There is a slight softness but that is down my processing ability at the time I first did this. I think I could do a better job today and a bit of edge sharpening actually goes some way to an improvement. I don't think the IQ will stand a heavier crop. Thanks all for the honest feedback.

[Dave Humphries]

~ to my very fertile imagination, the rock it is standing on resembles a hand outstretched with just the middle finger showing where the pigeon is.

Yeah, that crossed my mind too!

Do you see a right or left hand Izzie?
I'm just wondering if we're each seeing the same thing

[Rebel]

Yeah, that crossed my mind too!

Do you see a right or left hand Izzie?
I'm just wondering if we're each seeing the same thing

Right hand for me. (Pointing with the thumb out )

[FrankMi]

Rules? Knowing where and how to break the rules is one of the secrets of creating unique images. I like the way that the bright and sharp subject is complemented by the dark and soft background. Excellent use of negative space.

Christina's crop suggestion would work quite well but it would change the way the scene impacts the viewer. This view is less traditional and therefore more unique.

[Saorsa]

It's a great shot and an interesting blue green spectrum image. The monotonic nature makes it a lot like a sunset in that regard.

[IzzieK]

Yeah, that crossed my mind too!

Do you see a right or left hand Izzie?
I'm just wondering if we're each seeing the same thing

Dave -- for me it is the left hand because the thumb was missing...and the little finger was out of the shot.

[Brownbear]

Hi John,

Just to say that I adore this image, as presented. I suggested the crop simply because I saw another beautiful image within your image.

[NorthernFocus]

Hi, John. I'm normally a stickler for things with eyes facing into the frame. For some reason, and I had to think about it a while, this one doesn't bother me as is. Didn't from the moment I looked at it. I finally decided that it is because it adds to the effect of the bird being perched on the edge of a cliff looking off into open space. The bird's head/eye are also nicely placed in the frame by the rule of thirds (close enough). I love this sort of pose with the bird's back exposed and head twisted around. Compositionally a nice image IMO and I can see why you came back to it.

Technically the bird is well isolated and really pops against the dark BG. The colors on bird and moss are nicely saturated w/out over doing it. Other have mentioned the only real issue which is the sharpness. Overall a really nice image. Well done.

[John 2]

Thanks all for the additional comment. I think sometimes you can over think an image which has led me to have a few doubts about this one. Breaking rules sometimes works. Wouldn't it be nice if we always knew when.