Bird Bath - AGAIN!

[AB26]

Yes it is that bird bath again.

After all the positive comments and rude critique on my last bird bath shot I would be rude to you people not to retaliate.

Your previous comments an critique is much appreciated and I followed some advice and came up with this shot.

The main goal of this exercise is trying to master Manual WB settings under difficult lighting conditions. With this one the sun was shining again, after almost 3 weeks of constant rain. From my back, early morning sunlight was reflected from a peach coloured wall. The sun was right from the front and I had to shield the lens, despite the lens hood, from direct sun entering.

A little PP was done to enhance contrast and saturation. Sharpness was applied.
Shot in Jpeg, 1/10sec (yes! TRIPOD), f9, Manual Exposure, ISO 100, WB set to 5000K. manual focus.
Is this a little better than the previous bird bath? What does the colour look like on your screen? Is this a better composition? Does it give you more feeling for the placement of the bird bath?

Please be rude and honest, I appreciate straight forward honest comment.

Thank you for looking and spending your valuable time commenting.

PS.: The second image is to confuse you!

[bnnrcn]

Hi Andre,I'm sure you are uploading photos like #1 for teaching us because your knowledge and experience are far beyond ...The metal thing next to the birdbath spoils the composition,I would prefer a real bird,I would shoot from a lower angle,IMO the colours are good.

#2 is a nice one.

[Shadowman]

Hi Andre,

I think the moonlit shot provided us with a sense of place and placement, so perhaps as you've shown more than one photo is necessary for your overall goals. Regarding the first image, I agree with Binnur regarding the light fixture, also the one stone seems out of place although we see its origin in the second image.

Regarding the artificial bird, I think you could make more realistic with different lighting techniques, but the bird is merely a prop so perhaps minimizing its presence is a better option. Overall, I like the composition of the first image, a bit tight on the crop from the right but placement of elements work well. Even though there are some reflections, the lighting seems overcast and could use a bit of vibrancy.

I like the second image as well, same goes regarding lighting as stated about first image.

[AB26]

Hi Andre,I'm sure you are uploading photos like #1 for teaching us because your knowledge and experience are far beyond ...The metal thing next to the birdbath spoils the composition,I would prefer a real bird,I would shoot from a lower angle,IMO the colours are good.

#2 is a nice one.

Hi Binnur,

I appreciate compliments like that, with tongue in cheek. On a scale from 1-10 on knowledgeable about Photography I would put myself at around 4.

No, I do not post images to “teach” others, I post images to learn from others, like yourself. Photography cannot be taught. Basic principles and knowledge can be carried over and then it is up to the “learner” to apply principles and knowledge to the best of his/her ability.

That metal thing can be removed and I will do so. It is going to be a little difficult convincing a real bird to pose for the shot. I will have to build a hide and wait for a few hours to get a real model posing for the shot. Could be worth it! Shooting from a lower angle will bring many distractions into the image, a swimming pool and concrete borders – you won’t like that.

Thank you Binnur, I have learned something from your comment. Much appreciated.

[AB26]

Hi Andre,

I think the moonlit shot provided us with a sense of place and placement, so perhaps as you've shown more than one photo is necessary for your overall goals. Regarding the first image, I agree with Binnur regarding the light fixture, also the one stone seems out of place although we see its origin in the second image.

Regarding the artificial bird, I think you could make more realistic with different lighting techniques, but the bird is merely a prop so perhaps minimizing its presence is a better option. Overall, I like the composition of the first image, a bit tight on the crop from the right but placement of elements work well. Even though there are some reflections, the lighting seems overcast and could use a bit of vibrancy.

I like the second image as well, same goes regarding lighting as stated about first image.

Thanks John,

How do you use lighting to make an artificial object look more realistic? Is there a special way of doing it?

I will remove the light and reshoot. To be honest I did not notice the out of place stone. Got to be more careful when composing. Another lesson learned.

Thank you for spending time to comment.

[Shadowman]

Thanks John,

How do you use lighting to make an artificial object look more realistic? Is there a special way of doing it?

I will remove the light and reshoot. To be honest I did not notice the out of place stone. Got to be more careful when composing. Another lesson learned.

Thank you for spending time to comment.

Andre,

I'd do it in two shots, first light as you did here for the birdbath and then do a second shot with different lighting on the bird, perhaps back lit or lit from below.

[MrB]

Is the second photo one of your little tests Andre? When I first looked at it, I thought you had the camera slightly tilted but, looking at the water, it seems that the bird bath really is leaning a bit to the left. The image does seem slightly under-exposed to me though.

Cheers.
Philip

[bnnrcn]

Andre ,excuse my English if I said something wrongly in my previous post ...I didn't mean it would be better to shoot with a wider lens or with a smaller focal length.I meant it was better to shoot by kneeling down (lowering yourself).But if this is going to cause some trouble for the composition,then it is better to leave it as it is.

Hi Binnur,

I appreciate compliments like that, with tongue in cheek. On a scale from 1-10 on knowledgeable about Photography I would put myself at around 4.

No, I do not post images to “teach” others, I post images to learn from others, like yourself. Photography cannot be taught. Basic principles and knowledge can be carried over and then it is up to the “learner” to apply principles and knowledge to the best of his/her ability.

That metal thing can be removed and I will do so. It is going to be a little difficult convincing a real bird to pose for the shot. I will have to build a hide and wait for a few hours to get a real model posing for the shot. Could be worth it! Shooting from a lower angle will bring many distractions into the image, a swimming pool and concrete borders – you won’t like that.

Thank you Binnur, I have learned something from your comment. Much appreciated.

[Ken Curtis]

Andre, I like both pics better than your previous. I agree with removing the metallic lamp from the 1st image. Both images are much more pleasing to view because they show the context or area surrounding the bird baths. I like the inclusion of ceramic birds because it gives more "life" to the images. I like the lighting in the first image but would have lightened the second just a bit.

[Downrigger]

The main goal of this exercise is trying to master Manual WB settings under difficult lighting conditions.

I think the WB is good, but also find it hard to judge in this image because it is so dominated by greens, and the light is almost a suffused green. Challenging to get right to be sure, but I think hard also to tell whether you did so.
I assume you can adjust the WB in your PP so I would think you would have pushed that slider around some to find for yourself what best tells what you were seeing.
To me - it's a hair on the buttery (warm) side, but that's not incompatible with the early morning sun, the setting, and the ambience so may be just what you wanted. If it is, then I'd say you did very well.

[IzzieK]

Andre...congratulations! Those two shots are beautifully done. May I suggest you hang a bird feeder in one of the nearby area of your bird bath so you do not have to wait a long time to catch some real bird using the bath?

Binnur, that "metal thing" is a solar light good for nighttime lighting in certain areas. I will assume you do not know so I am trying to explain.

[bnnrcn]

I know about solar lights Isabel,they are used here in some gardens too.But the ones I have seen are usually smaller and they look nicer. I used 'metal thing' to emphasize that it is ugly and doesn't go well with the birdbath at all

Andre...congratulations! Those two shots are beautifully done. May I suggest you hang a bird feeder in one of the nearby area of your bird bath so you do not have to wait a long time to catch some real bird using the bath?

Binnur, that "metal thing" is a solar light good for nighttime lighting in certain areas. I will assume you do not know so I am trying to explain.

[Wavelength]

Now i know the story

[FootLoose]

I'm glad to see you finally cleaned the bird bath, Andre

As others have noted, remove the stone and the light. Then the fake bird will become the focus of attention.

I am surprised the lighting isn't warmer: isn't that the point of shooting in early morning light?

[dedro]

nice fake bird andre