Pelican Water Splash - C&C Welcome

[fotugraphy]

Hi, going forward on my photography venture I stopped and clicked another shot. Can you please review it and let me know what exactly is missing for it to make it much better?

Please provide your views and suggestion with composition, frame, crops and processing.

Thank You

PS : Please click on the image for lightbox screen view (Highly recommended)



Update #1 : Cropped tighter, fixed some water droplets on right bottom and left, few light adjustments to make it even, just as suggested by respected members.

[Shadowman]

Very nice however viewed. Good control of the darks and lights.

[IzzieK]

Now....THIS IS!...photography...beautiful shot, beautiful shadings and your pelican has better colour too. Nice capture.

[fotugraphy]

Very nice however viewed. Good control of the darks and lights.

Thanks a lot for your kind review and appreciation

[fotugraphy]

Now....THIS IS!...photography...beautiful shot, beautiful shadings and your pelican has better colour too. Nice capture.

Thanks a lot for your kind review and appreciation Really like your signature quote

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Raj,

Excellent capture, as you specifically asked for critique, I'll mention a few minor suggestions I would consider, if it were mine.

I would consider cloning out just a couple of things;

the brightest, largest (out of focus) splash drop towards lower right corner (only the one)
the bright, sharp line of distant ripples that connect to the left edge of frame (perhaps just the left half of it)

I cannot think of anything else.

Hope that helps, Dave

[Barbara Ponder]

Very nice!

[Bobobird]

Wonderful shot.

To me there are only 2 elements to this great shot - the bird and the spray. Everything else is basically superfluous. I would suggest a slightly tighter crop eliminating some of the left, right and top. The bottom too but proportionally less than the other 3 sides.

You want the main elements to stand out. At the moment proportionally the not so important ones do and is sort of suffocating the bird and spray - if that makes sense...

[Krawuntzel]

Hello Raj
this is a great picture on which I would spend some time to "finish", because I think it is worth every effort.

In addition to the remarks of Dave I see some other blurred, out of focus, etc. very small parts that distract my eye when I look at the picture; here are the ones I noticed:

middle right: a - you permit the expression - a very bright "beam" attracting more than the drops: eliminate it.
direct above it: what to me seem to be sensor dust spots: eliminate.
upmost 1/5 of the background, especially from the middle to left: I do not know what it is; appears to me like fingerprints on a touch screen: eliminate it.

For editing such a outstanding take I would even do what I usually do not: pixel-peeking.
Erwin

[KimC]

Gorgeous shot!

[Texas Dave]

Something you don't see everyday. What a pleasant surprise to open up a thread and find a shot like this. Nicely done!

[Brownbear]

This is one of the most beautiful artistic pelican images I've seen, absolutely exquisite! I'd go with Bobo's advice for cropping leaving just the gorgeous bird and most of the spray.

[Rita]

A beautiful shot. You were at the right place at the right time.

[rpcrowe]

Raj,
I love this image but, I played with it a tiny bit. I cropped it somewhat and added structure with NIK Viveza 2. I then thought that a border might be appropriate and added one. What do you think?



I was thinking that adding a vignette might work but, then realized that the water droplets form a natural vignette....

[Bobobird]

Excellent edit Richard. Exactly as I envisaged minus the borders which do make it stand out even more.

[FootLoose]

Fantastic shot, Raj, I wouldn't do a thing to it. In all the time I have been watching pelicans, I have never seen them bathing this way. Other birds, yes, but not pelicans.

Incidentally, I would be interested in seeing any specimen-type shots you have of the Rosy Pelican, as I have never seen any - at least nor any decent ones taken by an accomplished photographer such as yourself.

[Stagecoach]

Excellent Raj,

Suggestions yes, note what Dave, Erwin and Bobo have mentioned and take the time to perfect these minor areas.

Then put a big watermark across the middle of it and go out and market it

[Jill]

Wow that is wonderful.
I wish I could say something intelligent to help improve it but it looks excellent

[Jill]

Wow that is wonderful.
I wish I could say something intelligent to help improve it but it looks excellent

[fotugraphy]

Hi Raj,

Excellent capture, as you specifically asked for critique, I'll mention a few minor suggestions I would consider, if it were mine.

I would consider cloning out just a couple of things;

the brightest, largest (out of focus) splash drop towards lower right corner (only the one)
the bright, sharp line of distant ripples that connect to the left edge of frame (perhaps just the left half of it)

I cannot think of anything else.

Hope that helps, Dave

Thanks a lot for your kind review and suggestions. I have updated the thread description with the changes as suggested.