Mute Swans

[Brownbear]

Two standard images of a Mute Swan... I keep trying to capture the light on the swans tail feathers and the head, but never manage both so in post processing I've lightened the shadows a fair amount (also compensating for the dirt on the bird) - perhaps too much? I denoised the water but not the swan, and noise is seen in the dark areas.

f/8 SS 1600 (I was hoping for some action which never happened) ISO 1600


#1



#2



More creative composition... I was hoping that the it would look like the Swans beak was disappearing in a sea of white... In hindsight I think that the next time I try this I will us a slightly smaller aperture for more depth of field on the Swan's beak.

f/4 ISO 100 SS 100

#3


Just sharing but I would appreciate some input on the composition of #3...

Thank you.

[Shadowman]

Nice images. NIK software/Dfine2 would allow you to NR on specific color ranges.

[bnnrcn]

Very nice images Christina I don't know if something more can be done for the heads, they still look a bit dark but I actually don't mind . The composition in #3 doesn't work very much for me, may be you need to have more sea of white to make it work, I don't know

[rtbaum]

As always, I enjoy your images; you have come so far with your skills.

I played with different compositions of #3 in lightbox. The comp that really popped was a really radical crop to emphasize the beautiful reflection in the eye.

[chauncey]

Christina, I am really liking those images...a lot!
To the point that I'm gonna go back to my own swan images and PP the water as is yours.

[Nancy Moran G]

Those are just beautiful Christina!
Those reflections are to die for, for me anyway.
Nancy

[Mike Buckley]

I sure do like that glorious light shining through the feathers.

[Rita]

Christina, in 1 & 2 I really like the light, pose, and reflection of the swan. #3 I like the idea you tried but something didn't quit come through. Wish I had some creative suggestions for you but others have already said them

[Nicks Pics]

Beautiful swans Christina! ( and I mean to compliment your efforts in photographing them as well). It was great that the swan was doing a wing display for you. I think #1 is just a little better than #2 because of the position of the swan, and that you can see a reflection of it's head. The light and reflections are beautiful in these. It is lovely to see so much detail in the swan's head close-up. I wonder though, if had you gotten a higher perspective, (standing up as high as possible, if you weren't already) so that the swan's back covered more of the background, it would have turned out more like you had envisioned. But that may not have been possible, I don't know.

[Brownbear]

Thank you everyone! We celebrate Christmas today so I'm going to be brief.

I really appreciate all the feedback on the 3rd close in composition. I knew something was not quite right, and I'm just going to have to revisit these swans and try again!

Nick - Thanks for the great idea about photographing the Swan from the top! I will try it.

Randy - I'm amazed that you spotted the reflection. If I recall correctly it is a reflection of the lagoon. That would be a very severe crop so I'm just going to try to get closer to capture a shot like you have suggested.

John... Thanks for the tip on Nik... See my reply in the other thread. (mixed up replies)

Binnur... Later on I might try making these high key... Here is a shot where they are front lit, but the bushes are messy and I should've put my polarizer on as the morning progressed.



Rita and Nancy... Thank you.

Mike... I really love the way the light shines through their feathers when they open their wings. And I will be visiting again for another try.

Chauncey... Thank you. I'm very flattered that you would choose to try and PP the water as I have.

Merry Christmas to all!

[Nicks Pics]

Merry Christmas to you too!
I like that last one as well.

[chauncey]

I'm very flattered that you would choose to try and PP the water as I have.

Yeah well, fuhgeddaboudit...2 hour of putzing around and it still looked terrible.

[GBO25]

I'm very impressed. I really like the way the light glows through the feathers and those wonderful reflections. My favourites are #1 & #2 as well.
Where I live all the swans are black so I can never get shots like this.

[Bobobird]

Beautiful...

[wilgk]

The first 2 are serenely beautiful! I could look at them for hours on end!
The not teensy teensy suggestion is I find myself wanting a teensy pixel or 2 more space behind the tail on the first one.
But they truly are lovely.

[FlyingSquirrel]

Christina,

Just dropping into the forums for a quick look at some nature pics and came across these. Lighting looks nice on first couple pics. Head portrait comp doesn't work for me, but I wanted to say that the image is technically very good, one of the nicest I've seen from you (not that I have consistently been on here to see much of yours or anyone else's work, but comparing from your shots I have seen). Sharpness, exposure, look pretty good, post processing not bad either. Nice work, dramatic improvement!

[bnnrcn]

Hi Christina, the last one is very nice too Yes , may be the bushes are a bit too much but if you cropped it from the top to have a square frame , IMO it would look much better.

[arith]

Get them in action, point a camera they know. Nice images and I like reflections.

[wlou]

Great birds, great photos. I also love the light coming through the feathers. I can see the landscape in the eye of the last one.
Merry Christmas to you and yours from a wet and rainy Québec!

[rudi]

Hi Christina, very nice images.
Hard to choose between nr 1 or nr 4.
Nr 1 for the position, the reflection, the bg.
Nr 4 for the glorious light. Maybe, maybe less grass on the top, a bit more space on the back and the bottom, some light in the eye, .....would make it even better, just maybe. But I am nitpicking on a glorious image