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Inspiring and Supporting Photographers of Australian Birds

Australian Pied Oystercatcher

Photographed by

Ian Wilson on Fri 2nd Oct, 2015 and uploaded on Sun 14th May, 2017 .

Resolution

1400x1014

Viewed

1088

25602

Comment

The image was processed with DPP4 and PSE14 and below I outline the most important adjustments.

The image was captured using automatic white balance, Canon Standard picture style, and exposing for the whites. In processing, the brightest white patch on the bird’s flank was used as a reference for subsequent image adjustments. This indicated slight under-exposure and I therefore raised the overall brightness 0.5 stops so the white patch was about 245 DN. I used the same white patch to fine tune the white balance to neutral white so that the RGB numbers were about (245, 245, 245) DN.

The tonal range of the black and white birds in direct sunlight is at the extreme of what we encounter in bird photography. In this example the range is about 10 stops and I therefore set the black and white points of the gamma curve at 6 stops below the mid-tone for the black point and 4 stops above for the white point. I then adjusted the shadows and highlights to increase the contrast (detail) in the blacks and whites.

I increased the shadows by 5 stops and reduced the highlights by 3 stops. One would not normally require 5 stops of shadow adjustment but black and white birds are an extreme case. This resulted in the darkest black in the tail having RGB of about (10, 10, 10) DN, just enough to see some detail in the finished JPEG. Another critical lighting adjustment was the red channel in the bill which I allowed to just clip at R = 255 DN.

The frame was cropped to give the bird some space all around and room to ‘fly’ into. The placement of the bird in the frame was guided by the rule-of-thirds.

You are now invited to critique the image by deconstructing it to discover the factors that made this image stand out in the recent Black and White Birds comp.

Equipment

Canon 5Ds + 600 mm f/4 II, hand-held.
Manual, spot metering, AI Servo AF with 8-pt expansion, f/5.6, 1/4000 sec, ISO 320.
Processed with DPP4 and PSE14.

Location

Western Treatment Plant, Werribee, Victoria

Keywords

in flight, adult

This image is not available for download.

Chris Dubar	2017-05-15 18:37:48	For me there are three things that make this image stand out. Firstly the wing position : the far wing is fully extended and showing the detail of the underwing pattern but the near wing is foreshortened allowing a closer cropping of the bird than would have been possible if both wings were extended parallel to camera - then of course the wing tip just kissing the surface of the water immediately draws the viewer's attention. Secondly the bird is looking straight at the viewer and thirdly the background has no distracting elements but has good detail of the water surface below the bird and behind the lower wing, but is nicely out of focus behind the body and head of the bird which makes it 'pop'.
Trevor Bullock	2017-05-16 08:03:37	Firstly, congratulations to Ian on obtaining this superb image. I agree with all of Chris's comments and can only add one additional observation which I believe helps make this the standout image it is - the bird has all of its feathers - it's in its 'Dinner Suit' rather than 'Gardening Clothes'. I guess its an element of good or bad luck, that many a good flight shot is spoiled by missing or half grown flight/tail feathers. Not here, well done.
Mark Davidson	2017-05-17 04:40:12	The only thing I would comment on, and its purely psychological is that "our culture has trained our brains to view left to right movement as an indicator or progress -- of success. " This has been highlighted by a number of judges at the Fremantle Camera Club on competition nights and, from what I've read, is an aspect of motion picture movie composition. So, I would perform a horizontal flip so that the Australian Pied Oystercatcher is flying from left to right. Otherwise it is a wonderful image of a most photogenic bird beautifully captured. Congratulations Ian.
Ian Wilson	2017-05-17 15:37:05	Image deconstruction is a process that tries to identify the aesthetic and technical qualities that make an image outstanding. From a technical point of view, at the Advanced Level, the basic image qualities expected are proper adjustment of lighting, colour, noise and sharpness. If there are noticeable shortcomings in any of these qualities then the image will be marked down. Even minor technical issues can be magnified in importance when members are ranking images on the final voting list. Technical perfection is the aim but on its own is not usually sufficient to win a competition. It is however desirable as it avoids providing a negative reason for members to marked down an image. I think my oystercatcher would meet most members’ expectations and that technical quality was unlikely to have been a negative issue. That brings us to aesthetic qualities which can be difficult to identify but which in combination are the most important factors. Lighting and colour help set the mood of a picture. In the case of my oystercatcher it is bright and colourful showing a bird having fun. I think the mood is light and cheerful making it easy to share the moment of exuberance with the bird. I think this helps the viewer to feel good about the picture. As a general rule, it is usually an advantage to have some bright colours in a competition image; pretty birds are hard to beat. Action images can also be an advantage in competitions, even if it is just a bird in flight. There is something wondrous about flight that can capture the viewer’s attention and stimulate the imagination. I often think, wow, wouldn’t it be amazing to fly like that! Another basic aesthetic quality is associated with the size and placement of the bird in the frame. I was conscious that the oystercatcher should not be too big in the frame. This is all to do with perception and the theory goes way back to the classical painters. I have used the rule-of-thirds to align the body of the bird on a line roughly one-third down from the top and the wing reaching down to the water is on a line roughly one-third in from the right hand edge. This has resulted in a pleasing composition with some room for the bird to fly into. Mark’s comment regarding the direction of flight, whether right to left or left to right, raises an excellent point. It is known that some people have a strong preference for movement to appear to be from left to right. If one was entering a big national or international competition it would be wise to take account of this just in case one of the judges had this preference. The direction in which birds face is also an issue when laying out images in a photobook. Chris has identified the engaging eye contact as an important aesthetic quality and I whole-heartedly agree, I think it won a lot of votes. Chris also mentioned the simple background with the bird standing out helping to give an attractive 3-D perspective. Trevor has noted that the oystercatcher is looking its best in a ‘dinner suit’ of fresh plumage ready for the breeding season. This is a very good point and was no doubt one more factor that could have been a negative if the bird was in worn and tattered post-breeding plumage. Finally, thank you Chris, Trevor and Mark for contributing your valuable insights to this critique.
Bruce Terrill	2017-05-30 19:54:22	Thanks Ian for a brief look into the mindset of an Award Winning Photographer and Show Judge. May it be possible to now get an understanding of the photographer's approach to this image? While we have the 'vault' open, we might as well steal a few more pennies? Your mind Ian, to me, would be an incredible place to live and as I have spoken to you before, your knowledge should be released for all who follow to garnish and add infinitum. . .With respect, Bruce
Glenn Pure	2017-05-31 15:43:53	I hope to contribute as much as possible to the critique gallery but have been away for a month so am playing 'catch-up'. Now for the comments. I essentially agree with all of what has been said but would like to add a few twists to it... But first, I'd like to repeat the comments of others about how technically excellent the image is, especially given such a difficult subject (moving subject with very large tonal range). It would be hard to make a better image from the original capture. As for the 'twists', one is the eye contact. I think it works very well in this photo and more than likely would be marked down if it wasn't so. I personally don't always seek eye contact in my shots and not only in cases where the bird is concentrating on doing something so its gaze is diverted (eg hunting prey). My personal view is that eye contact indicates the bird has seen you. That may may the bird is not engaging in natural behaviour. It may be considering a brief dash to safety or the opposite: curious about who/what you are. I generally prefer that the bird looks like it is going about its normal business uninterrupted by human presence. So, if I can find an aesthetically pleasing pose (but usually not the bird facing in the opposite direction, for example), I like to go with that. As we are social beings though, eye contact is highly valued and I understand why it is generally recommended for a photo over the bird looking elsewhere. Ignoring that 'requirement' for eye contact will almost certainly cost in competitions both on BLP and elsewhere. I have simply made this point as an issue to think about rather than guidance on how to construct a photo. As Georgina Steytler emphasised in her winning Tom Oliver award this year, be prepared to consider breaking the rules. It may make your image stand out if done in an aesthetically pleasing way. And on aesthetic elements, that would be my only criticism - although that is probably too strong a word - of Ian's image. It's a beautiful flight shot with the wing tip just touching the water. It's a lovely touch (excuse the pun). But there is little else going on in the photo: no special twist or behaviour. In much more competitive environments, I suspect a photo like this would be overlooked as a result. Hope that provides a slightly different perspective.

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	3/286 in Critique Gallery
	660/1431 by Ian Wilson
	26/176 of Australian Pied Oystercatcher
	50/292 of Oystercatchers
	10075/34550 Overall
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