Mr Smart & Mr Scruffy

[Dave_S]

Poked the camera out through the dining room window today, as I was bored but couldn't be bothered to go out.

Along came Mr Smart, followed by his mate Mr Scruffy.

5D3 + 400 f/5.6 - ISO2000 at f/5.6.

The birds were about 5m away, so the images are heavily cropped.

Not the best, but better than no shots at all.

Dave

Smart by Dave_S2, on Flickr

Scruffy by Dave_S2, on Flickr

[tesarver]

Re: Mr Smart & Mr Scruffy

Nice catch Dave

Tom

[Tigger]

Re: Mr Smart & Mr Scruffy

I don't think Mr Scruffy is going to pull the birds tonight ....thought I'd get that in before Jeff

For a poke out of the window photo its very good although not so sure I would have put the birds right in the middle of the image

[Stan]

Re: Mr Smart & Mr Scruffy

5 metres is not a long way away Dave and these have come out quite well. I would try a different crop, rather than placing the bird centre of frame put him to one side so that he has room to look/move into

Stan

[the black fox]

Re: Mr Smart & Mr Scruffy

good shots but as the above comments

[antoeknee]

Re: Mr Smart & Mr Scruffy

Blue tits are already thinking about the spring and looks like Mr Scruffy has come of worse in some of the premating scuffles that are already going on.

Agree with comments by Stan.

[Dave_S]

Re: Mr Smart & Mr Scruffy

Thanks for the comments guys, much appreciated.

I had to smile at the 'bird in the middle' comments.

Because there in lays a story that I told last year. However, if you are sitting comfortably, I'll tell it again.

I posted a similar shot last year, and Stan made the same comment that the image would look better composed if the the bird was set to one side, with space in the direction that he was looking. Knowing that Stan had entered a lot of competitions, and as such knew what the judges like to see, I recomposed the shot as he suggested. I thought yes, it looks ok.

Armed with what was quite a reasonable shot, and now composed to please the "judges", I entered it into the club competition.

To my amazement, the judge said that she would have awarded it a higher mark, if the bird had been centered in the frame.

That was it for me, no more competitions and no more club. Three or four months on, and I haven't missed either.

From now on, I will go with the thinking here on the forum, and offset my birds as suggested. Personally, I think you are right, and talk much more sense than the "expert judges", who are clearly so inconsistent, they make a mockery of the whole competition thing.

There's more sense talked here on the forum, than by any judge that I have seen perform.

Dave

[Dave_S]

Re: Mr Smart & Mr Scruffy

5 metres is not a long way away Dave and these have come out quite well.

Stan

Don't forget its a Full Frame camera Stan, and as such 400mm is just that, and not the 640mm that it would be equivalent to on a Crop Sensor.

Dave

[antoeknee]

Re: Mr Smart & Mr Scruffy

Don't get me started about 'judges', your experience echos mine from years ago and I too gave up on comps and clubs. Think we all know that some space for subject to move into always helps.