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BIF & flat blue skies, do they work for you?

Excellent stuff as always there Rich. I think if the subject nearly fills, or we can crop in so it does fill in the frame, then it works with just blue skies like your crane shot. The original poster there with that shot has nothing to worry about. there's enough in the frame that more than makes up for it.
Thanks Danny.

I agree about the ratio of subject to plain blue sky. I have a similar problem when I shoot waterfowl and end up with too much boring uniform water around a duck.

You may recall the debates I often provoked back at NPN about Birds in Habitat vs Bird on a stick. I definitely don't want to start something like that again here!
 
Thanks Danny.

I agree about the ratio of subject to plain blue sky. I have a similar problem when I shoot waterfowl and end up with too much boring uniform water around a duck.

You may recall the debates I often provoked back at NPN about Birds in Habitat vs Bird on a stick. I definitely don't want to start something like that again here!
Yeah NPN was really touchy about that :) You had people like E.J. Greg and Art posting, so expectations were a lot higher for sure. It's always nice to have vegetation as the background, but not always possible, so it's better to have a shot than not have one IMO Rich. Birds on a stick :) ha that was another one for sure. Again better to have the shot than not have it, I'll take whatever I can get as long as it's half decent Rich.

Danny.
 
Here's a recent example of a Kestrel leaping from a branch. It seemed like he spotted dinner by the angle of it's head, but I find the backdrop makes the capture look false and ruins the image somehow. I'd like your opinions of BIF photography with flat sky backgrounds. Post your own pictures if you like, show me how or what makes it work. I'd love to see your good examples.

View attachment 3296
Such an image might end up different of what you expect and envision for a bif picture to be but this is quite a lovely picture actually.
 
Coming from England a blue sky is not that commonplace so they are a bonus though sometimes it is hard to get the actual shade of blue looking right.
 
Coming from England a blue sky is not that commonplace so they are a bonus though sometimes it is hard to get the actual shade of blue looking right.
That is actually a very good point. I change the shades of blue quite often for sure. Most times to get the accurate colours on the BIF along with the exposure, the blue sky tends to go quite dark, so I change just the blue to suit the bird itself. Pretty much bang on, but with what you take, you already know anyway :) I'll also disclose that sometimes I'll lighten just the eye of the bird slightly, just so everyone knows.

Danny.
 
That is actually a very good point. I change the shades of blue quite often for sure. Most times to get the accurate colours on the BIF along with the exposure, the blue sky tends to go quite dark, so I change just the blue to suit the bird itself. Pretty much bang on, but with what you take, you already know anyway :) I'll also disclose that sometimes I'll lighten just the eye of the bird slightly, just so everyone knows.

Danny.
Interesting.

My birding and photography began some 50 years ago when I lived in New Jersey. Skies in NJ looked a lot different from the typical sky I see here in AZ and other places in the desert southwest. WhenI have shared a shot from AZ or NM with friends still in NJ they complain about how strange the sky looks and sometimes accuse me of manipulating them to make them too dark or too blue even when I try to keep them looking as they were when I took the photo.
 
That is actually a very good point. I change the shades of blue quite often for sure. Most times to get the accurate colours on the BIF along with the exposure, the blue sky tends to go quite dark, so I change just the blue to suit the bird itself. Pretty much bang on, but with what you take, you already know anyway :) I'll also disclose that sometimes I'll lighten just the eye of the bird slightly, just so everyone knows.

Danny.
I do it exactly like that, the eye(s) included :)
 
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