the-mandarins_0004
by mariuca

Comment:
Haha! One Mandarin has passed out. Painting with light? I think you need a longer exposure :)

IMG_3801-fire-excapes-800
by sfalice

Comment:
Another nice arty sighting. So many architectural styles in your city. Damn. Couldn't they have put the escape on the other side of the building?! Kind of spoils the design.
(A lot of purple CA fringing on the contrasty edges. Perhaps filter it out in PP? )

4 - Arriving Late
by tvsometime

Comment:
Shot from the hip? Nice framing and suspended ani-motion :) Lots to look at. A mundane daily scene caught for all time. Love the snow/sleet you caught too, thanks the slow s/s.

African Jacana (PAW 4/52)
by HarveyG

Comment:
nam and kasaba You are right, the lilly is too bright for the overall balance. The white splotch is part of the flower petals about to open. I tend not to "drastically" alter reality in PP. I have to get my head around that. The birds white neck is in stark contrast to the rest and I have balanced it ever so slightly by reducing EV in RAW processing, in fact I shot UE by at least 1EV in the middle of the day and spot meter with 6, 8, 12% additional surround average. Nice function in the Nikon "Pro-Sumer" and Pro bodies. Naturally the trick in a still photo is to balance every area of it as if your eye was viewing the live scene and adjusting the pupil accordingly. The African sun appears massively bright when compared with other countries I've been to. On average inland we are 2 kilometres closer to it than most other places :)

African Jacana (PAW 4/52)
by HarveyG

Comment:

Originally posted by kasaba: My one comment is that it looks like you did some "funny" editing on that water lillie bud. It looks different to the rest of the image and, to me, sticks out. If you haven't edited it and that's what it looks like, maybe you should ;-) Interesting observation. No editing on the water lilly at all. No other editing other than a hint of Topaz Labs DeNoise 5 and some standard but subtle sharpening across the entire image.

Message edited by author 2013-01-24 02:15:06.

African Jacana (PAW 4/52)
by HarveyG

Comment:

Originally posted by Dennisheckman: Brilliant work Harvey. I googled the bird and found this image of a youngster. They are adorable! The proportion of feet to body is amazing. No wonder they walk on anything and stay afloat.

Thank you Dennis. Good gear and patience, lots of patience, add up. It's not a BiF or fish catching Eagle but in it's own way I guess...
Yes the feet are amazing natural adaptations to it's environment.

African Jacana (PAW 4/52)
by HarveyG

Comment:

Originally posted by thrumyiis: Did you use an extender or were you quite close in the hide? The hide is in the water :) Crop factor of 1.5x on the Sigma 70-200mm shot @185mm or 277mm effective) I wish I could see the birds feet, could you use a polarizer here to help see into the water or is that just not feasible to do in wildlife photography Under exactly the right circumstances it would work (light at the correct angle and CPL at the correct rotation) but then the bird moves so practicably it's not doable. Possibly in Post? With a software polarizer?. I have one but dont have any real experience with it.

I'll add a photo of the bird scratching her ear so you and Dennisheckman can see how long they are on an adult :)

Message edited by author 2013-01-23 07:40:04.

Forgotten
by Ammie

Comment:
Unique and appealing Amanda. A sign of the times? 'Subtle' image to meet challenge.

crumpled
by bacovia

Comment:
Constantin, excellent technique employed with your very capable bridge camera. I am a firm believer in knowing your gear and making full use of it's available and remarkable (modern digital vs old film) capabilities.

03 52
by salmiakki

Comment:
Kudos. You have done this very well indeed in trying conditions. I particularly enjoy the cracked ice leading to the harbour, great textures and patterns. I'm southern hemisphere and hate any cold. Without the explanation I'd be hard pressed to see a double exposure.