Amethyst Sunbird I v1 (PAW 2/52)
by HarveyG

Comment by Dennisheckman:
I wish it was a little closer. Sort of hard to make out. HA!

Harvey, you have an amazing talent for bird photography. I know how tough it is even though I have have not made a serious attempt at it yet. You have portrayed this bird very well with capturing his profile and plummage. I would say just to refine the image a little, maybe could use a little noise reduction in the green leafy area's. You've done a great job of showing him in his native environment.

Amethyst Sunbird I v1 (PAW 2/52)
by HarveyG

Comment by BeckyT:
Wonderful!

Amethyst Sunbird I v1 (PAW 2/52)
by HarveyG

Comment by bsluijk:
Another lovely shot, great to look at. I love birdwatching, bit at this point in time I lack time and patience. Lovely to see what others can do. You manage to capture a beautiful bird in a natural setting, nicely framed. The one thing that strikes me from a technical point is the white outline around the bird and the leaves. This could be from back-lighting, but I guess this is a sharpening artifact, which for me is a bit of a letdown in an otherwise very nice image.

Amethyst Sunbird I v1 (PAW 2/52)
by HarveyG

Comment by MacDonald:
Wildlife the real deal) photography is not for the impatient - I totally agree with your remark that including the birds natural environment add so much to the shot .. Great job not blowing out the highlights on the beak and I love the saturated colors of the flora and fauna in this shot.
It's so exciting to get a shot of a hard to capture bird and it's perfect acceptable to have less than perfect technique when getting such a unique capture as this so you must be over the moon happy that your technical applications are so strong.
Congratulations!

Amur Falcon (PAW 1/52)
by HarveyG

Comment by daisydavid:
Great suspended capture, I have to agree with Ursula comments. V2 is better with the blue at the top, kind of anchors the shot on that side, though a more square crop would be my choice. The motivation of the shot doesn't come through, that is, the purpose of it's action. My reaction as a viewer is to wonder what the bird is up to (flying off, hunting, startled by something etc) I'm looking more for something to associate with its movement. I don't think I could have done what you have done - it's a great shot. Hope that helps.

Amethyst Sunbird I v1 (PAW 2/52)
by HarveyG

Comment by pmichaud:
He is so beautiful!! I have never seen this species before. I can imagine that, with the dark feathers and brilliant color splashes, it would be difficult to achieve appropriate exposure. You have managed that very well. Thank you for this glimpse of this amazing creature and for the information you included.

Amethyst Sunbird I v1 (PAW 2/52)
by HarveyG

Comment by Abra:
I like the way the shallow focus makes the bird stand out. I feel it may be slightly over sharpened. It's great that you got a profile shot with that interesting beak. The splash of purple on the bird (which is why, I'm sure, it has Amethyst in its name - smart, ain't I) is amazing. I like to try and photo birds myself (still learning) which is why I can appreciate your skill and patience.

Amur Falcon (PAW 1/52)
by HarveyG

Comment by pmichaud:
What a beautiful little raptor! Beautiful capture. I rather like the square crop and the bird's placement in the frame. Thank you for the information as well.

Amur Falcon (PAW 1/52)
by HarveyG

Comment by HarveyG:

Originally posted by nam: I see that others have weighed in on the crop - looking at the original I'm thinking you lost from the top because you straightened. Tough decision. I don't mind the space below, though - gives me the sense he is looking for prey. What a wonderfully sharp in-flight capture! Great information, too.

Again spot-on. I could have added a green border to trick the eye and add space above the wing tip. It's very interesting to see everyone’s real feeling about an image rather than some arbitrary score. Thanks for the kudo's too, very kind.

Amur Falcon v2 (PAW 1/52)
by HarveyG

Comment by HarveyG:

Originally posted by nam: Since it's not for a challenge, is there any reason not to add canvas at the top and clone in enough to keep the original space and straighten the horizon? I don't mind it, but I do understand your thoughts there and I think I'd feel the same way.

Spot on Nikki. Exactly how I felt. If I had entered it I knew I was running out of space and was unsure if cloning the blue sky in to make it overall horizontal would be cheating or disqualify me.