Message about springtime

[Deleted User]

Today (April 19) I met some Northern Lapwings. It's one of the first birds that returns to Denmark (in March) with the message: Winter has gone. Springtime is here.

No. 1.

No. 2.

No. 3.

No. 4.

No. 5.

No. 6.

No. 7.

pathfinder

I like the last one best, the green background really sets the bird off nicely.

double_entendre

What adorable little critters. Agree with @pathfinder that the last on has the background to set off the bird.

puzzledpaul

Agree with pathfinder ... although I'd be tempted to use the word 'clean' rather than green.
I personally dislike this sort of background with high frequency detail, since it invariably renders as splodgy / spotty - last shot angle being one of the few (only?) ways of getting a half decent shot - as here.

pp

[Deleted User]

@pathfinder said:
I like the last one best, the green background really sets the bird off nicely.

@double_entendre said:
What adorable little critters. Agree with @pathfinder that the last on has the background to set off the bird.

Thanks to both of you.

@puzzledpaul said:
Agree with pathfinder ... although I'd be tempted to use the word 'clean' rather than green.
I personally dislike this sort of background with high frequency detail, since it invariably renders as splodgy / spotty - last shot angle being one of the few (only?) ways of getting a half decent shot - as here.

The background is a direct consequence of using 400 mm/F 5.6. I like the background myself and I prefer it from a background of grass showing all details of every blade.

puzzledpaul

@Jørgen_Bjerring said:

The background is a direct consequence of using 400 mm/F 5.6. I like the background myself and I prefer it from a background of grass showing all details of every blade.

Using a long(ish) lens is certainly half the battle re getting this sort of result - the other half is associated with the relative distances involved.

pp

Btw, am also a fan of diffused backgrounds - preferably from a low pov - as you've presumably gathered

[Deleted User]

@puzzledpaul said:

@Jørgen_Bjerring said: ...

Using a long(ish) lens is certainly half the battle re getting this sort of result - the other half is associated with the relative distances involved.
...
Btw, am also a fan of diffused backgrounds - preferably from a low pov - as you've presumably gathered

As many other bird photographers I prefer to take photos at bird level and not from above. Therefore I was down on my stomach and there was only one way to avoid the background I got - and that was by not taking the pictures.

Stumblebum

Beautiful bird! Yeah last one is best as background is sweet!

[Deleted User]

@Stumblebum said:
Beautiful bird! Yeah last one is best as background is sweet!

Many thanks

puzzledpaul

@Jørgen_Bjerring said:
// there was only one way to avoid the background I got - and that was by not taking the pictures.

This suggests a title for a whole new area of discussion / thread, imo ... 'Why did I (bother to) take that particular shot'?
Personally, with waterfowl pics I'll frequently not bother and save memory / editing time etc - if I know there's an element in the background that's not what I want in the pic.
The unwanted feature can come in many forms - and obviously I fail - on a regular basis - because I get caught up in the 'heat of the moment' - especially if something interesting is happening - and continue shooting -but such shots invariably end up getting dumped.
It also helps (for me, anyway) that my 'bucket list' is of shots /compositions - not species / places /environments etc - and that I generally only shoot in a limited number of venues at the same location, so I can return and 'have another go at the image(s) I have in my mind's eye.

pp'

[Deleted User]

@puzzledpaul said:

@Jørgen_Bjerring said:
// there was only one way to avoid the background I got - and that was by not taking the pictures.

This suggests a title for a whole new area of discussion / thread, imo ... 'Why did I (bother to) take that particular shot'?
Personally, with waterfowl pics I'll frequently not bother and save memory / editing time etc - if I know there's an element in the background that's not what I want in the pic.
The unwanted feature can come in many forms - and obviously I fail - on a regular basis - because I get caught up in the 'heat of the moment' - especially if something interesting is happening - and continue shooting -but such shots invariably end up getting dumped.
It also helps (for me, anyway) that my 'bucket list' is of shots /compositions - not species / places /environments etc - and that I generally only shoot in a limited number of venues at the same location, so I can return and 'have another go at the image(s) I have in my mind's eye.

I really don't know what you are up to. If I look at the results there are several photos at alulawildlifephotos that have a backgrond similar to mine. The colors are different - brown instead of green etc., but the texture and degree of spottyness is all the same.

puzzledpaul

I'm not 'up' to anything - as you put it - I was just stating my preferences for types of bg / pics in general -in response to your comment about the only way to have avoided the bg in the pics above.

• stated that I fail - on a regular basis - for all manner of reasons - to get what I'm after.
• If the pics (of mine) that you're referring to are on my old flickr site - then yes - there are several I'd now remove - but can't, since I can no longer access that site because for various reasons.

• I'd be more than happy / willing to revisit and discuss those (of mine) that you refer to - but maybe offline, rather than here - but I don't mind either way....

• looking at your pics here - again - I suspect we may well be talking about different pics (of yours) - since my comment about 'high frequency bg' was essentially referring to the first 4 pics - which don't have any green bg in them?.
  The last 3 are rather different - with the last being the best of the lot (imo)

pp

[Deleted User]

@puzzledpaul said:
I'm not 'up' to anything - as you put it - I was just stating my preferences for types of bg / pics in general -in response to your comment about the only way to have avoided the bg in the pics above.

• stated that I fail - on a regular basis - for all manner of reasons - to get what I'm after.
• If the pics (of mine) that you're referring to are on my old flickr site - then yes - there are several I'd now remove - but can't, since I can no longer access that site because for various reasons.

• I'd be more than happy / willing to revisit and discuss those (of mine) that you refer to - but maybe offline, rather than here - but I don't mind either way....

• looking at your pics here - again - I suspect we may well be talking about different pics (of yours) - since my comment about 'high frequency bg' was essentially referring to the first 4 pics - which don't have any green bg in them?.
  The last 3 are rather different - with the last being the best of the lot (imo)

pp

Now time has come to speak together with Huckleberry Hound: Exit - stage left. I have misunderstood you. I kept looking at the last photo and could understand no nothing. Of course the background means a lot:

But the fact, that I like the two first the most, doesn't mean that I dislike the last two.

double_entendre

@Jørgen_Bjerring said:

--snip snip snip--
But the fact, that I like the two first the most, doesn't mean that I dislike the last two.

If I'm picking favorites, 1 & 3 are them. Number one is kind of monochromatic and I can't decide if it makes is more or less appealing in my eyes. But its a gorgeous capture.

[Deleted User]

@double_entendre said:

@Jørgen_Bjerring said:

--snip snip snip--
But the fact, that I like the two first the most, doesn't mean that I dislike the last two.

If I'm picking favorites, 1 & 3 are them. Number one is kind of monochromatic and I can't decide if it makes is more or less appealing in my eyes. But its a gorgeous capture.

Many thanks for your comment.