Cry for me- critique

[Original Moments by aj]

So, this is actually one of my favourite photographs that I've taken.
However, it has gotten alot of mixed reactions,
so I'd love to get the opinions of people that feel no obligation to me.
Thanks.

The image is completely unaltered from what I captured through my viewfinder.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel XSi
Lens: 70-200mm
ISo: 1600
Focal Length: 78mm
Exposure Compensation: + 1/3
Apature: f/7.1
Shutter Speed: 1/640

**** I would just like to make a statement. ****
I appreciate all the ideas you have all given me, however, I also want you to be aware that my professors have instilled an ideal into me, that I will never break from.
I am, and always will stay true to the artform. Yes, even people messed around in the dark room, but I never have and never will, because The image you edit, is no longer the image you photographed, it was created.
I simply stay true to the artform of it, The picture "cry for me" will never be photographed again, when would I ever get that image again? I wont, which is the point.. but I still thank you for your ideas

[dj-dubai]

i really like ur title and shot is very good it show so many expression of this bird, lovely

[Jinks]

I like the colours, mood and composition of this but I think the lack of detail around the eye detracts a lot from the finished piece. Could you lift it a little in PP while leaving the rest alone?

[Original Moments by aj]

I would, however, its a pride of my work issue that I have, and I will not touch up any of my shots ( unless theyr portraits). If I wasn't good enough to take the picture right the first time, I shouldn't claim it to be my original photography. =/ which is what I do. haha.

However, thank you so much for your opinion.It means alot

[Tito87]

Originally Posted by Original Moments by aj

I would, however, its a pride of my work issue that I have, and I will not touch up any of my shots ( unless theyr portraits). If I wasn't good enough to take the picture right the first time, I shouldn't claim it to be my original photography. =/ which is what I do. haha.

However, thank you so much for your opinion.It means alot

I like your composition. However, I totally disagree with what you said about PP. It's like saying that Ansel Adams spent so much time working in the darkroom because he wasn't good enough at taking pictures. PP is part of the photographic process, whether it be on the computer or in the darkroom. No matter how good the original image is; it can always be improved upon with a little PP.

[Original Moments by aj]

Ill talk it over with my father. he has certain rules that I follow. I am after all only 16.. and... really inexperienced hahah.

[Krusty79]

I think it's a beautiful shot. I do think the neck area is underexposed, as it looks like most of the light was hitting the other side of the neck. You can edit the neck in PP.

I would seriously reconsider your stance on editing your images. Even Ansel Adams did a lot of dodging and burning in his day. If you are shooting jpgs, do you know your camera has already applied some color settings to your images in-camera? The only way to avoid that is to shoot RAW in the neutral color mode, but your images are going to look flat. Digital images are by nature soft and require sharpening, no matter how good your equipment may be. In summary, you are putting serious restrictions on getting the most out of your images. Why do you think all of the pros use Photoshop?

Here is an earlier thread on that topic - Should I photoshop to have good photos?

[Doug Sundseth]

I've used Photoshop for at least 15 years, and I fully support using post-processing to improve photos.

That said, restrictions can spark creativity. You'll need to choose your subjects very carefully and manage your exposures just as carefully. In particular, you'll need to become very comfortable with manual exposure and you'll need to decide which part of what you can see will not be reflected in your photos.

But imposing this restriction on yourself imparts no more moral or ethical superiority than choosing to shoot only blue subjects or only using a fisheye lens or only shooting with auto white balance.

For this photo, I like the subject and the composition quite a bit. I don't care for the lighting much. If you were to try it again, I'd recommend pulling in some fill light from flash or a bounce card to open out the near side of the swan. I would also bracket the exposure, since it's a difficult subject, so that you have more choices at the end of the process.

[Original Moments by aj]

Thank you, I really appreciate the critique,and as I said prior, I still need to talk it over with my Father. But I really wish i could retake that photo, however, with every piece of it coming into play, and with the image I just grabbed by chance. =/ I highly doubt I would ever photograph the same image.

[Krusty79]

Originally Posted by Original Moments by aj

Thank you, I really appreciate the critique,and as I said prior, I still need to talk it over with my Father. But I really wish i could retake that photo, however, with every piece of it coming into play, and with the image I just grabbed by chance. =/ I highly doubt I would ever photograph the same image.

It would have been impossible to bracket that shot, but if you shot RAW, that gives you a lot more flexibility to edit the file, but that's if you're willing to PP your images. I also try to get my shots as correctly exposed as I can in-camera, but PP is often needed to overcome the limitations of a camera and the dynamic range it can capture.