The Birdhouse

[dlambert]

I'm looking for some composition critique on this one.

I attempted to get some bird shots over the weekend at a local metro park -- they've got a couple of nice blinds set up overlooking a pond where the waterfowl gather. On Sunday, though, the birds weren't too cooperative, so I attempted to compose around the birdhouse and let the geese do geese stuff in the background.

I'd like to know if this works in any way, or if it was really just a lost cause. I'm not crazy about the bits of shrubbery poking into the frame, too, but my vantage point from the blind made it really tough to frame a shot without any of that stuff in it. All in all, I had a whole lot better luck in the Spring.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

[etexjess]

you're right that bit if greenery in the front is very offputting, I don't think you could get rid of it in Photoshop unless someone knows a better technique than cloning because it would be very hard to line up the water correctly..

a shame because I like the colors and the crispness

[dlambert]

Yeah, I think I'll have to try again in the spring. Thanks for taking a look.

[Krusty79]

Yeah, I can't get past those branches in the foreground. Too bad, because you have the geese in some nice poses behind them.

Maybe bring some clippers next time?

[Doug Sundseth]

Machete rather than clippers. Preferably an f/2.8 or faster machete, because otherwise you'll miss the shot.

[dlambert]

Yeah, they're sort of funny about people going off-trail there, so I'm sort of limited with respect to foliage adjustments. Less foliage would probably help with lighting, as well. This shot was very shortly after dawn with the light at my back, and a little more light would probably have helped illuminate the interior of the birdhouse a bit. Sadly, no leaves also means no autumn colors reflected in the water, so I'm back to trying to find another workaround.

If I get back there this fall, I'll try moving from side-to-side a bit to try to get around the foreground greenery, and maybe stick around a little later in the morning to get stronger lighting. Not sure if the birds will still be active, but that's the best I can think of at the moment.