[Jocko]

Here is an image from today's walkabout in the local park. What do you think?

   
Nikon D80, 18-55mm lens, 1/400 sec, f 5.6, ISO 200, 82mm lens equivalent.

[MrB]

That is a good shot, John. You could perhaps go in even closer (if you have the pixels) with a similar composition but a tighter crop.

Cheers.
Philip

[Jocko]

Is this closer to what you had in mind?

   

The reason I didn't crop this close, originally, was that the two things that made this image for me was, the light through the wings, and the gold sheen on the water. I also liked the look of the wake, not as evident in the closer crop.

[MrB]

Not quite so close, John, for the good reasons that you have given - just a slight reduction of the space left, right, and above the swan. If it were mine, I would also give the swan a touch more light and reduce its cool tones. E.g. -

   

Cheers.
Philip

[Jocko]

I agree that more light on the swan helps the image. For the colour balance, I set a balanced white on the swan's back. I always go by the numbers. I choose colour accuracy over visual appeal. As I keep saying, I take photographs primarily as a means of creating a record. The warmer tones look good but I don't think it is accurate. Just my opinion, which is worth exactly what you paid for it.

[EdMak]

It is asking a lot from a small file, but, an upright? Ed.

[Jocko]

Upright works too.

[MrB]

I agree that more light on the swan helps the image. For the colour balance, I set a balanced white on the swan's back. I always go by the numbers. I choose colour accuracy over visual appeal. As I keep saying, I take photographs primarily as a means of creating a record. The warmer tones look good but I don't think it is accurate. Just my opinion, which is worth exactly what you paid for it.

I'm not sure what you mean here, John. For you, is the "accuracy" of the colours in a photo solely dependent on the numbers?

The majority of my photos are record shots which I hope accurately resemble the real scene at the time it was captured. For me, my meaning of "accuracy" and "visual appeal" are working together on the same side.

Cheers.
Philip

[Jocko]

Philip. I see what you are saying. I like to keep my whites, white. unless my memory of the subject tells me they were otherwise. Yesterday I saw a white swan so I rendered it as white in the image. I do not see "accuracy" and "visual appeal" as opposite sides of a coin. It is a balance we all make, as we post process images. Some people like their whites on the cool side. Others like them on the warm side. Unless I have a overriding reason to set them otherwise, I try and keep mine balanced. By the numbers. It is just how I process my images.

[MrB]

Thank you for expanding and clarifying, John - from what you have written, there are some differences in the details of the way we think about how we develop a photo, but it also seems to me that you and I are mainly on the same side!

All the best.
Philip

[Jeffbridge]

Very nice shot!