Nightski

Critique Please
ISO 400
F/5.6
1/250 second exposure

@186mm

I shot this because the wood ducks flew away before I got there. It's duck hunting season now and it's almost impossible to get close to ducks.

Cattails

(Download)

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

Cattails are an every day thing to folks living near wetlands, but your study of this one elevates that quotidian thing and its immediate surround to an arresting subject of fine art. The lovely and expert use of DOF to isolate the cattail and nearby, delicately curved leaves from the BG which is blurred , but not blurred so much as to unable the viewer to see at the distant sky between the framing provided by trees at the distant narrowed margin of the wetland in top-center.

Exposure and focus perfectly capture the tonal and structural detail of the cattail floss. Can't ask for better. I can imagine different crops/different compositions, but none that trump the present one in any objective way.

What's to,say, but "well done"

I'm sure you've a monochrome version, and suspect we'll see it sometime, but I feel no need to view it right now.

Dave in SD

Beagleman Loc: Indiana

I agree, it's a wonderful photo. Framing and rule of thirds placement are just right. Also the light highlighting the cattail really makes it stand out.

--Beagleman

Graham Smith Loc: Cambridgeshire UK

This is really nice, I love the subdued colours and the graceful arches formed by the leaves. I wouldn't convert this to B&W as I like the yellow browns and purples too much.

Nightski

I wouldn't convert this to b&w as I am horrible at it! :lol:

Nightski

Thank you Dave, for looking and for your very detailed, observant, and thoughtful comments.

Thank you, Billy, Larry, and Beagleman for your wonderful praises of my image. Every photographer loves to hear that, but I'm sorry .. this is the Photo Critique Section and I have to follow the rules like everyone else. I had to delete as no critique of impact, technical attributes, or composition was included in your comments. :-(

Nightski

Billy, per our discussion on the artistic and on creativity, I think you may enjoy the thread I started this morning. :-)

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-254419-1.html#4280743

SteveR Loc: Michigan

My only problem is that I find that since the dof is so shallow, the background is completely lost. I find it distracting. I would actually suggest cropping the photo in such as way as to eliminate the top portion which is mostly background. The photo of the cattails themselves is very nice.

Nightski

I had considered cropping to where the two reeds cross at the top.