Shooter41 Loc: Wichita, KS

I exposed this image of a female woodpecker this morning eating suet on my pole birdfeeder. I cropped it in Photoshop as best I could to take advantage of bokeh and leading lines. I would like to get better at guiding the eyes of viewers to the subject of my images through the use of bokeh; guiding lines and anything else that would help bring eyes to the subject. I welcome your suggestions what I could use and do to get better at bringing viewers eyes to the subject.

(Download)

Amator21 Loc: California

I wouldn't change a thing!

Shooter41 Loc: Wichita, KS

Thank you for your response. Don Marler

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

I agree - it's a keeper as it is. The arched hook not only leads the eye, but also frames the subject.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

I would crop the pole on the right that takes your eye up and away.

Shooter41 Loc: Wichita, KS

Thank you for your response.

Drbobcameraguy Loc: Eaton Ohio

I also find my eye on the pole and hook across the top. Great pic just my opinion.

Shooter41 Loc: Wichita, KS

Dear PixelStan77. Do you feel that this edited version per your suggestion is any better?

(Download)

CO

I don't think there are any leading lines in the photo. The arched hook is more of a frame. It's an excellent photo. Great that you created a frame around the photo and that it's the same color as the arched hook.

The word bokeh is often used in place of out-of-focus. Bokeh is really the quality of out-of-focus areas. You can have creamy bokeh, harsh bokeh, busy bokeh, onion ring bokeh (produced by lenses with aspherical lens elements), and others.

CO

I know that you're asking PixelStan77 but I'll put in my 2 cents worth. This new version is almost creating two photos. I think the viewer's eye drifts into the area in the upper right portion of the photo. I don't know if much can be done with cropping the arch and pole that would improve the framing.

Shooter41 Loc: Wichita, KS

Thanks for your input, CO. I didn't know that bokeh can be described as creamy, harsh, busy, onion ring, etc. (I learned that taking the upward aimed spike off of the top of the bird feeder pole helped keep viewers eyes from tending to look upward out of frame, without having to remove the entire pole or destroy my balanced composition by having the subject right of center near the frame and looking out of the image.)

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

There are no leading lines in this image. Bokeh a bit crunchy, but there is little you can do about it. Bokeh is a characteristic of a lens, not a technique, other than using a wide aperture and a short distance to the subject and a greater distance to the background. I find the post distracting. The wingnut at the bottom is too close to the bottom edge of the image, and the finial at the top of the post is too close to the edge as well. The main feature of the image, the woodpecker, is not well placed in the composition, and the important side is in shadow and the contrast is quite high. The eye competes between the strong lines/curves in the nearly black post and the bird.

Getting a good composition, background and lighting on a natural subject is always a challenge, and there will be 1000s of deletes in the process of finding the good and better images as you cull through your shots. In general the bokeh on your Sony is good, but not so much in this image.

These are a couple of examples of bokeh and leading lines. Leading lines are visual elements that take your eye from the border of an image to the subject. I took the liberty in the last image to do a quick edit, incorporating some of my comments.

(Download)


(Download)


(Download)


(Download)

Drbobcameraguy Loc: Eaton Ohio

I like Stan51 cropped photo best.

Shooter41 Loc: Wichita, KS

Drbobcmaeraguy...Do you find this second edit and crop more pleasing even though the composition is heavy on the right and the bird is looking out of frame?

(Download)

Shooter41 Loc: Wichita, KS

I do too! Don Marler Shooter41