joehel2 Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

It’s determined by the eye of the beholder. Busy for me will be a great composition for someone else.

bluezzzzz Loc: Stamping Ground, KY

I was playing around with your download and debated whether or not to show you this, but my wife said it was "wild" so here goes. Love Starlings In Flight! lol

Marshall

(Download)

limey

When the person for whom it was intended thinks it's too busy.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Elements of the photo must bring the eye to the subject. If not, it’s too busy.

scatman Loc: Waterbury, CT

The eye of the beholder determines whether a photo is too busy.

Sinewsworn Loc: Port Orchard, WA

To me the “number” of subjects is less an issue as is the intent of the image. I’ve taken shots of thousands of ducks on the pond the intent being to show the large Number of birds. So that would be my subject. Backgrounds can also be “busy” with too many things distracting the viewer from the subject.

SalvageDiver Loc: Huntington Beach CA

Only you can determine if the image is too busy. Is your final image telling the story you want to tell? You said your story was the food fight.

My opinion is that cropping is needed to tell your story, but you don't need all the birds to illustrate it. I believe that it was Robert Capa that said "if your photo is not interesting, you're not close enough". So I would crop to isolate some of the birds fighting over the food, but not as close as some of your more recent edits. You want enough to tell the story, cropping in too close creates more of a portrait than an action scene.

Additionally, you original is significantly underexposed. Vignetting is another way to de-emphasize the background without eliminating it, especially if it helps frame your story. I do feel that the background is part of your story, but should not compete with the main characters, the fighting birds. Once you correct the exposure, a little blue color cast will convey the cold temperature of the environment.

Just my thoughts. Attached is a quick example of my suggestions.

(Download)

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

You want us to focus on the bird interaction, so we need plural birds. In their environment. It is not too busy, but, as was said, lightening is needed.

edrobinsonjr Loc: Boise, Idaho

"In my opinion you're the one or the photographer, that decides what's too busy. To me they're not busy. But then again you're edited photo is not natural there is no background. To me the first photo the best it would just need to be lightened a little bit. But as you asked, that's my opinion."



What Frank said...

Shooter41 Loc: Wichita, KS

Dear bluezzzzz...Please thank you wife for suggesting that you show me your photographic capture. I love Starlings in flight as well. Thank you for sharing.

Shooter41 Loc: Wichita, KS

Dear Salvage Diver...I like the corrected exposure and a little blue color cast to donvey the cold temperature of the environment. Thanks for your suggestions.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

dat2ra Loc: Sacramento

If the first image is attempting to show how busy life is at the feeder, you succeeded. And well.

DeanS Loc: Capital City area of North Carolina

The mind’s eye, and each of us have a diff set of eyes.

Paul Diamond Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA

The two birds facing each other are 'two birds floating' - at least, to me. My mind immediately asks how they and the perch are floating in space? The background could be darker or lighter than the main subjects, but you need some background to provide 'context'. Where were they?

Most photographers and painters include elements of the environment that give 'context' to the main subject of the image. You don't usually want your images to look "manipulated" especially too manipulated = somehow fake, artificial, not realistic. Consider how an image is different if it is created for a poster/billboard, a magazine page or a wall hanging.

What you do and how you do it makes the image yours. If you are happy, that's the entire answer.

If you are doing your image to compete in a photo competition, etc. this is completely different. The 'judges' and audience are the ones to determine how good your image/manipulation/presentation is in the setting they were judging. A magazine image is good if it stops the viewer from too quickly turning the page. An online posting should be more like the magazine image, get the viewer to stop, to look, to see what you saw/what you wanted to capture and share, to manage the post processing to suit the audience, etc. You are doing it for 'them', to reach more of 'them' and to get them to continue viewing/return to see it again or download the image to their computer for future viewing.