fishing Parramatta river : O'Connell St. weir

[firsty]

I have been disapointed with the number of out of focus shots I have been getting with my D200 and I know it is not the camera or lens so I have been out today to try and improve my technique (I'm still very new at using a DSLR and my sholder is still recovering from a full reconstruction)

I found this fellow fishing in the river at 5.30pm today

D200, Tamron 28-75 2.8 @75mm, ISO 200 F4 1/320


I kown I have cut off his legs, but that was done because his left leg was completly broken about 50mm below his knee and was only hanging on by the skin with the bone sticking out. It looked like and old break but the bird was managing to live with the problem as I saw him catch about 5 small fish in the 20 mins I was there. He let me get very close as you can see by the lens I was using (must get a longer lens)

[Glen]

Amazingly tame bird to let you get that close. Nice sharp image though I am left wondering what made the splash or ripples just out of the frame. Nice.

By the title I though you must be the only one who didn't know they have advised against eating harbour fish

[birddog114]

keith,
I thought you went up Parramatta for a delivery?
Wonder why they couldn't get you on a two way radio?

Very good and nice capture of that bird! how close you were?

[firsty]

Birddog
I do all my deliveries in Parramatta and I never turn my radio on
I was about 3m from the bird.... none of the other birds would let me near them

[birddog114]

Birddog
I was about 3m from the bird.... none of the other birds would let me near them

Perhaps you have a magic wand

[gstark]

Keith,

Great capture.

Why did you choose to exclude the dird's legs? Purely because they weren't "perfect" (for want of a more appropriate word)?

I think that regardless of their condition, they would/could have added to this image, rather than leaving it "legless", as it were.

[moggy]

There's nothing wrong with being legless, just the hangover the next morning!

Bob.

.

[firsty]

Keith,

Great capture.

Why did you choose to exclude the dird's legs? Purely because they weren't "perfect" (for want of a more appropriate word)?

I think that regardless of their condition, they would/could have added to this image, rather than leaving it "legless", as it were.

More of an artistic decision on my part. The leg was very unpleasant and the bird was standing in an area with lots of rubbish that I would have been unable to keep out of the frame if I had included the leg… Maybe I should have cropped it closer so that the lack of legs would not have be an issue

[gstark]

Keith,

More of an artistic decision on my part. The leg was very unpleasant and the bird was standing in an area with lots of rubbish that I would have been unable to keep out of the frame if I had included the leg… Maybe I should have cropped it closer so that the lack of legs would not have be an issue

I don't know whether that would have helped, or exaccerbated the "problem".

I understand why you've done this, but sometimes such unpleasantness and actually add to the feel of the image, rather than detract from it.

For my part, I guess I'm almost looking at this from a documentary or PJ aspect, but even then, not all art is "beauty", is it?

Now, there's a topic starter if ever I've seen one.

Isn't it great that we don't all see things in the same light?

[kipper]

Gary, there was a post on NSN of a bird with bird shit on it's wing and some dirty featers. The response by one or two was that while the photo was a great shot, that an editor wouldn't touch it at all because of the soiled feathers.

[DaveB]

there was a post on NSN of a bird with bird shit on it's wing and some dirty featers. The response by one or two was that while the photo was a great shot, that an editor wouldn't touch it at all because of the soiled feathers.

While probably true (it depends on the editor/publication) that doesn't mean the "dirty" shot isn't worthwhile. After all, who will record the fact that birds get shit on their feathers? Not all photographs have to be things of beauty.

If I was in Keith's position I would have photographed as many compositions as possible (including the broken leg). And possibly Keith did this. The question of which image or crop to use for what purpose comes later, and is Keith's choice.
But if he has images of the damage, I suspect that someone in the Department of Natural Resources or NPWS might be interested in a copy. They may still be worthwhile images to someone!

You'll have to excuse me, I'm feeling nauseous over the death of a friend!

[kipper]

Dave

I'm feeling upset now. I can't believe the idiots out there, and I'm guessing some of the clowns that fed him plastic bags are youths seeing as it's non other than school holidays. I tell you what I feel like taking to some of these twats with my gitzo with the wimberley head still mounted.

[ozczecho]

Dave

The shit people get a kick out of is pretty scary. No punishment is enough for these people.