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The Lovebirds
The Lovebirds
David Newland


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Romance (Basic Editing III)
Camera: Canon EOS-20D
Lens: Canon EF 135mm f/2.0L USM
Location: Verulam Park, St. Albans, England
Date: Jan 29, 2006
Aperture: f4.0
ISO: 400
Shutter: 1/500sec
Galleries: Nature, Water
Date Uploaded: Jan 29, 2006

This is my favourite shot taken during an afternoon of photography at a local lake. I managed to capture two courting swans making a heart shape with their necks.

Statistics
Place: 5 out of 131
Avg (all users): 6.6667
Avg (commenters): 7.4857
Avg (participants): 5.9583
Avg (non-participants): 6.8286
Views since voting: 4213
Views during voting: 627
Votes: 387
Comments: 41
Favorites: 9 (view)


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AuthorThread
12/27/2006 02:15:18 AM
Crop the back ground.Or lose it.Very nice photo is very nice.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/09/2006 10:58:24 PM
It took me a second look, after the contest ended, to see the heart. Congrats on your top ten, wonderful photo.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/08/2006 08:33:11 AM
Thanks for all the comments and suggestions on my 1st ever photo and challenge submission on this site.
The swans were doing some sort of ritual with each other ( yes.. probably that one ! ) so I watched them for a while and took several shots out of interest until they formed the heart shape you see here.
Peoples criticisms are fine but in direct sunlight this is exactly how it looked. The swans were almost glowing. I'd have increased the shutter speed but would have been to dark and I'd have lost the detail in the water.
As for the people who would have preffered " Still water " again these are elements that although noted are out of my control !
Thanks to those that liked this and congrats to all the ribbons !
02/08/2006 01:41:57 AM
WOw must have taken a lot of time to really catch that shot. Kudos for your perserverance and obvious patience at the lake. It sure paid off.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/08/2006 12:39:04 AM
What a lovely image and what a wall hanger! A possible good seller. Congratulations on your top five finish.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
02/07/2006 09:58:16 PM
Wonderful pose, pretty shot. I think a tighter crop may work well to get rid of the brush in the back. Maybe B & W also because the color of the water is sorta blah.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/07/2006 09:40:28 PM
Very good capture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/07/2006 04:35:24 PM
it's been done... but it's always nice when you can take it yourself, no?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/07/2006 06:34:33 AM
Beautiful!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/06/2006 06:49:53 PM
Looks like those two are in Love :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/06/2006 03:40:04 PM
Great capture of these beautiful creatures.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/06/2006 11:13:44 AM
What an awesome pose you were able to capture! It definitely says romance! Good luck.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/05/2006 11:36:28 PM
How long did you have to wait for this. You had no control, but this would've been a 10+ if the reflection, if unrippled would've been perfect. Great photo none-the-less
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/05/2006 07:45:12 PM
perfect heart
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/05/2006 01:16:27 AM
Very nice and graceful, love the heart shape made.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/04/2006 10:17:07 PM
A little blown out, but the contrast of light and dark works. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/04/2006 05:40:22 PM
Lovely pic!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/04/2006 03:52:18 PM
wow, the beautiful way of nature telling it's heart
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/03/2006 08:40:15 PM
Very pretty! Great shot of the moment, with their wings up that way and the reflections in the water. But the photo is a little overexposed. Can always underexpose a tad so the highlights aren't blown. I know it ain't easy when the subject is white and rest of the scene pretty dark.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/03/2006 10:41:50 AM
7
02/03/2006 01:36:43 AM
Twin of romance, good shots, if can be close up and sharpen will be better.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/03/2006 12:55:32 AM
wow this is wonderfull!!! nice picture! luv the light!!
and off course the heart!!
wow
nice work!
good luck!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/02/2006 10:26:38 PM
OK, how did you get them to do that? 8
02/02/2006 03:57:18 PM
A fantastic capture, what with the necks and heads forming a heart shape. Slight problem with overexposure on some of the feathers, and I think it would be better closer cropped.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/02/2006 02:03:51 PM
haven't we seen this before?
02/02/2006 01:22:05 PM
Beautiful capture, position, reflection, angle. Too bad parts of the birds are blown out, so it's difficult to see detail and verify sharpness. Cropping out the top and right would be better. The position of the necks and wings still carries this image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/02/2006 12:34:04 PM
Awesome!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/02/2006 11:52:35 AM
terrific capture
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/02/2006 01:55:06 AM
not very original but captured very nicely
02/01/2006 09:05:55 PM
What a lovely pair - and a perfect pose! I like how your composition includes the reflections - I might crop some more at the top to emphasize the reflections and also because there is nothing there that adds to the image. The light on the birds is bright and seems a little blown out in places on the wings - losing some detail. But the shape of the birds and their relationship to eachother are a more important factor in this picture than detail.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/01/2006 08:28:36 PM
nice capture,voted!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/01/2006 07:27:26 PM
Fantastic idea, though is seems a little out of focus.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/01/2006 07:19:42 PM
Wow, thats almost perfect. Good works, nice colors
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/01/2006 07:16:23 PM
Classic image! Nice exposure, great capture!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/01/2006 04:51:18 PM
Beautiful picture :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/01/2006 02:28:16 PM
Great timing on the shot to get such a great heart shape. Shows patience.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/01/2006 01:04:47 PM
This is a very good capture but levels are blown & too dark
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/01/2006 12:51:36 PM
These lovebirds are getting to the heart of the matter...very naturally romantic!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/01/2006 10:03:55 AM
I love these swans. Lovely pic :D
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/01/2006 02:01:53 AM
Wonderful moment captured. How long did you have to wait?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
02/01/2006 02:01:03 AM
If not for overexposure, this would have been a better shot. I would crop it more tightly, too.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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