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Looking through ..for Anna


Looking through ..for Anna
Photo Information
Copyright: iris'hues ss (iris) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 389 W: 40 N: 729] (2300)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-03-23
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon SX100 IS
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): CeltickRanger's favorite Bird photos -2- [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-06-27 2:31
Viewed: 604
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 68
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Hello friends,

This and the next month are going to be hectic. But I cannot pass a single day without coming in and looking at this wonderful site. I am trying to take time marking posts so that I can come back and start critiquing as soon as I have logged in.

I think i rushed a bit too much, as i myself can see some Noise in the image.I have treated the shot and posted the same as workshop.Please do have a look.

Today I present for you a Common Myna. I try not to repeat species I have earlier posted. But in this case my earlier post of a Common Mynah was done with a Handycam. Even as I did the PP work on the shot, and was in a dilemma whether I should post the myna again, my early days of photography came back to me. That was a time when I had just found out for myself how much I liked photography as a hobby. And I was consumed by the intense desire to take photographs even when I knew I was not fully equipped with a still camera.

This post is also a dedication to someone who has found out for herself not so long ago, how exciting the world of photography can be. Mrs. Anna Eksteen
, this is for you…for the sheer enthusiasm and zeal that I see in you whether posting a photograph with well researched notes or while critiquing a post. To me it is all about the effort that we make to continuously learn and improve by remaining open to positive criticisms at the same time enjoying all of it to the hilt : ) I also remember reading you Anna about this frontal PoV interest you had when it came to birds.

I would not want to spend much time with notes on this often posted bird. They are available in abundance in this very site or alternatively please look up here . But what I would like to write about is The Avian Eye and Vision. Isnt interesting that most birds can turn their head 180 degrees whereas we are not programmed the same way.
This photograph was taken while I was trying to capture a cuckoo from our terrace. This bird just flew in and sat there on the parapet in front of me looking right through me. I was quite close to the bird and just started clicking. It was only later when I viewed that I noticed while its body was turned the other way with its plumage facing me, its head too was facing me giving me a frontal PoV.

The Avian Eye and Vision
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A bird's eye is very similar in its basic structure to a human eye. But with regards to their weight, the eyes make up a much larger percentage of the weight of the head in birds than in man, i.e. 15% for a common Starling but only 1% for man. This is partly because a bird's eyes are larger relative to its skull than a human's and partly because the skull is lighter, i.e. no heavy jaw bone and teeth.
A bird's eye is very tightly fitted into its skull and it is capable of very little movement, therefore birds can often be seen moving their heads in order to change their visual relationship to something. In most birds the eyes are placed much nearer the sides of the head than in humans. This gives the bird a greater overall field of view, but greatly reduces its binocular vision (the area in which both eyes can see an object).
In man, binocular vision is about 140 degrees out of a total of about 180 degrees. On the other hand in a bird like a pigeon though the binocular area is only 20-30 degrees out of a total field of vision of 300-340 degrees. In many raptors and owls the situation is different. In these birds, as in many insectivorous birds, binocular vision, important in making judgments of distance, is more necessary and so these birds have their eyes more towards the front of their heads. This is most evident in owls where the total field of view is reduced to about 110 degrees with a binocular vision of 70 degrees. This is why owls turn their heads to watch you walk past. An owl can turn its head through over 200 degrees but cannot move its eyes in its head at all.
The most important parts of the bird's eye are the eyelids, the cornea, anterior chamber, iris, lens, posterior chamber, the retina, pecter, optic nerve and sclera .
There are two sorts of light receptors in the birds eye. They are called 'rods' and 'cones'. Rods are better for night vision because they are sensitive to small quantities of light. There can be as many as 150 rods connected to a single nerve cell, this increases its sensitivity but reduces its definition, i.e. things look blurry. Birds have 5 pigments (humans have only 3) and they give them greater sensitivity to certain colours allowing them to see more different shades of some colours such as red than we can. The cones have special oil droplets on them which help filter the light, making them more sensitive to smaller ranges of colour. As they have five different sorts of oil filters the eyes of birds can often see a far more subtle world than we can. Sea birds such as the Procellariformes use red oil filters to cut out the blue light scattered up from the sea. This makes it easier for them to discern small objects floating on or near the surface
Thanks for the visit…
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Ref:
http://www.earthlife.net/birds/vision.html
Miss_Piggy, gannu, eng55, vanderschelden, haraprasan, jaycee, zulfu, mayuresh, oscarromulus, Heaven, gracious, boreocypriensis, maurydv, ramthakur, Juyona, eqshannon, uleko, Gert-Paassen, NinaM, Alex99, sandpiper2, elizabeth, CeltickRanger, marhowie, tiobibi has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To lousat: Thanks a lotiris 1 06-27 22:20
To pushpinder: Thanks Pushpinder:)iris 1 06-27 22:14
To jaycee: Unorthodox...iris 1 06-27 22:13
To vanderschelden: Yes, I think!iris 1 06-27 22:09
To Miss_Piggy: Hiiris 1 06-27 21:58
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Critiques [Translate]

Dear Silpa
Thank you for this very special dedication and all the kind words said about me. It is indeed an great honour, and the dedication could not have come on a better time and day.
I have been in bed the whole week due to ill health, and am really feeling terrible.It cheered me up and put a smile on my dial.

The Common Mynah's is one of the birds on my list which I would still love to photograph. It is like the common crow such a nuisance in our area but I just want to get a good shot of it sometime. Therefore you have jumped the gun and posted one before me. And it is indeed a beauty. I personally love a photo of a bird or any animal what so ever, photographed from the front, rather from the side. It just have a special feel to it and the viewpoint is different. A lovely close-up with a lot of detail to appreciate, especially on the beautiful shaped and formed plumage and the big black marble eyes.
This is indeed a special portrait. Thanks for adding me to the little time you have for yourself. It is much appreciated. Thanks for this contribution.
Best regards.
Anna

silpa,
the mynah may be common, but this is a rare shot....
the look in it's eyes is amazing..
fabulous.

rgds

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 916 W: 4 N: 2277] (10628)
  • [2008-06-27 4:45]

Hello Silpa,
Nice dedication and and superb note. Great focus and sharp picture.Ganesh

  • Great 
  • eng55 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 353 W: 3 N: 376] (1127)
  • [2008-06-27 5:17]

Hi Silpa,
Magnificent capture.POV,BG,colors,lighting,colors,sharpness,framing and expression on face are perfect.Very well done!
Thanks for posting.

Hello Silpa,

This is extraordinary bird you captured. He's (guess it is a male)looking straight into the lens. And because of the former you can spot very well the yellow line under the eyes into these blacks.
Nicely done dedication.
TFS
Annick

Hi Silpa,
A lovely capture of this Myna. A beautiful dedication for Anna. Superb details and a very nice composition. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Hi Silpa,

The Mynah might be common but they are so much fun to watch! A very unusual shot of one and really wonderful. The expression on his face is priceless. The details of his face and feathers are magnificent. Love the colors and shadings. A rather unorthodox composition but it works and I love it!

Jane

Hi Iris,this is great! I like a lot this way to show this beautifull bird,excellent choice of the cropping and of the point of view,excellents colors and details impressives,the green background is fantastic too,my best compliments for this artwork,have a nice week end,Luciano

  • Great 
  • zulfu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 527 W: 0 N: 95] (583)
  • [2008-06-27 10:54]

Hello Iris, perfect capture of this beauty in all aspects. TFS. Have a nice weekend! Regards,
Mehmet

Hello Silpa,
First of all thanks for intresting and informative note,this is wonderful composition with superb pose having great details.
very well done,
TFS.

Great off center composition - classic!
Good detail - lovely shot! I hope I'll find time to visit TN - and maybe time to go out and play with the camera some. :)

Iris or can I now call you publically, "Silpa"???
The notes are truely WONDERFUL.
This "common Myna" is so very BEAUTIFUL that it looks like a "Lesser Hill Myna".
I saw very little difference between this image and the one in the W/S. You are totally right about Mrs. Anna Eksteen, Loot's "better" half.
Am going to attempt a W/S on this beauty. Will ENCREASE the exposure by a mere 2 points. What a GREAT register. Congratulations.
Mario.

  • Great 
  • vral Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 59 W: 0 N: 159] (690)
  • [2008-06-29 23:57]

Hello Silpa,

Awesome pose and detailed closeup shot. Informative notes.

TFS

vral

  • Great 
  • Heaven Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 456 W: 84 N: 863] (3223)
  • [2008-06-30 22:24]

Good morning Silpa!

The fact that a subject is well known on TN does not mean we should not post it anymore. Every picture is different and has a personal touch. So has yours, and I like it very much. As a spectator I'm looking straight into the eyes of the bird. It was a good idea to apply the rule of the thirds for your composition. This composition and the position of the bird make the picture an outstanding one.

Kind regards

Markus

Hello Iris,
Excellent portrait of this Common Myna!
great pose in the best dof in total sharpness, lovely colour and superb details
a warm dedication to our friend Anna!
many thanks for the sharing
cheers
Tony

Hi Silpa,
A lovely and perfect portrait shot of this beautiful bird and also nice dedication to our friend Anna. Your notes excellent too. Many thanks for this.
Cheers,

Bayram

Thank you for your WS; I like a lot. Stupendo momento, eccellenti POV e composizione con lo sguardo diretto all'indietro e il bellissimo BG, straordinarie nitidezza e definizione dei dettagli, molto belli i colori. Grazie e complimenti. Ciao Maurizio

Lovely shot, Silpa,gotta run, the boss has called ofr a meetin'!:(
Cheers!
Goldy

A wonderful portrait of the Mynah, Silpa, and dedicated to Anna with intense feelings.
Though I would have preferred the entire bird in view, I respect your choice.
You have dwelt in detail on the theme of avian vision, so the image goes well with your note because you have drawn our attention to its head and especially the eyes.
Well done and thanks for the picture and for the insight into the theme.
Wish you all the best for your work in hand.
Ram

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2036 W: 6 N: 2017] (13253)
  • [2008-07-01 5:33]

Hola Iris,
bonito retrato,
detalles y plumaje...
original pov y dedicatoria.
saludos

Anna is doing very well...and I see she also enjoys the interaction with others. Nice qualities that run in their family...
Very nice Myna Iris. the pose is perfecto and the slight right seems to give it some grandeur. Perhaps the Myna's own pose is a reflection of your dedication. There is a strength appearance...almost raptor-like. Well done indeed.
Bob

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2458 W: 168 N: 7420] (23432)
  • [2008-07-01 10:02]

Hello Silpa,
I'm sorry to have overlooked your latest post but there are so many wonderful posts coming in to TN now so I find it quite hard to keep up and be fair!
I like Mynah birds and you've really caught this one showing its face perfectly symmetrical! Excellent sharp details also of the plumage and natural colours. I think you have left a bit too much empty space but nevertheless it is a great shot!
Many thanks and regards, Ulla

Hello Silpa,

Good capture from this beautiful bird.
Very rare shot of this bird.

Gert

  • Great 
  • NinaM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 562 W: 0 N: 1371] (4547)
  • [2008-07-01 16:18]

Hello Iris, this is a fantastic picture with fantastic notes. The notes are so interesting I forgot about the picture ;-) which is superb, with an excellent lighting and beautiful natural colours that I like a lot. I also like the way you cropped the bird in the picture, with the wings coming accross the edge of the picture and at one side of it. The rest is background, blurred and creamy. I think the effect of the straight look through your lens of the bird and the area with the background is real nice and efficient. The stare becomes even more obvious. Thanks a lot for such a great picture!

Francine

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3029 W: 148 N: 4520] (14595)
  • [2008-07-02 1:23]

Superb shot, my dear friend. Exciting glance of the fine bird. Terrific reproduction of every feather and other attractive features of the bird. BG is wonderful too and touching dedication. Bravo.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1031 W: 26 N: 2984] (10774)
  • [2008-07-02 6:22]

Hi Iris,
how are you my friend? Thanks for your critique on my last post....in hindsight, i should have dedicated it to you really!
This is a superb capture, a very nice pose and excellent sharp detail...love the eye contact too. The slight noise is no problem at all and i probably wouldn't have noticed it had you not mentioned it.. Excellent note too, well done on all counts!
Paul

Hi Silpa

In Australia this species has unfortunately become a pest, out-competing native species for nesting hollows and driving foraging species away with its agressive behaviour.
Nevertheless its an attractive bird in its natural habitat and I saw in 2006 when I was in Thailand/Malaysia.
Good note on eyes by the way, I didn't realise birds eyes were that different to human eyes.
Good portrait, well composed with teh green OOf background.
Good sharpness and DOF.

Chris

  • Great 
  • Nilson Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 349 W: 0 N: 293] (2220)
  • [2008-07-02 16:27]

Iris voce tirou uma bela foto de qualidade espetacular valeu a preferência parabéns.
Nilson

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1714 W: 24 N: 4988] (16346)
  • [2008-07-02 21:30]

Hi Silpa,
Outstanding shot of this Common Myna showing off great attitude. Immaculate sharpness and colours on its plumage and the 'eye contact' is just marvellous. Superb lighting and exposure and the OOF BG illustrates the habitat so well. Excellent DOF and POV and the composition is so creative. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-07-03 8:22]

Hello Iris

Wonderful eye contact here.
You are really getting a good look over.
Very good lighting and colours.
Nicely composed in the frame.
TFS

Rob

Hello Silpa,

Sorry no time, just marking.
Mariki

hello Silpa

WOW what a superb image of this wonderful bird,
very fine POV, DOF and framing, i love the very good
space that you leaved at the left of the image,
i love too the wonderful background, excellent luminosity
of the image, excellent contrast sharpness and details
and a great eye-contact with you, TFS

Asbed

Hello Iris,
I like the direct eye contact & POV/pose here.
Very good detail, color, DOF, and BG also..
Well done & TFS!
Howard

Nice composition and posture.
And a nice lecture too.

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