Richard Goldenberg
June 2026 - Too close for comfort
About the Image(s)
I took this photo while on vacation on May 15, 2026. We had just eaten dinner and decided to walk through a park for a bit before heading back to the hotel. In the park, we encountered this woman who was encouraging pigeons to land on her. Lighting was tricky. The sunlight was a bit harsh and she was standing beneath a tree and was dappled with shadows.
I took the photo with my Canon R7 and an 18-150 mm lens dialled to 81 mm. Settings were 1/250 s, f/6.3 and ISO of 125.
4 comments posted
Hi Richard. I did chuckle at your dedication to be out looking for images even when you were on vacation. There is a lovely HI Story here about the woman attracting the birds with seeds. It does appear random (ie not staged) as the woman appears to be more focused on the birds. I can see her face is in a circle of good light, but I do agree that the mottling of the dappled light is probably a distraction. Your settings are good, the sharpness of the woman is nice and the blur of the birds wings is a nice touch. Posted: 06/04/2026 12:57:08
Hi Richard. This is a very impressive photo taken under extreme lighting situation. You have done well to capture the girls face, not overexposed in fact naturally highlighted by the sun. In fact you could have used fill in flash, but this would have lightened the dark background behind the girls head and her hair. I am sure HI does not concern itself with hair definition as would portrait photography.
As a suggestion you could have used the micro brush and reduced the highlights on the girls face underneath her left eye and left side of her nose. This is just technical talk but I have seen photographs downgraded for such glitches by judges. Great photo and congratulations for taking a photo in such circumstances. Posted: 06/06/2026 21:29:35
As a suggestion you could have used the micro brush and reduced the highlights on the girls face underneath her left eye and left side of her nose. This is just technical talk but I have seen photographs downgraded for such glitches by judges. Great photo and congratulations for taking a photo in such circumstances. Posted: 06/06/2026 21:29:35
Humm, I always like individuals for HI photos rather than crowds. She is very photogenic and a good catch for you.
If it were my photo (and of course it isn't, and we always take photos on vacation), I would have used a faster shutter speed to stop the wing blur, and an f/stop around 8 or higher. Also a higher ISO. As long as there aren't blown-out areas, you can always balance the lights and darks later. Posted: 06/07/2026 10:34:18
If it were my photo (and of course it isn't, and we always take photos on vacation), I would have used a faster shutter speed to stop the wing blur, and an f/stop around 8 or higher. Also a higher ISO. As long as there aren't blown-out areas, you can always balance the lights and darks later. Posted: 06/07/2026 10:34:18
This is a nice story with the pigeons landing on the girl. I think you did a good job of highlighting her face through the sunlight and shadows from the tree. You have captured great detail in the facial features and her hair with the harsh lighting coming through the tree.
I do find the motion of the wing in the front pigeon a bit distracting as it blurs across the front part of the girl and her clothing. A faster shutter speed and higher ISO would have help this situation but I know that it is not generally possible to get settings perfect on a spur of the moment shot. Posted: 06/10/2026 12:54:08
I do find the motion of the wing in the front pigeon a bit distracting as it blurs across the front part of the girl and her clothing. A faster shutter speed and higher ISO would have help this situation but I know that it is not generally possible to get settings perfect on a spur of the moment shot. Posted: 06/10/2026 12:54:08