Cropping feedback

[Clovishound]

I would appreciate opinions on the best cropping for this image. I shot a red tailed hawk as I was packing it in and heading back to the car yesterday at the Audubon Swamp. I'm struggling with the best cropping options for this image.

Here is the full, uncropped image. I was using 500mm and this was as close as I could get to the bird.

This is the first crop, and, yes, the one I posted in birds on the forum yesterday.

After further reflection, I decided to tighten the crop. I also brought up the shadow on the tail and branch under the bird. I was surprised at how much crop I was able to get away with and retain detail. Gotta love that 200-500 F5.6 Nikon.

I then decided to try straightening the image, as the branch was off plumb. Not sure I like this better, Clovispup liked the crooked one better. I did leave it slightly off to preserve a more natural look, IMO.

I also did a vertical, but can't post 5 images in one post. I will post it if desired, but I don't like it as much, and neither does the Pup.

 

[Fred Kingston]

There are two issues... One is, if you crop to focus on the subject, with that image...you're cropping pretty heavily... and the second is the depth of field for that image is too short... so when you do crop very much that out-of-focus branch to the right becomes reeeally out-of-focus in relation to everything else and becomes distracting...

I couldn't fix it because the images are Jpegs and not the RAW image...

 

[Clovishound]

My Photoshop skill isn't up to removing that tree behind the bird. The vertical of this picture may help reduce that distraction.

 

[Needa]

Maybe if you crop splitting blurred tree as the right edge it may be less distracting.

 

[Clovishound]

OK, I tried that. That tree is less distracting, but the bird is facing toward the short 1/3 of the picture. Better overall? I, personally, don't find the tree that distracting. I didn't really notice it at all until it was pointed out. I do agree it would be better without it. Let me look through the entire series of this bird and see if there is one that has a good stance of the bird without distractions in the background. I do like the texture of the tree bark and the moss in all of these.

 

[Peter7100]

I like all the versions but I think your final crop is probably the best one.

 

[Bikerbrent]

Yes, I agree with Peter, you final crop is looking pretty good.

 

[Clovishound]

Well, looked through the rest and came up with these 2. Not sure they are better.

This one still has the offending tree, but with some moss hiding part of it, it isn't as distracting.

This one still has an edge of the tree, but it doesn't seem to distract. Nice expression on the face, but a little too much shading. I may work on that part of the face and see if I can improve it. These were fairly quick and dirty edits.

 

[Needa]

OK, I tried that. That tree is less distracting, but the bird is facing toward the short 1/3 of the picture. Better overall? I, personally, don't find the tree that distracting. I didn't really notice it at all until it was pointed out. I do agree it would be better without it. Let me look through the entire series of this bird and see if there is one that has a good stance of the bird without distractions in the background. I do like the texture of the tree bark and the moss in all of these.

View attachment 388636

Think it works because eye is looking at you.

This one still has an edge of the tree, but it doesn't seem to distract. Nice expression on the face, but a little too much shading. I may work on that part of the face and see if I can improve it. These were fairly quick and dirty edits.

View attachment 388638

Nice!