One of the advantages of a telephoto lens is its ability to concentrate on a pleasing feature and leave out or blur less attractive elements into the bokeh.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
I took this shot of a Rufous Hummingbird recently on Antelope Island. I pretty much like everything about the image including the flight pose, the sharp foreground flower, the much softer background flower and the clean background.
But in reality the setting for that shot was far from “clean”. The image was taken here at what I call the Antelope Island dump which is littered with junk including concrete, old wood piles, metal scraps, disturbed topsoil and miscellaneous garbage – not the kind of place that comes to mind when one thinks of eye-pleasing nature photographs. The bird in the first image was actually hovering over one of the bee plant flowers just below and slightly to the left of the tallest and largest sunflower blossom in the foreground.
The bee plant flowers and hummingbirds are mostly gone now but this is a reminder for me in the future that sometimes in photography we really can turn a pig’s ear into a silk purse.
Ron
I’m on the road again and likely will be for much of the week. As usual for these camping/photo trips I’ve prepared posts to be published in my absence but I’ll mostly be without internet access so I won’t be very active here while I’m gone. I do enjoy reading any comments you may make on my phone, though.
A very intriguing juxtaposition!
I don’t think you have pig’s ears….i think your ears are cute!!….OK! OK, OK! Ellie Baby” I know what you mean and I agree!
I just stumbled on your site yesterday and was showing it to a friend this afternoon when I discovered this pair of photos. I’ve a large collection of images–photos and drawings–accumulated over several years now on weekly visits at a tiny native grass restoration site in a downtown location in my hometown. The otherwise natural history oriented series also includes a few samples of truly artful graffiti spotted on nearby bridge pilings. Collected into a Powerpoint slide presentation titled “3 Acres…So What?” I show it around to local groups as part of an effort to improve conditions along the small, neglected river it adjoins. A kiosk version has been part of an art exhibit featuring sustainability themes. Many of the images are extreme close ups and all underscore the point you make so well here. I sometimes call the same series “Searching for the Silver Lining” since our city continues to be in dire economic straits but the silver lining can still be found literally in front of our noses–hidden in plain view. “Searching for the silk purses” works quite as well. Your photos and postings are inspired and inspiring.
I do love the magic you work with your pig’s ears.
thanks elephant’s child. I’ve been having Blog problems. not easy to fix on a phone while camping.