Signs of Spring, you can find them here if you are looking hard enough. I’m on the lookout, so I have noticed the increased number of birds that I can see outside my kitchen window in the morning. This little sparrow really likes the cover of a pile of sticks we are collecting from a recent storm:
ISO 1600 19mm 0ev f/5.6 1/100
I’ll show you the original in a moment but I decided to convert this image to black and white for Cee’s Black and White Photo Challenge: Found in Nature I used my point and shoot to get this image. This little bird was pretty still, so I was pretty confident the camera would get a decent shot.
I opened the original in Camera Raw and increased the exposure and the clarity. Then I converted it to black and white. From there I opened it in Photoshop, cropped and sharpened it a bit.
Here is the original:
ISO 1600 19mm 0ev f/5.6 1/100
One of the reasons I cropped the photo was to make the bird look like it was in a more natural setting. I also wanted to make him a little more obvious, since he gets lost a bit in the black and white. What do you think? Does black and white work here?
Cheers!
Photography Journal Blog 
The black and white works great as the bird does stand out 🙂 nice!
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Thanks 🙂
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Gorgeous crop in this photo!!! Beautiful in black and white too! Thanks for playing!
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Thank you and thanks for hosting this challenge 🙂
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I love the original too, Amy, but the B&W does focus more on the bird. Beautiful shot. 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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I actually think he stands out a bit more in the black and white. So happy to see the birds returning!
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I’m pretty excited about it too. We had a robin’s nest right by the kitchen window last year, and I am hoping they will come back.
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We once had a robin’s nest near our kitchen window. Marvellous!
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I took photos and wrote a series of posts about last year’s nest, you can take a look here if you like:
https://marantophotography.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/a-nest-update-a-survival-tale/
I am really hoping I get a chance to do something like this again next year.
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Thanks and I will cross my fingers you get another chance this year.
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Thanks, I have my fingers crossed as well 🙂
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I think it definitely works in black and white. If you don’t mind my saying so – I would crop more off the top of the photo.
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I was concerned that if I cropped to much off there might not be enough to “tell the story” of the surrounds. I gave it some thought anyway, I was just concerned about it being too cropped. Thank you for your honest opinion, I do appreciate it.
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I like the crop but I prefer the colour version. It does look a bit lost in the branches but the green grass in the background makes it stand out a bit more.
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Yes, I did try to make it stand out a bit in my editing, but that can be the difficulty of black and white sometimes.
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I like the B & W best – and for me – I have not been seeing very many birds – but I keep HEARING them more and more – and it also lets me know spring is a coming….. 🙂
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Yes, and I am hearing them earlier in the morning now as well which is cool 🙂
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Yes, I think the b/w works well with this subject and I like what you’ve done with the cropping too.
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Thank you, I’m glad you like it.
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Great shots! ISO 1600!
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Yes, the camera was on fully automatic and I think it handled it pretty well. It is a bit noisier than you would want it if it was going to be an art print, but for a snapshot it is OK.
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The black-and-white photo and the cropping both help focus on the bird. Great shot, Amy.
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Thanks, I just love it when this is my view in the morning 🙂
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I knew that spring was just around the corner when I heard the call of a red winged backbird. I couldn’t see him but I could sure hear him. A sure sign of spring in my necj of the woods.
I am getting excited to see what I’ll get to shoot this spring and summer.
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Yes, I’ve been hearing birds earlier and earlier in the morning, I love it.
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