Composition Composition Composition!

There is not a lot of point of going to seminar/ training course if you are not going to learn.

Regular readers of this blipfeed will know I went to Andy Rouse's fieldcraft seminar at UGLAM on Sunday. Although the main thrust of the course was about hiding in bushes, he did touch on composition, especially in relation to photographing garden birds. The one thing you have control over in your own garden is the background. So I decided to try and take a few photos with the background, or bokeh in mind. I only really took a couple of photographs that really worked, but I decided on this one in the end for two reasons. For one, I haven't blipped a magpie in ages.

I rejected female Reed Bunting even though I much prefer it as photo, as they have had plenty of coverage here of late. Here is another shot of the rejected female Reed Bunting.

In both these of photographs I took the time to try and position myself so I could get a much better back drop to try and show off the bird. I really like the contrast in the one I chose. Normally, I would have distracting branches in the background of the birds I take on the fence, this is why you don't see them on here very often, it's amazing how taking the time to shift your position a few feet can totally change a photos composition.

Magpies are such maligned birds, and I think a couple are nest building in the tree just behind my hedgerow. I personally think they are stunning looking birds, and their tail feathers have that magnificent iridescence, it's one of those close up photographs I would love to take!

Only three days left to blip my letter E blip of the AlphaPonty challenge .. I have two ideas .. watch this space!