Long Tail Tit/Background?

[russellsnr]

Hi, am trying some new ideas with backgrounds.
Finding that when you shoot in woodland backgrounds can be very messy and takes away from the main subject so trying something new (for me).
I bought a bed sheet from charity shop and just hung behind, in processing used a gradient mask to lighten bottom of image.

• FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/160 sec
• ISO 5000

 

[Brownie]

I like the shot, but I also very much like environment shots. Birds live in the woods and trees by and large. Since my back yard is in town I have buildings as a background, so I've provide more natural looking backgrounds. The greens and pinecones below are artificial and attached to the back of a natural log tray feeder.

DSC09226 by telecast, on Flickr

The green behind this sparrow is a clump of Christmas trees that I collected when people threw them out after the holidays. They were to be chipped and mulched, and they will be eventually, but they've been repurposed for the time being. Not only do they provide a better background but they encourage birds by providing cover.

DSC09247 by telecast, on Flickr

Lastly, nothing wrong with a natural setting.

DSC08381 by telecast, on Flickr

 

[russellsnr]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I don't disagree with you at all on natural backgrounds most of my images are taken in woodland and I use a camouflage netting on occasions for background but just wanted to try this option out.
Thanks again, Russ.

 

[Brownie]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I don't disagree with you at all on natural backgrounds most of my images are taken in woodland and I use a camouflage netting on occasions for background but just wanted to try this option out.
Thanks again, Russ.

It's not unpleasant, and frankly if you'd not said anything I wouldn't have known!

 

[MrFotoFool]

It's not bad, but if you used it on a lot of images it would become apparent that something is amiss (unless you want to do a series where everthing looks the same). I am not sure the gradient helps; for me I think it might be better without it.

 

[Sdawes]

Looks fine but as Fred says above you would not be able to keep using all the time as it start to look false

 

[Roland]

I am lucky. Mid May, the grass turns yellow behind my feeder and oak tree and i get a nice uniform background.