I know next to nothing about Oriental art but does this photo from yesterday morning have any resemblance to traditional Japanese prints?
1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Probably not. I’m an ignoramus when it comes to art styles but for some reason that possibility jumped out at me as soon as I saw the image on my big screen. So I had to ask.
Yesterday morning, despite our continuing dismal weather and low light, I took my camera gear down to one of the local ponds I frequent just to get “out there” again. In these conditions I had no real expectation of getting any photos I like but I had to scratch my bird photography itch. When a male Belted Kingfisher began fishing from this tree branch over the pond I even considered not aiming my lens his way because I knew my photos of him would have high key backgrounds and his colors would be significantly muted in that crappy light. High key backgrounds in particular generally turn me off in nature photography.
But I’m intrigued by this flight shot taken immediately after he dove on a fish (which he missed). I managed to get some of his color to show up, I like his flight posture, he’s much sharper than I expected him to be in this light (ISO 1250 helped to solve that problem) and I even have some light in his eye. All the foreground branches and twigs are sharp enough and there are even a few far away and very out of focus branches behind the pond that subdue the high key background to an acceptable level for my tastes.
And as little as I know about art I like the “artsy feel” (whatever that is) of the image. Perhaps the subdued colors are even a plus in this situation?
I dunno. I’m out of my league.
Ron
Addendum: One of my Facebook followers made this comment about the image: “As I scrolled into this photo I was thinking if Audubon had taken photographs they would have been like this”. Perhaps that’s a more accurate descriptor than “Japanese print”. I’m still trying to figure out what I think about the photo.
WOW! My first thought was that this was a painting. It is beautiful. I have been following your blog for over two years and enjoying very much — but I have never made a comment before.
Thanks, Laurie. Welcome to the commenter gang!
Wow
🙂
I see it in the swirl of the wings and the figure/ground relationship, the ground being what surrounds the subject, especially in the lower edges.
Thanks for the feedback, Jane.
This is wonderful Ron, congratulations on this unique creation.
Thank you, Dave.
Ron, I don’t have a creative bone in my body, so rather than attempting to sound like I do, I’ll just say that this is a spectacular and unusual photo. Thank you for sharing it with us. I enjoyed the discussion about it.
I loved the first part of your comment and your honesty, Alice. That description applies pretty well to me also.
I see both Audubon’s illustrations and Japanese silk paintings in this shot. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful photo this morning. 🙂
Thank you, Marty.
HI Ron, Some say that photography is a science, others think it is an art form. With this photo it’s hard to tell where one starts and the other lets off! Either way you call it, its a mesmerizing image!!GREAT JOB
Thank you, Tom. I think it’s a little bit (or a lot) of both. Or at least it can be.
My first impression was Audubon. What he did with paint is amazing. It’s tough enough with DSLRs.
Thanks for the feedback, Bob.
I love the angle of the bird along with the branches. Very nice!
I’m glad you like it, Jean.
You have captured a “Japanese” image.
It’s beautiful.
Thanks, Margaret.
I ‘think’ a Japanese print would usually have less branches, but it is a stunning image.
Please keep everything crossed for us on this side of the pond. Today promises to be a shocker on the fire front with top temperatures over 100 and wind. Another shocker.
I know! I’ve been worried sick! Stay safe, EC!!!
This definitely supports my feeling that you have a very artistic eye and see things well. This beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Betty, It’s probably more that I just luck out once in a while… Thanks.
Beautiful! I immediately thought if Audubon.
Thank you, Susan.
Beautiful image. It does have an oriental feel to it, but I can also see the Audubon reference. Audubon often put his birds in slightly contorted postures, but usually because he wanted paint life-size and had to fit the bird into the space he had. Here, you captured the bird at the moment it took a similar pose. But it doesn’t need to be in the style of anything. It stands alone as a gorgeous work. Thanks for sharing it.
“But it doesn’t need to be in the style of anything. It stands alone as a gorgeous work”
You’re right, Dan. I don’t need to categorize it. Thank you.
High key haiku
Kingfisher descends
frozen in winter flight, snow
and branch, catch my breath
Haiku, very appropriate, Lyle.
A very good photo Ron of one of my favorite birds. Very observant of you to think of this in comparison to a traditional Japanese print. I would not have thought of that, but it definitely does. I wish I could tie into Judy’s “Kingfishers are giving you a bit of a break now and then.” Over the past few months the only time a kingfisher has stopped and given me a pose had been on a sign at the edge of one of our lakes, or a light post – never in a natural setting.
Thank you, Everett.
Great shot Ron. Love the composition and I believe the high key background actually complements the white in the bird. Would have been very different picture without the white in this subject….for me anyway.
Steve, the composition is one of the things I like best about it. Thanks.
I really like it and the subdued colors are a part of the charm. I agree with what Kathy said about a silk panel.
Thank you, Tom.
Well in my mind… it would make a beautiful center panel of a botanical Japanese silk screen room divider! Can’t you just see those branches and buds weaving their way across three panels from high to low with the kingfisher gracing one of them? Even the minimal amount of colors is perfect…balancing the form of the branches. A beautiful capture! ❤️ Love his showing of his colors!
Thanks very much, Kathy. Yes, I can see what you describe in my mind.
And then some!!! It looks like a “floating world” style to me. I adore this so much.
In fact…. https://ukiyo-e.org/image/mfa/sc141920 Might interest you. Ukiyo-e is the type of art. I’m very drawn to it. No pun intended.
You pinpointed the kind of painting I was remembering. Isn’t there also a Chinese style that fits this photo?
I love this photos and I can envision the screen panels Kathy talks about. The muted colors add to the beauty of the image.
There most likely is. Sadly I don’t know the name. 🙂
It’s the style of painting around Mount Huang (Anhui School of SE China, Late Ming – Qing period). Here’s a link to one artist’s representation of a pine tree that resembles the flow of the branches in this kingfisher photo. In case the link doesn’t work, it’s name is Dragon Pine on Mount Huang.
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/49127
The feel of the photo is much more hopeful than that of the painting, IMO, due to the upturned buds on the branch and the kingfisher’s dive for a meal.
Thank you, Arwen. I’ll have to research “floating world”.
And thanks for the link.
This Is Fantastic! Yes it has an Asian Art feeling and Yes it is gorgeous! Lovely. The gray daylight just adds to it. Thanks for going out looking when the light was not perfect and thanks for sharing.
Thanks for that feedback, Joanne. Others on FB are also saying it resembles Japanese art so maybe I was actually right… 🙂
Ron: One can critique most photos, but there are those that need only one word: beautiful.
I think it’s pretty neat too, Richard. But it’s so different from my usual fare I’m having a hard time evaluating it…
It does have an Oriental artsy feel to it tho there is enough natural background showing through to clearly indicate it’s a photo – NICE capture, Ron….:) Kingfishers are giving you a bit of a break now and then… 🙂
“Kingfishers are giving you a bit of a break now and then”
Judy, the problem is… “now” and “then” are much too far apart! 🙂
Lovely image, Ron, Japanese or not!
Thank you, Thomas.