It is nigh-on impossible to get high-resolution, low-noise photos of nocturnal kiwi. I had the rare opportunity to photograph this kiwi during the day, and through lighting adjustments, set him into a more natural moonlit scene. Some photographers may call it cheating, but photo-artistry isn't constrained by such purist conventions. The reality is, this manipulated photo is far closer to the actual experience people will have with a kiwi pukupuku when out on a night tour of a bird sanctuary.
So much of photo-artistry is about controlling and manipulating light, to enhance light already in the image and to cast light where it is needed to created realistic scenes. A lot of thought goes into the colour and direction of added light, and where the shadows will fall. It's the make or break of whether a composited scene will be perceived as realistic, even when the subject may be fantastical.
#Good Challenge: Light
