Goldfinch collecting nesting material

[Jonathan Ashton]

Taken from garden hide Canon 7D Canon 500mm f4 l IS ISO 250 1/400 sec f8
Always looking for something different in the garden set up.
All C&C welcome.

[gail bisson]

Still loving that rusty wired fence!
Love the BG and the little bit of "thread" in his beak.
I would clone out the black bit on the right just beneath the wire.
Excellent IQ and like the setup,
Gail

[Dennis Zaebst]

Your goldfinches are certainly different from our American Goldfinches. Great photo. I love the rusty wire perch. Good sharpness and great colors. Well done Jonathon!

[Nick Palmieri]

Really like the pose and the bit of threat in his beak. The perch looks okay to me and the detail in the bird is nice. The nesting material is a little bright but I really think it adds interest. I think this image really works!

[Marina Scarr]

Very pleasing image with lots to look at and like. The bits of cotton in the beak and rusty barbed wire are pluses.

[PhilCook]

Near perfect imo..I long to achieve a great image of this species one day, not one I'd ever see in a garden here sadly. Only thing I would consider changing would be to smooth out the lighter patch in the backdrop below the sheep wool

[Richard Unsworth]

Well you suceeded in finding that something different!
Great exposure and detail, fence is nice mine are all new zinc coated lol

[Karl Egressy]

I was always afraid to post any bird on a rusty wire perch but now I'm being encouraged as I see people like it.
Nice image, Jonathan.

[christopher galeski]

nice image Jonathan,great IQ,good BG,and I like the shabby sheek barbed wire.:S3:

[vishaljadhav]

Very nicely captured bird, the thread in the beak makes it delicate and lovely
i love the colors presented look fantastic, the bg looks good.
In case this was a controlled setup what is the white blob in the bg at the bottom,
I like everything else in here

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks very much for the feedback everyone. I did wonder about darkening the paler are toward the base, I must confess I am not consistent when it comes to things like this. Sometimes I think if the background is "perfect" it looks a little contrived, generally I prefer a few imperfections, nature is usually "imperfect". I am always aware this these sort of image would easily be button holed as "bird on a stick" or "coffee table top book images". Having said that I think I could have made it a little darker without making it entirely homogeneous:w3

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Jon, the colours on the Goldfinch really pop against the lighter BG, and overall he is nice and sharp. As the barbed wire fence line is rusted, is does give off character, and the nesting material adds even more to the image. I would have blended in the lighter area of the BG. :w3

[PhilCook]

Thanks very much for the feedback everyone. I did wonder about darkening the paler are toward the base, I must confess I am not consistent when it comes to things like this. Sometimes I think if the background is "perfect" it looks a little contrived, generally I prefer a few imperfections, nature is usually "imperfect". I am always aware this these sort of image would easily be button holed as "bird on a stick" or "coffee table top book images". Having said that I think I could have made it a little darker without making it entirely homogeneous:w3


I agree about backgrounds looking sometimes too perfect and contrived but often find myself fiddling backdrops a little not to please myself but others = not sure that's what I want in my photography to be honest :e3

[Don Nelson]

Excllent pose and BG. Good sharpness and handling whites. Perch on rusty wire is excellent - and very effective use of attractant.

[Shawn Zierman]

This is a dandy image of this species. Great soft light quality. Did you place the nesting material?
If so, brilliantly done.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks very much everyone for the feedback, the barbed wire was placed near the feeder and I attached the sheep wool knowing they would eventually start collection.

[Satish Ranadive]

Jonathan:
This absolutely superb image.Great details,beautiful colors and composition.

Regards,
Satish.