Ruby-crowned kinglet

[Grace Scalzo]

I share this image with you with full disclosure. Most of you know that I don't like to do too much post processing on my images as I'd rather spend time in the field. (Translate, too lazy.:w3)
This one is cropped to vertical, I removed a leaf that came in from the side from the next plant, removed a stray thin blade arching over the top, and then did mega-amount of smoothing with NIK as the background was very uneven, especially near the bottom of the frame. I would have deleted it except I was out trying to get one of these kinglets showing his crest and this is the best of the bunch.

Thank you for looking and as always for your comments. I appreciate them all.

1/3200, f 5.6, iso800
Canon 1dx, 600f4 + 1.4tc + rrs tripod

[Alan Lillich]

Lazy or not, you did a nice job. Great pose and overall image design. The red in the BG is a nice complement to the bird's crest. Did you try a shift in white balance for whiter whites? I go back and forth on whether to keep the atmospheric yellow light or to aim for "true" colors.

[gail bisson]

Hi Grace,
Where have you been?!:S3:
I have never seen a kinglet IRL but this cutie pie looks great. Crest looks great.
Your PP work is excellent.
Love the light.
I think this could also work well with a landscape orientation with some off the bottom and more on the right. I do appreciate the fact that the big perch ( in a vertical orientation) shows the viewer how tiny these guys are .
Gail

[Grace Scalzo]

Hi Alan, thanks for your comment. Not sure how you have your monitor calibrated, but the only whites in this image are just the tiny bits on the spent flowers...the bird is rather golden color and was in a field of seaside goldenrod, so I think that the colors are pretty true. The reds in the background are poison ivy leaves.

Gail, thanks. I wish I could make a landscape work as there is in fact a second bird in the lower right corner, which is why this fellow's crest was up. But the second one is real close to the edge and the bottom is messy. I'm going back tomorrow morning to try again!

[Nick Palmieri]

Beautiful job Grace. I love the crop and colors as presented. I wish that one bright leaf coming up from the bottom wasn't there but thats a minor nit for a really nice image!

[Mervyn Marsh]

Hey looks good to me, I think you did overall with this photo very cute, bird looks great as well as the BG.. :)

Cheers,

Merv

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

HEy Grace, I love this little guy. I must say you did great work on the PP and getting a nice perch and the crest. Nice work

[Karl Egressy]

The time cleaning up this nice image was well spent as the end result looks great, Grace.

[Danny Laredo]

Excellent PP work, very kind of you to tell. All in all a worthy image.

[Alan Murphy]

My kind of shot Grace. Beautiful work.

[Bill Dix]

Nice work Grace. It may go against your grain, but you did well with the PP, and it paid off. Kinglets are tough; tougher still to get a RCKI with his crest showing. Lovely image and I like the comp just as is.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Grace, great setting, and I like the placement of the little guy high in the frame. I really like the overall colours in this, and the more I look at this, the more I realise how small this species is.

[Satish Ranadive]

Wonderful image. Superb composition. Love the little bird with ruby crest, beautiful perch and background.

Regards,
Satish.

[Grace Scalzo]

Thank you so much everyone.

[Girish Prahalad]

lovely comp & setting here. the crest indeed is shown very well here. IQ, perch & BG are excellent.

[vishaljadhav]

Lovely looking small cute bird here, love the composition, that small tinge of red on the head makes it really special
i like the exposure and the vertical looks nice to my eye
love it