Great spotted woodpecker (F)

[Jonathan Ashton]

Camera Model Canon EOS-1D X
Shooting Mode Manual Exposure
Tv(Shutter Speed) 1/500
Av(Aperture Value) 8.0
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation 0
ISO Speed 200
Auto ISO Speed ON
Lens EF500mm f/4L IS USM
the light was constantly changing, this is where I find the Auto ISO invaluable.

Image captured from my garden hide, I took 200 images in close succession at varying shutter speeds (approx 1/320 - 1/3200 and to be honest there was very little discernible difference in qauality) and all at f8, this is was the first one! On reflection I could have made it perfectly possible to reduce the cropping factor significantly. The woodie wasn't in the least perturbed by the shutter on my camera, I thought it would have been gone in a flash but no it just stayed there so maybe room for improvement. Your critique is eagerly anticipated.

[Daniel Cadieux]

That's a great looking woodpecker with very nice colours. Good BG too. Processing looks well done - sharpness perfect. I have to admit that the perch is the weak link of the image IMO - the bark itself looks great but those growths are distracting to me. I also would have pointed my lens to the right for added room there.

[Randy Stout]

Jon:

My concerns match Daniels. The dark, high contrast blobs on the trunk are just too dominant to allow us to really appreciate the bird. The background and main trunk are very good. You need to do a wartectomy on that tree.

Cheers

Randy

[Jonathan Ashton]

Dan, Randy thanks for the comments. I knew you wouldn't like the stump with those large warty growths, they are large and significant and I appreciate many would regard them as intrusive, I don't really know why but I just like them. Regarding composition I did consider placement further over to the left but I felt the bird became less significant and the stump even more dominant. I also flipped the image but in the end I decided on this version. I will be out looking for another stump or bough today in between rain showers - thanks again.

[keith mitchell]

Jon when I first looked there was something I could not put my finger on, think Dan and Randy have answered my question re the Growths. Bird and BG look very good but there again one of those growths chops off the tail.

Keith.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Jon when I first looked there was something I could not put my finger on, think Dan and Randy have answered my question re the Growths. Bird and BG look very good but there again one of those growths chops off the tail.

Keith.

Yes I agree Keith, that is why I ended up taking so many images - the bird of course just kept moving as it rummaged in the stump, I was just hoping at one point the tail would become more visible, but that didn't happen because it was using it to balance.

[Mike Poole]

Bird perfect - perch, not so much so. Think that just about sums it up for me!

Mike

[keith mitchell]

Jon trying to photograph birds can be fun? The times I have wished I had long arms and a pair of cutters to remove some pesky piece of grass or twig.

Keith.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Jon, lovely IQ, and looks the weather was kind to you when shooting this sequence. Well exposed and sharp, and maybe just a tad more space on the right to give the tree a touch of breathing space.

[Jonathan Ashton]

My thanks to everyone for your interest and comments.