European Starling Pair.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Not a very popular species around here due to them being an aggressive introduced species most often outcompeting indigenous species for nesting cavities, but their beauty is undeniable! A bit of an unconventional comp with those head angles towards the near edge, but I feel the fruit placements on the right half nicely balance the image out. I also got lucky when both heads were in the same relative distance to the plane of focus.

Canon 7DII + 500mm f/4 II + 1.4TC III, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/320s., f/5.6, ISO 800, natural light, handheld, FF, added catchlight to both eyes, a couple of larger distracting snowflakes removed, including one in front of the higher bird's chest.

[Jonathan Spool]

Who would of thought you could make a Christmas card photo with Starlings! Great shot. I love the feather detail and patterns on the upper birds breast.

[Adhika Lie]

An awesome shot and I agree with Jonathan here that it feels very Christmas-ey! I think their plumage goes really well with the falling snow.

[annmpacheco]

super composition Dan, love the framing with the branched crabapples, and falling snow. terrific exposure too. Starlings are such beauties, i agree!

[Geoffrey Montagu]

This made me smile, Daniel, for the same reasons as Jonathan and Adhika mentioned. Also how beautifully you captured the iridescence on the breast of both birds.

When you mentioned you had added both catchlights the first thing I remembered was, you are the "Eye Doctor" par-excellence, and I immediately thought a reflection of the horizon might be a suggestion.
That being said, I'm also fine with catchlights as posted.

Geoffrey




http://500px.com/geoffreymontagu (http://500px.com/geoffreymontagu)

[Isaac Grant]

Excellent. I always think that I should have a shot like this of Starlings. They are pests but beautiful ones for sure. The berries, the poses, the snow. All so good. Congrats.

[William Dickson]

Well done Dan, you got the good light to show that great feather colour. Lovely comp and snowy. Cracking image.

TFS

Will

[keith mitchell]

Dan you have placed those catchlights perfectly ,sheen and detail on the birds is spot on,snowy scene makes for a great image.Don't know why these birds have such a bad image I think they are great.

[Bill Dix]

No question that Starlings are lovely birds, despite their other attributes. You've captured them beautifully, and the perch makes the image. Your comp was certainly the way to go.

[stuart wanuck]

great work too cold for me

[Jonathan Ashton]

Lovely shot Dan I lkek the composition and the colours are wonderful. Starlings are not the most popular birds in UK either for the reasons you give also. It seems that only photographers like them!

[Ryan von Linden]

You can count me in the starling haters club, but this is a cracking image and even I have to begrudgingly acknowledge the beauty that you have captured in these birds. The lower bird looking to the left side of the frame does leave me feeling a bit cramped, but I like the composition of the snowy perch.

[Mary Joh]

Yeah, it is very difficult to get a starling's image since it is rare to find. How did you take this awesome shot? Really wonderful. I wish to take starting pictures for my documentary but I couldn't get images still now. So I am planning to get help from the bird control specialists of Toronto (http://www.hawkeye.ca/toronto-pest-bird-control). Hope that I could get good shots of them.