Tufted Titmouse

[mikedelaney]

canon 40D
sigma 50-500mm
f 6.3
1/320 sec.
ISO 800
i know that you would like me to shoot in 1 light, but color and light and shadow are a big part of why i am here.
i shot this yesterday (i call it one of God's shots because of the lack of noise and getting decent detail are here).
tell me your honest opinions, i'll try to make changes if you all think it is worth the effort.

[mikedelaney]

i know there is some noise there. i can try to get rid of it if you want.

[Desmond Chan]

Mike, have you tried bracketing?

As is, the photo has quite a lot of distracting blown highlights. The left cheek of the bird is basically pure black (with some has a tiny blue cast). I'm afraid the best solution for a situation like that is - as you and I have already heard about it here many times - fill flash ;)

The bird itself looks soft. I suspect it could be a focus issue or simply that the bird wasn't cooperating :D It doesn't appear that more sharpening would make it much better.

I think the pose of the bird is good. If it were my shot and I really wanted to keep it, I would crop tighter to rid some of the blown highlights of the final image and put the bird a bit off centered.

Anyhow, I think we all have had and will have shots like that. Otherwise, all of our shots would be keepers.

[Alfred Forns]

Mike birds is mixed light don't usually work Light and shadows are important parts of images but not falling on your subject when the subject is a bird.

Your image is well exposed and the bird is a good position well framed. Left good room for the tail and have more space in front. The setting itself does not work for me, I'm usually trying for a cleaner image. From the place you were standing you made the best possible image. This little birds you are going after are usually the most difficult. Would try working around a feeder to get them in the open and choosing your bg !!!

[mikedelaney]

thank you Alfred and Desmond for your help. maybe it wasn't what i thought it was. i value your comments and will think twice about putting up something like this in the future. i think you both will approve of tomorrow's submission.
mike

[Dave Slaughter]

Mike, I've enjoyed seeing your images and certainly am not an expert but this is an open forum and I guess I can give my opinion. Although a full framed bird with no overlapping leaves or branches, and an out-of-focus non-cluttered background is probably the "ideal" photo, very aesthetically pleasing and fit to put on a wall or in a magazine, I think there is a place for pictures where the bird is depicted as it is photographed even if the photo doesn't meet the ideal criteria. Some birds live in manicured English gardens but a lot more live in tangled thickets and some of us have a real fondness for tangled thickets. Marie Reed wrote an article in one of the birding journals recently pushing for photos showing more habitat and anything she says should be listened to seriously. Don't get me wrong, I'm astounded by the quality of a lot of the reposts and professional shots here but I like the way this bird is snuggled in the habitat. I do think the bird looks a bit soft. There is an article you might enjoy on the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology website about using the sigma 170-500 lens for bird photography. This lens is considered to be inferior to the lens you have, but the article may be useful to you. I have one and use it a lot, where I think I might run into mammals and need the flexibility, and have been pleased with it. Here's the link: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/bp/cindy1/document_view

[mikedelaney]

thanks Dave. i have always liked your work. this is not my best, but i kinda liked it because, well i liked it.
Alfred and Desmond rule, as far as i am concerned around here, so i won't make the same mistake twice, but it was very nice of you to take time out to view some of mine, even though it is a real bad one.