Blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)

[Jonathan Ashton]

Image captured in the back garden

Olympus : E-M1X
Lens focal length : 300 mm
Focal Length (35 mm conversion) : 601.0mm
Metering mode : Pattern
ISO Sensitivity : 3200
Exposure mode : Manual exposure
Exposure time : 1/1600 sec
F number : F5.6
Exposure compensation : 0.0 EV
Flash : ON (Fill-in-1.0EV)

[gail bisson]

Very pretty.
Love the BG and the light shining on the BG.
Perch is perfect size for the tit and you got perfect DOF throughout the bird so he is nice and sharp throughout.
I might lift the exposure on the bird slightly but if you do that, you might have to add a bit of punch to the bird with a point or 2 of blacks in the neutrals in "selective coloring".
Well done,
Gail
PS I might crop a sliver off the bottom to get rid of that little bit of branch.

[annmpacheco]

Hello Jon, very sweet frame, agree w Gail to increase exposure and cropping to rid the bit of bottom branch. If you have more of the frame I'd like to see this less crowded, resulting in more of a good thing! Well done

[dankearl]

Very nice, Nice BG, very attractive bird...

[Paul Burdett]

Looks perfect to me Jonathan. Great pose, HA, sharpness, BG & colours. Exposure looks fine to me. I would crop that lower branch bit. I'd love to be able to see something like this in my garden...all I see are Crows, Magpies and occasionally Blue-faced honeyeaters and Rainbow Lorikeets (I shouldn't complain I guess) Great work my friend.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Jon, the flash worked well and both subject and BKG work very well in terms of the overall colour palette. Agree that the nodule at the foot should be cropped out, but a fraction more on the LHS would I feel me better, just a sliver. A mid tone Curves would help and add a bit more depth to the subject. I might also darken the legs so you can emphasis better detail, your call on what you choose to do so. Some nice, subtle detail captured.

TFS
Steve

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks for all your comments - much appreciated. I left that little stub at the bottom on purpose, just for devilment, I just knew you would say get rid of it!!
I am a little surprised at the suggestions to increase exposure - though I did expect the suggestions to increase black. I think in general folks in the new world prefer more punchy colours with more contrast.

[Steve Kaluski]

I think in general folks in the new world prefer more punchy colours with more contrast.

And more contrast will kill detail, but I'm of the 'Old world' Jon. :S3:

[Steve Kaluski]

So from what you said Jon, the light is now on, so let’s see a RP, aren’t Curves brilliant? :S3:

[Jim Crosswell]

Sweet Image Jonathan! I like the simplicity of the image, complimentary colours, perch and composition.