American Goldfinch look

[John Chardine]

I thought I would try out this image on you. It is one of many 1000s I have made in the last few months and after viewing it, it got put away and forgotten about. Maybe I should have forgotten about it! Let me know. I like the way the bird is looking right at the camera and the look and feel is almost like you would get from a wide-angle lens at close range.

This is a male American Goldfinch in breeding plumage created at my feeder this spring in Sackville, New Brunswick. I think you would agree they are spectacular birds.

I used the Patch tool in Ps to clean up the BG. Also masked out the bird and blurred to BG a little.

40D, 500mm f4, 1.4tc = 700mm effective FL
capture date: Thursday, May 29, 2008 4:31:35 PM
exposure program: Aperture Priority
ISO speed: 640
shutter speed: 1/250
aperture: f5.6
exposure bias: +0.0
metering: Pattern
flash: ON, FP synch
focal length: 700.0

[Beth Goffe]

I like this image. He's got an intelligent look, as if he's got something on his mind he's not telling you. :) Goldfinches are spectacular little birds and you captured his colors quite well.

[Glenda Simmons]

Yes indeed....A Pretty little bird! I too, like his eye contact, looking right at you. I think more dof to view the entire bird would have made a stronger image, but the main focus of the image...his eyes, are excellant. I miss these birds. I fattened them up at my feeders and sent them up your way. I counted 70, one day at my thistle feeders. Expensive little buggers to feed.

[Doug Brown]

An unusual angle, but one that works for me John. The eye is nice and sharp, and it wouldn't have mattered what aperture you used; the angle of the bird relative to the camera makes it impossible to get the whole bird in focus. I would like to see a different crop in which the bird isn't quite so centered in the frame.

[Alroy Willis]

Lovely sharp shot with good BG and comp. Great DOF used here. Well done