White-winged Crossbill - habitat

[Daniel Cadieux]

Although I had some nice close-up opportunities, when some of the birds landed in the next tree a little further down I thought it would be good for some environment-type images. I'm rather happy with it - and it gives me a good "mix and match" variety of photographs from this species.

Canon 40D + 100-400L @400mm, aperture priority, eval metering, 1/500s., f/7.1, ISO 400, +0.3 EC, handheld, slight crop for composition.

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w98/dancad/tn_White-wingedCrossbill_3557-01.jpg

[joel quenneville]

Nice pose with good lighting and a good head angle. Succesful environmental compositions are harder to take than the traditional portrait. In most of mine, I find that the environment competes with the subject. I think that this is what is happening here. The bird and the pinecones are about the same tone and as a result the eye wanders around the image. Perhaps selectively darkening the surroundings in PS would improve this one.

[Stephen Stephen]

Dan I like habitat images and I'd be happy with any images this good of this species in my collection. I think that I know where Joel is coming from though.

Have you considered cropping this image on the right and bottom to make the bird bigger in the overall frame but still occupying the same position? It might draw the viewers eye more yet still keep enough habitat for the bird as well.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I don't mind the habitat since this is where they are most of the time. I have similar images and might post one in the coming days. I was curious, too, whether it is too busy for most people. The cones and ice add to this image and I like the composition.