Song Sparrow

[Mark Schmitt]

Common bird.

Self critique: The DOF could be much better as the only part of the bird in reasonable focus is the head and throat area: sharpness could benefit from a faster shutter (using only a monopod with a 500mm and only 1/200 sec): BG is good: perch is interesting: just a smidge more heat turn: and perhaps crop in from the right a bit.

PP: Dodge burn layer for perch; Gausian blur to smooth out BG; chan mix layer for color sat; adjust layer levels contrast.

EXIF:
Camera: Canon 30D
Lense: Canon EF 500 IS L f 4.0
Mode: manual
Metering: partial
ISO: 250
White bal: custom 4900K
Exposure: 1/200 @ 5.0; no compensation: ambient light.

Feel free;)

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

HI

Good self critique. :) I am not sure why not use a higher ISO? If you shoot accordingly and check histogram often, you'll find with a 30D ISO 800 is a blast! Your shutter speed would have increased significantly. I am not a fan of square crops sadly and would have liked a more portrait format for this type of image. Head angle is fine. Another sharpen of the head area would be great!

[Ramon M. Casares]

Hi Mark, I agree with you about the head turn, I don´t mind the DOF you´ve got the comp is great as it is the perch but in my very perosnal opinion, the square format doesn´t work. Congratulations!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I pretty much agree with your own points. I would crop it as vertical and sharpen the head more. Head angle and DOF look fine to me. The color temperature looks a bit low, maybe 5200 or so.

[Juan Aragonés]

Hey Mark it is very easy to write a comment to your images because you are very good selfcritizing your own work and I think that is a fantastic and healthy exercise for a photographer. I agree with you on your statements and I do like this image :-)
Another vote here for a vertical format. Keep them coming

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Beautiful capture and composition. Another vote for a vertical crop !!! Many thanks for sharing.

[Arthur Morris]

Good self critique. I'd simply crop a bit from the right and stay with the SQ as I like the end of the grass stem in the image. As folks might guess, I am fine with focusing on the eye and working wide open or close to it. Lightening the iris a bit would give the image a bit more life.