Horned Lark through car window

[Richard Stern]

I had just been through the car wash, so when I then went down a local dirt road and found some Horned Larks, the window was clean but also frozen shut. So I had to take the pictures through the closed window, but I didn't think this was too bad.

D300, Tamron 200-500 at 460mm., . ISO640, 1/2000, f7.1.

Richard

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the setting, head angle and details. A lower angle would have made it even better but if you would have opened the door, the bird would probably have left.

[Arthur Morris]

Not too bad. It could use a contrast boost. Good head and subject angle with the light from the left. Did you have the lens hood on? How did you support the lens?

[joel quenneville]

Very sharp. I can't tell that this was taken through a window. I would consider darkening the lower left corner to focus more attention on the bird's eye.

[Richard Stern]

Thank you for the comment. I didn't have the lens hood on (probably should have). I hand-held the lens, as always cupping my left hand under the distal end, and pressed the plastic end of it, which sticks out about 2cm. from the glass element, against the window for extra support. I try and use a tripod or rest the end on something when using this non-VR lens, and try to slowly squeeze the shutter while slowly exhaling - sometimes works!

Richard