Mocking bird

[Nonda Surratt]

With bird ambiance, really was a bunch that I removed. Had time to work this guy but never good a really good HA, best exposure was-2/3. Have same image with more on the right.

M111, 300+2xtc @f6.3, ISO 400,1/160, 0 ev

[Gail Spitler]

Hi Nonda
For me the technicals are spot on , as usual in your images. This is all personal choice - I tried playing around with the composition/crop a bit. The fence is a very strong element here and the diagonal seems to really cut it off, and tends to leave the right side of the image not adding anything. So maybe just a tighter crop, or maybe really crop into more of a portrait? Personal choice.
Of course the bird is terrific and I like the fence and the bg, even the ha ain't all that bad. He looks very intense.
Cheers
Gail

[Nonda Surratt]

Hey Gail,

I agree the crop just isn't quite right, can you give me a visual of your idea?

[Gus Hallgren]

Hi Nonda: No nits from me, I like your photo, any changes would just be a persons personal taste, crop etc.

Well done, Young Lady

Uncle Gus

[Gus Cobos]

Nicely done Nonda,
I love the color tones and hues of the background...the sharp details on your bird...good head angle and sharp eye...congrats...:cool:

[Alfred Forns]

Looks good as presented Might only cut down on the perch but if it had ambiance .... they would leave it alone !!!

Really would not remove the ambiance, it adds character !!!! :) ...seriously !!!

[Cheryl Flory]

I like this image. lovely eye contact, sharp feather details and mottled background. I really like the motion portrayed in the uplifted foot. Only thing that would have make it better is if the feet didn't merge together so that you could see the foreground foot clearer and you would notice it more.

[Lance Peters]

Hi Nonda - S##@ happens I would have left it there :) ha is good in my books - has a serioustype look about the little fellow - BG is v nice adn you have sharp details--- well done :)

[Nonda Surratt]

Alfred the ambiance was black (berry) colored and made bird look like he had 4 or 5 legs, regular bird stuff I would have left..Honest!:D Rather nuts looking.

Thanks guys!

[denise ippolito]

Nonda, This is very nice-plenty of detail and cute as a button. I like the crop just fine!

[Glenn Romain]

Like it as is and this has been a education for me, now i know what bird ambiance is lol ( educated in French :) )

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Very nice Nonda, exposure and details look great. Love the deep green BG. Like it as presented.

[KurtPreston]

Glenn, PM me and explain the bird ambiance thing ... I'm still not getting it :D Kidding aside Nonda, I like the pose and the HA (which I assume stands for Head Angle?) works for me. I can see why you would be patiently waiting for a better one, but there is plenty of eye contact and that's what grabs me. There are a couple of OOF branches near the head that attract my eye away from the mocker, but that's minor. Nicely done!

[Gail Spitler]

Hi Nonda - I'll post the second version below. I hope everyone knows that I too really like the original. I'm just trying to squeeze a bit more out of it.
Gail

[Gail Spitler]

So .... I am not sure if either of these offer any ideas for modifications. Again, the bird is absolutely great by me and i really like the fence, but something cries for more for me. again, i could be all wet here
Cheers
Gail

[KurtPreston]

Gail, I really like where you are going with the first version, maybe a little more canvas to the left. I've always found that 'tail sticking out horizontally' pose to be the toughest to compose around.

[Nonda Surratt]

Like the close crop of the first one Gail and idea to build off of.