Painted Bunting - Preparing to fly away

[Bob Blanchard]

Captured this one yesterday morning, but have been struggling with the presentation. By rule, I always try to keep the eyes above the mid-point of the crop. Unfortunately, every time I adjust this one, it just looks awkward and unbalanced. This square crop is the best I've tried so far in my own opinion. There is room in all directions, so I'd love your input. I might also blend in the shadows under the branch a bit to reduce their intensity. I've already been cleaning it up some by blending the BG a bit (and cloning out some annoying bits), fixing the flash-eye, and cloning the bird poop off the branch. I did a quick NR and sharpening pass before posting, but I'm still working on a copy that will be the final. I like the capture and the DOF on this. hard to capture small birds as it is, even more challenging to get their wings nice and focused on an action shot. I think this one's worth spending some time to get right.

Canon 1DsMII, EF 600mm f/4L, 580ex Flash off-shoe on bracket with Better Beamer (-1.25), f/4, ISO 200, 1/250, Gitzo 5540 with Wimberley II and Wimberley flash bracket. Early morning in shaded area.

http://CatcherofLight.smugmug.com/photos/248051486-L.jpg

[Ed Cordes]

I like the crop and the detail is great. The eye being below center doesn't bother me at all as the bird is obviously flying away, so it looks natural. There is something about the separation of the bright exposure of he bird and perch branch compared to the rest of the scene. Best I can describe is that it looks over flashed. Perhaps too many flash highlights on the beak and wing feather edges. Perhaps it is possible to tone these down?

[Sid Garige]

Agree with Ed on looks over flashed. I am ok with composition. Considering the environment and busy background it looks like you did well.

[John Cooper]

I like the composition here very much Bob and there is ample room for the bird to fly into. The colours of the plumage are quite stunning and you have frozen the action beautifully. The bird, however, appears a little over sharpened on my monitor.

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Lovely image and I like the action in this capture. What I do find distracting is the OOF branch back of the bird. Not knowing what the BG is I am not sure whether a larger F-stop would work out ???

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the pose and setting but would prefer a lower angle and if you had moved a bit to the right. I agree that it is a bit overflashed.

[Stephen Stephen]

Bob I have nothing on this species so I'd be pleased to be able to have this. That being said I would still have to agree with the comments about too much flash.

[Fabs Forns]

I think if you go back a bit on the blue and green saturation, it would improve greatly.

[Bob Blanchard]

Thanks for all the comments to date. I went back and really tried to undue the flash effects on this. here is the latest iteration. I don't know if this is right yet or not. I will confess to having fairly limited Photoshop skills, and am learning as I go (converted from film less than 2 years ago). I went back to a version that had no sharpening or NR applied. This has neither. Everyone seems to think the crop is OK, so I'm leaving that alone.

http://CatcherofLight.smugmug.com/photos/248553156-L.jpg