White-crowned sparrow - Bosque

[Ron Boisvert]

Canon 20D, 70-200 f/4, w/ 1.4X TC, @ 280mm, HH
ISO 400, f/8 @ 1/1250, Auto Exposure, Av, +1/3EV, 1/3/2009, 2:56pm

This is a HUGE crop (not many pixels left); I toned down the BG and log, sharpened the bird, and selectively sharpened around the eye and beak.

This little guy paused from it's afternoon search for bugs and seeds in an old log. It was difficult to get close. And there's that New Mexico light again...

All comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome. Thanks for looking.

[Ray Rozema]

For big crop, good detail in the bird. Nice HA. The crop thru the log helps lessen the perch. The BG little distracting consider more blur and darken it a little but lighten the dark area just above the head. also if ethics allow tone down the highlight on the bill.

[Christopher Miller]

Nice pose and HA, Ron. For a large crop, you've got very good details, would just sharpen the bird a bit more. Also agree with Ray's suggestions.

Edit: Forgot to add that I think it could also use a little more room to the right to move the bird more off center.

[Bob Miller]

I agree with rays suggestions but i don't think I would sharpen any more if you don't have many pixels left.

[Gus Cobos]

Hi Ron,
I like your capture, the color rendition is good and you have sharp details with a good head angle and eye contact...I agree on cloning out the dark spot over the bird's head and also the vertical yellow line to the right of him...looking forward to your next one...:cool:

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Ron,

The busy mid-tone BG against the mid-tone subject does not reconcile well with my eye. The perch is a tad big too, that's just my 2 cents. As you know, all this stuff is about feel anyway - nice image for a large crop.

[Alfred Forns]

Agree and good suggestions !!!

btw for these guys check out the little trees as you leave just past the gate at Bosque, on the other side of the road. Can shoot from the car and they seem to cooperate !!!!

[carole wiley]

I would for sure try to do something with the yellow line that Gus mentioned. You did a good job with what you had. Maybe you wouldn't have to crop quite so tight?

[Ron Boisvert]

I've received a lot of constructive feedback on this image and I really appreciate it. I hadn't considered most of the suggestions I received and will probably chalk this one up to learning what works and doesn't work. Everything suggested can be done except improve on the sharpness. It's just too big a crop for a 8MP image and backing off a little won't help with the sharpness enough, at least for my tastes, and that's what kills this one for me.

Thanks a lot!!
Ron