First Post - Downy Woodpecker

[Jeff Sorbie]

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/4257253818_a2108d2715_o.jpg

Sony A700 + Sigma 120-400, Handheld, 1/1000, f6.7, 300mm, ISO 400
Taken @ Fletcher Wildlife Garden Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

[Randy Stout]

Jeff:

A big welcome to BPN. It is a great place to learn.

I like the head angle of your bird, display of the feet, and I think the exposure is pretty close.

The angle of the light however is causing some problems. The light was coming well off to your right, so she is partly in shadow. More of an issue is the branch shadow running down the head and body.

The very bright trunk to the right of the bird, and the twigs over the head are also a bit distracting.

It takes a while to 'see' all these issues while you are shooting, so you can address them if possible, moving your position, varying the DOF, etc. It gets easier with practice.

Once again welcome!

Randy

[Joel Eade]

The beak looks a little big on this guy for a Downy....could it be a Hairy Woodpecker? The image itself is nice and sharp, the colors on the tree bark are good. I would change the crop to empahsize the perch less and I would clean up the background. The shadows on the bird are a little distracting...perhaps some work with shadow/highlights would help.

[Randy Stout]

Joel:
I thought it was probably a hairy as well, but have been fooled before on that call.

Randy

[Jeff Sorbie]

Thanks all. I will look into what type of Woodpecker this is. Thanks for the advice. I will check my files to see if there is another photo that works with your recomendations

[Mark Theriot]

I think it looks like a Hairy as well - very nice catch if it is! I agree with the crop suggestions. Nice focus and head angle!

As for the light, I tend to find the birds in my neck of the woods purposely position themselves for me with bad light and head angles most of the time . . . . . . I swear they do it on purpose!!! :D

Mark

[Ted Willcox]

Cloning the small out of focus branches from behind the bird, and cropping a little tighter trying to get as much from the top as you can, keeping the bird to the right as you have, will make a much improved image. keep up the good work.
Ted

[Ted Willcox]

By the size of the beak I would say that it is a Hairy Woodpecker.
Ted

[Myer Bornstein]

Ditto to all the advice above and yes it is a hairy, beak greater than half the head

[Colin Knight]

The techs are covered well.

With that said, Jeff, welcome to BPN! This is a great place to learn the art of avian image critique. Keep an eye out here and in the Eager to Learn forum for great advice from the mods and users.

Colin