Great Spotted Woodpecker

[Jonathan Ashton]

Tripod Canon 50D Canon 100-400L is ISO 500 -1 1/250 sec F7.1
Another shot from the back garden, I had just been photographing jays and was in the process of calling it a day becasue my dog Barney was getting a little restless... then this GSW came along - Barney had to wait just a couple of minutes longer!

All C&C welcome.

[Stu Bowie]

Interesting looking perch, and I like the alert pose against the smooth BG. I just find the loose twigs on the left a tad distracting. ( did you receive my mail )

[Jim Crosswell]

I like the mossy perch and BG. I would also remove the twigs to keep the image simple. Well done Jonathon!

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Very nice comp, perch, pose and smooth BG. There seems to be a little camera shake. I'd also play a bit with the white balance as there seems to be a slight cast.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Very nice comp, perch, pose and smooth BG. There seems to be a little camera shake. I'd also play a bit with the white balance as there seems to be a slight cast.

I think the problem is that this bird would not keep still and I was trying to reset the focus points, this shot was actually taken with all points activated (a setting I do not normally use) I was shifting from one point to another and this was an intermediate setting.
I will check the colour balance - that point had not occurred to me.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

I think the problem is that this bird would not keep still and I was trying to reset the focus points, this shot was actually taken with all points activated (a setting I do not normally use) I was shifting from one point to another and this was an intermediate setting.
I will check the colour balance - that point had not occurred to me.

I can understand. woodpeckers are not easy to shoot.

Was this shot in 'auto' WB? I dont like that setting for images where bird is in shade. For those situations, I usually use the color temp or 'click white balance'.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Yes I select Auto white balance for about 95% of my images.... and I sometimes remember to use the white eye dropper to check the colour balance or alternatively I use the Average blur and then the grey dropper, as indicated in Artie's Digital Basics.

[Alan Murphy]

A wonderful image of this species. i agree on the twigs as being distracting.

[Arthur Morris]

Love this species and the perch log. Assuming that this was a set-up, did you have a reason for leaving the scraggly twigs? A crop from the bottom would likely improve it some.

[Daniel Cadieux]

This is one of those images that simply reducing the blue channel's saturation works wonders;)

Overall good image. I like the WP's horizontal posture. I agree with a crop from below. I would also have physically removed those twigs before-hand.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Those little, little sticks Jonathan! Otherwise a fine looking image indeed. Love the soft light. :)

[Troy Lim]

The shot looks a bit soft, probably from the slower SS?

[Arthur Morris]

Looks sharp enough to me. Thanks for the DB plug Jon. Was this in fact a set up perch?

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks to everyone, the perch was a set up, just a sizeable log placed upon a large bird table. i use this log and one other, I have cut a channel and several holes so they are out of view and in there i place seeds and peanits and fat balls. The point you make about a blue cast Dan is well founded, I have discovered it is present on a lot of my recent images. Part of this is indeed real (occasionally the sky has been really blue) and also the background plays tricks on the eyes depending upon the subject leading to a false impression of the subject's colour. This is one of the reasons i change its colour or introduce various patches of colour.
My latest image of a Jay is colour corrected though I cannot take credit for that - I had some assistance but once again the technique used was similar to the selective colour technique described in Artie's DB disc. The bit I was left to deal with was under the tail and I think you can tell that was the bit I tried to do - I got lost in the end, there were so many layers and masks!!:2eyes2: Nightmare! Must try harder.

[Arthur Morris]

Jon, A blue cast is often present when we make images on cloudy days or in the shade.

We all figured that this was a set-up but we wanted to be sure. Here is the big question: when you created the set-up--hey, it's a nice log--why did you leave the scraggly stuff on the left side? :confused:

[Jonathan Ashton]

Jon, A blue cast is often present when we make images on cloudy days or in the shade.

We all figured that this was a set-up but we wanted to be sure. Here is the big question: when you created the set-up--hey, it's a nice log--why did you leave the scraggly stuff on the left side? :confused:

The honest answer Artie - I didn't really notice it until posted and even then it didn't trouble me........... until it was pointed out.
I think there is a greater tolerance in Europe - well certainly in the UK, for less than perfectly manicured backgrounds. To a certain extent there is more acceptance of what was there provided it does not become intrusive. Here of course comes the issue over where and what becomes obtrusive.

I have considered the comments offered to me on the image and I agree the twigs would have been better removed - ideally physically. As ever I welcome everyone's C&C - every time I post an image I note how it may have been improved and I am grateful for this.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks for sharing the thoughts of those across the pond. And I am glad that you will be looking more carefully at your set-ups before you press the shutter button :)