Winter - Grass in January??

[Daniel Cadieux]

For a picture taken in January there should have been 2 feet of snow on the ground, so this is definitely NOT what winter usually looks like here. We've had some snow since and everything is white as it should be now...

This American Crow (which was lured closer with shelled peanuts) was photographed from my car, with the door open and me lying as low as I could in it - head pretty much underneath the steering wheel:p. 2011 is off to a slow start with not much time for bird photography yet (and nothing but crows to show for it), but this should improve soon...and just as well with redpolls, Bohemian Waxwings, and owls all being photographed by the locals...all species that are associated with the winter months for us up here.

Canon 40D + 100-400L @260mm, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/160s., f/5.6, ISO 800 (settings histogram checked), natural light, handheld, FF. Iris lightened slightly, pupil darkened, and a couple of ugly spots in the BG removed.

[Randy Stout]

Daniel:

Amazing to have the grass that green in your neck of the woods in January.

Nice job on the eye, subtle but enough there to help what is usually a black hole.

Comp/head angle good.

Like the very subtle colors you can see on the scapulars

Randy

Think spoonies!

[Herb Houghton]

Hi Daniel. You did well with the low angle from the vehicle. I like the dof, just enough for the bird. Great detail in the wing and eye.

[Greg Basco]

Hi, Daniel. I agree with Randy and Herb. It's really nice to see the subtle detail and colors in the plumage. PP looks good; I wouldn't have known unless you had stated it.

Cheers,
Greg Basco

[Charles Scheffold]

All technical aspects covered. Tough bird to capture detail on, but you had the right light and angle.

When the world sends you crows, toss peanuts. I'll have to remember that :)

Charles