Orchard Oriole

[Steve Bein]

Another great Texas opportunity. Alan Murphy workshop and another great opportunity. I know it could be cropped on the right, but I often leave space for text if desired. THe detail in the blacks might have been enhanced with fill flash, but I did not use fill that morning.
1D MK IV,
500x1.4=700mm
Subject dist: 7.2m
1/500 sec, f/11
ISO: 800

[Geoff Warnock]

Interesting bird, not one I would see here. I'm wondering what happened during your jpeg conversion or upload, because it seems very soft here, which I'm sure is not the case in the original.

I find the space on the right OK, but would be inclined to crop from the bottom or clone out the tips of the branches entering the image.

[Stu Bowie]

Steve, I like how the oriole is perched on the end of the perch, and nicely placed in the frame too. I like the colours on the oriole, but have to agree that the sharpness is not there. Even if you had focussed on the leaves, your aperture should have covered the DOF to include the oriole.

[gail bisson]

Steve,
I agree with above 2 posts. Great perch and position on the perch,
Gail

[Steve Bein]

Hi, I left in the branches sticking up below the tail portion because their shape reflected the tail contour and I liked that. Regarding the soft head, it seemed as if all these shots were softer on the head than the other birds I shot there. I did take the suggestion to try sharpening and did the head again and was able to improve the head. So here it is.