Juvie Cardinal

[Melissa Groo]

Canon 7D
500mm f/4
Gitzo/Wimberley

1/400 sec
f/7.1
ISO 800

Took this a couple days ago off my porch. I've been watching this juv grow up this summer, it's been a real treat. Comes to the feeder several times a day. This is a set up, my first ever, found some lichen covered branches that had fallen during the hurricane and set them up near the feeder.
I'm not usually a fan of down the barrel poses but I wanted to showcase the fabulous "antennae" she has (not sure if this is a female or male juvie--would the male have more red in the chest at this point, does anyone know?). This was also why I went with this close squarish crop, which is perhaps a 60% crop from a horizontal.
Thanks for looking. C & C greatly welcomed and appreciated. I hope you like it!

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

What a funny face. They are so funny looking growing into that huge beak. I like the pose and top feathers alot. I feel the image is a little dark.

[Joel Eade]

Melissa,

Very nice look back pose with crest raised, I think this is probably a female.

I agree it looks a little dark overall but the sharpness is great and the color looks very natural.

It also feels a little tight to me the way it's cropped.

I would also suggest you try a horizontal perch without the upright part.

Joel

[Melissa Groo]

Thanks for your comments and suggestions, Cheryl and Joel. It was kind of dim light, and I was trying to be true to my memory of the scene, but I think you're right about how it might look better brighter, so I have reposted after adding a touch of Fill Light and Exp in LR3. Do you think it looks any better? I will have to try a recrop too, Joel. There is a horizontal perch, on the left side and lower down, which is where I was silently urging the cardinal to go but of course she had other ideas....

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

I like that better. Small change but I feel it did help alot.

[Joel Eade]

The repost is an improvement.

I know what you mean about hoping a bird will land in just the right place. One suggestion is to set up perches with less options for them, something less complex.

If you don't already have one, using an external flash and better beamer flash extender can really help you out in low light situations.

[Bill Dix]

Hi Melissa. I've also been shooting my feeder Cardinals on lichen-covered perches courtesy of Irene; but I haven't come up with anything nearly as memorable as this one. I know what you mean about down-the-barrel shots, but it certainly worked for you here, with those great crest feathers. Repost is an improvement. Nicely done.

[Melissa Groo]

Thanks so much, Joel, Cheryl, and Bill. Joel I have a flash and better beamer, but need to learn to use them!