One Mockingbird among the leaves and other things

[Jack Breakfast]

Greetings, bird hooligans! Here is a mockingbird from last October. I am posting it in the hope that some of you will visit the RAW re-working forum where Roger Clark was good enough to post this image's sister image...but this one here is a little different. I believe we have a square picture here, my favorite! Or anyhow it's square-like. This one was taken with the Canon 7D and 200mm f2.8L, iso400, 1/640, f2.8
I will welcome your comments and ideas and suggestions et al. Thank you!
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[adrian dancy]

This is a lovely delicate image Mr Breakfast!

I would be inclined to crop a little off the top and tone down the greens/yellows on the left hand side just a touch, so that the intense colour does not compete with the bird.

[Jack Breakfast]

Thank you, Adrian...I keep playing with those greens and yellows but in the end left them alone so as to hear what certain birdfolks had to say about them. The yellows and greens, that is. I'm still torn, but I think I'm leaning more to your side of things...

[Karl Egressy]

Nice portrait, Jack. Looks like a juvy. From last year?

[laurie golden]

Jack, I like the background a lot and the bird has great light on him. My experience with mockingbirds is that they usually hide in the bushes where there are bad shadows and you never see much of them. I wish you had a little more of the bird but what you have looks great.

[Jack Breakfast]

Thanks Karl, indeed it's a juvenile from last year. Laurie, thank you also...I have others that have the whole bird, but i'm posting this one b/c it's similar to the picture that's sitting now in the RAW-processing exercise:

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/96039-Processing-raw-images-exercise-for-March-2012-Jack-s-image

I'm hoping for some bites!
Thanks again...

[Ron Sprunger]

Great job Jack. Wonderful IQ, lovely BG. I'm fond of the occasional square, but in this case agree with taking off the top down to just above the horizontal twig. Also would like to see the greens toned down a little. The green seems a little artificial to me. I don't miss the rest of the bird at all; this seems a very intimate portrait, beautifully lit and taken.

[Jack Breakfast]

Thank you, Ron. Much appreciate your kind comments! The greens, yes. They certainly were vivid on that day and I'm fond of them as is, but sometimes I don't buy them either, so to speak. Will probably tone them down just a little bit...

[Grace Scalzo]

I don't see any point in all that space at the top. And it makes the comp feel awkward to me. However, a healthy trim from the top and you've still got plenty of color and a SUPER subject, filled with interesting details. I want to be able to enjoy all that spectacular facial detail without my eye feeling the need to draw upward. Just my 2 cents!

[Jack Breakfast]

Grace, that's a great tip! Thanks kindly!