The Love of a Good Starling

[Jack Breakfast]

I'll be honest: it's getting hard to escape into nature here in Toronto's populous southwest end. People are everywhere and cyclists are forever zooming down the walking trails. I yell at them but it does no good. The only viable solution is a move, i.e., packing up and moving someplace smaller. I was thinking lonely thoughts like these when all of a sudden a fine starling popped on to some good green nearby leaves. "I'll bring out your details, birdo, and whiten the sky," I told him. And so I did! Taken yesterday with the Canon 7D and 70-300L at 300mm. iso400, 1/1250, f5.6. What you see here accounts for roughly 90% of the original. Many thanks for your cozy consideration!
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[Stu Bowie]

Hi Jack, you certainly did bring out the colourful iridescence on the starling. Did you use a + compensation, ( techs dont say so ) as the top half of the starling shows good detail. Since you have cut off a bit of the foliage on the RHS, I would cut off some move to move the starling more to the right. As is, there are bits of foliage jutting out of the frame on the right hand edge. The high key sky works well.

[Jack Breakfast]

Thanks for writing in, Stuart. I've always shot with manual exposure, although A + exp. compensation is a good way to go, I've heard. Good idea about the crop/foliage, etc...

[gail bisson]

Hi Jack,
This one is good. You have brought out the iridescence really well with solid techs. I like the perch and good clean look at the beak.
I like the parallel curved lines of the leaves and head and neck. Just clean up the stray bits of foliage on the right and you have a keeper!
gail

[arash_hazeghi]

nice pose and iridescence, I like the perch too although wish it was cleaner near the feet. The blacks in the belly area are blocked and have no detail. I also think this would work better in a vert. there are two bits of clipped leaves on the right border you can clone. TFS

[Jack Breakfast]

Okay, folks! Thanks for the educational comments and revealing revelations! Much appreciated!

[christopher galeski]

nice one Jack,good detail in the top half of the bird,need to bring out some in the belly area,and agree the high key sky works well,and like the perch.thanks.

[Jack Breakfast]

Thanks Christopher...burning in the belly is an excellent idea and I shall surely do that! I don't see these things immediately and do appreciate the attentive eyes and sharp comments from the cozy bird aesthetes on this fine forum

[Daniel Cadieux]

I love the details and colours on the face and neck. I also like the pose and the foliage. I agree with the others about the "blocked blacks" belly...I'm afraid it would be tough to bring some detail back in there withour introducing some ugly noise, best to try during raw conversion.

During the summer months it's nice to on location at 5:30am and not have to deal with the general population for at least a few hours...:t3

[Jack Breakfast]

absolutely, Daniel! Today I was up at 6 am and at the park by 6:15...three egrets and two night herons and NO humans for...a whole half-hour...then things got out of hand. You know: bounding dogs, drooling and simpering humans, boy o boy. I skedaddled...