Black-backed Woodpecker

http://www.jnphoto.net/bbwoodpecker-n5222.jpg

I've been trying for 5 years to have a good photo encounter with this northern boreal specialty. Finally! What I like about this composition is the head turn and woodpecker looking toward the camera vs. the very common woodpecker head parallel to lens. Not to self-critique, but to the completely perfect background crowd, let me emphasize that the stick on the bottom does not bother me at all. Canon 300 f2.8 x 2, fill flash, F8. This is 80% of full frame which works ok as well.

Jeff, just a beautiful image. Might that be a nest hole that he's on? You note that this is 80% of full frame, I wouldn't mind a bit more room behind and below him, just personal taste.

Good points above. If it does not bother you Jeff, then OK by me. Congrats on the image you wanted.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Grace Scalzo

Jeff, just a beautiful image. Might that be a nest hole that he's on? You note that this is 80% of full frame, I wouldn't mind a bit more room behind and below him, just personal taste.

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not a nest hole, just working this and many more trees. Yup, cropping can be adjusted in infinite ways-a good thing.

Nice work, Jeff. Great head angle and eye contact (I agree with you there), but I'm not a huge fan of the stick :D Actually, I like the stick, just not the small piece covering a bit of tail feather. I'd also take a quick clone stamp at the half cut white dot at the top of the frame. Very well done.

Blake, I actually looked for another image that had the tail visible so I could paste it over and get rid of stick. No luck.

I am actually ethically very comfy with removing the stick and filling in the tail somehow, but just don't know how to create full tail. Advice is welcome!

First the image. I love it. The sharpness, the color, and the great bird. Excellent self critique but the stick bothered me, esp. the merge with the tail and the primaries.

I used a combination of Quick Masks, the Patch Tool and the Clone Stamp. It took a while and not many pixels to work with. With the original TIFF and Robert O'Toole at the keyboard, the repair would be pretty much undetecable.

Artie, this is fantastic and much appreciated information. I do agree that the image is far more appealing in your post. Thanks for taking the time to do this. This is the one boreal specialty I really needed for the Northern Forest projects that I do up here. This is one of the top three desirable boreal woodland birds for birders from northern NY to Maine, after the Spruce Grouse and Boreal Chickadee, so you can tell that any way to improve this image thrills me. Time for my keyboard to have Mr. O'Toole.

Congratulations Jeff on a wonderful image of this species and Artie's repost is is great. The stick had been a something my eye picked up immediately. Great work !!!

The stick will go this weekend!!!

Glad that you liked. Those are tough birds you have been after... Heck, I have only seen one Ruffed Grouse in my life!