Tone mapping with one exposure

Tonight I tried Tone-mapping or HDR using Photomatix Pro and Photoshop. I made a single RAW image in the field and used ACR to vary the exposure with one about -2 stops, one at 0, and one at +2 stops to create three images. As it was the same image, registration was perfect of course! Not sure if the result obtained was any better than using Shadows and Highlights in Ps but here it is- a Black-capped Chickadee from the Sackville Waterfowl park this evening.

A couple of notes about the species- first, they are one of my favourite birds to photograph partly because they are chameleons! It seems that they can change their look so drastically by changing their posture, feather fluffing, expression etc. They seem to look like a different bird every time you photograph them. The other point is that this image reminds me how bad chickadees are to band. I have trapped them in mist nests and banded them and their feet and claws are incredibly strong and dig into your nails (look at the size of them in the image). Then they behave like a woodpecker on your fingers!

Base image:

model: Canon EOS 40D
capture date: Thursday, July 24, 2008 6:55:30 PM
exposure program: Aperture Priority
ISO speed: 400
shutter speed: 1/400
aperture: f6.3
exposure bias: +0.0
metering: Pattern
flash: OFF - Compulsory flash mode
focal length: 500.0

I've got to give this a try! I keep thinking I'm going to remember to play with this technique and then I totally forget. I think it worked really well here, John. The bird is nicely in focus with a good head angle. My only quips would be to clean up the areas around your frame - the top left corner and the bottom below the perch. Try setting a large, soft clone brush to 50% and blur that bright spot with a bit of the green that's next to it. I think that would help keep that corner from leading your eye right out of the frame.

On a personal note...I live in Kansas City, MO and we haven't had black capped chickadees at our feeders in nearly two years. I asked the bird guy where I buy my seed from and he said that they think the birds had a major disease event because the population is all but gone now. Have you heard anything along those lines???

I'm sorry to see them go. I really loved seeing them hop about the feeders in my backyard.

It looks good to me, John and I have done that with black and white birds sometimes. It would be very difficult to obtain more images with such a lively subject :)