Eyecontact with Bearded Tit

http://www.pieterdol.com/wordpress/w...9/_ds36466.jpg

This picture i made in the top of the Netherlands, in an area called "Lauwersmeer", it was freezing cold (-5 C). The bird was eating, and watched me making pictures of him. A very nice experience. What i like on the picture is the DOF. The light brown is reed on the opposite side of the water, the blue color is the sky.

Thanks for watching, kind regards Pieter Dol

<TABLE id=the-list-x cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=3 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=alternate><TD style="WIDTH: 230px">Aperture</TD><TD>F 5.6</TD></TR><TR><TD style="WIDTH: 230px">Date/time</TD><TD>10 januari 2009 09:37 09:37</TD></TR><TR class=alternate><TD style="WIDTH: 230px">Focal length</TD><TD>700 mm</TD></TR><TR><TD style="WIDTH: 230px">ISO</TD><TD>500</TD></TR><TR class=alternate><TD style="WIDTH: 230px">Shutter speed</TD><TD>1/640 sec</TD></TR><TR><TD style="WIDTH: 230px">Camera</TD><TD>NIKON D300</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

First: this is one of my favorite European tits. What works: The composition is good over-all; like the graduated BG.; the perch is a strong point of interest. Suggestions: I might take a little canvas off the right side; the bird seems a little soft in focus perhaps some selective sharpening ;-) Like it.

Hi Piter,
this is a beautiful bird on a really great perch.
I would crop something from the right, because I think, it would work better if the bird is not in the center of the image. The picture would also work well as a vertical composition!
Nice eyecontact and very pleasing background.

We have Bearded Tits in England but they are very scarce and only found in a few places unfortunately but I would love to get in my view finder, especially if it looked like this.. Love the layered B/G, detail and pose.

Nice work.
Tony

Thanks for the suggestions and tips. You are right Mark and Rosl, i did another crop on the right side of the picture, and some additional sharpening, and think its more stronger now.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlinkhttp://www.pieterdol.com/wordpress/w..._ds36466_0.jpg

If you ever come to the Netherlands Tony, i can show you some areas where you can find these beautiful birds. They live in large fields of reed.

This was my first post, thanks for this warm reception.

Regards Pieter.