Curved-billed Thrasher.

[Karl Egressy]

This is an other image from Bosque Del Apache.
I added about 1 1 /4" to the left and taken away the same amount from the right.
I removed a part of a Cactus plant from the tail area.
I hope you like it. Thanks.

Canon 1d M IV
Canon 500 f4.0 L IS + 1.4TC
Manual setting
F 7.1
1/400 s
ISO 400
fill flash

[John Cooper]

This really works for me Karl. Love your composition of this Thrusher. The diagonal rocky perch with its intersting colour and texture adds interest. The Thrusher is ideally placed and nicely portrayed against that killer BG. Good use of fill-flash.

[Arthur Morris]

Super superb on all counts. Please tell us about the situation. I have been visiting for 18 years and have never photographed this bird there. My favorite things about the image are the rock perch and the great view of the feet. Head angle is pretty much perfect for the pose. EXP perfect too. When were you there?

[Arthur Morris]

On a second look there is some sloppy work around the tail. Easy to fix with a QM or with surface blur on a layer. Easy to avoid by cloning on a layer.

[Karl Egressy]

Super superb on all counts. Please tell us about the situation. I have been visiting for 18 years and have never photographed this bird there. My favorite things about the image are the rock perch and the great view of the feet. Head angle is pretty much perfect for the pose. EXP perfect too. When were you there?

Thank you Artie. I'll try to fix the tail area the way you described. I took this picture at the visitor Center early morning, after finished shooting at the viewing deck area and then the roadside pond.
So it was bright daylight then.
I new about this bird from last year when I found him, among a few other songbirds there such as Spotted Towhee, Canyon Towhee and some others.
I saw him going into the Cactus plants and went closer to look for him and he popped up on that rock. I walked back to my tripod and started shooting.
As you see I was lucky, as other days he perched on top of the tree snag against the blue sky.
Tomorrow I'll post one from last year, same location, standing on a rock, and the rock was covered with some snow.

[Greg Oakley]

Superb image Karl - perfect pose, light and I love the soft colour combination,
Cheers Greg

[christopher galeski]

very nice Karl,good exposure,nice light and colors.thanks.

[PhilCook]

Perch, pose, light all ticking the boxes, very nice image for sure

[Arthur Morris]

Lucky indeed! But you made the best of that luck. Folks can be amazingly lucky and still consistently screw things up.... You did not.

[Karl Egressy]

On a second look there is some sloppy work around the tail. Easy to fix with a QM or with surface blur on a layer. Easy to avoid by cloning on a layer.

Thanks again, Artie. Here is the image fixed as per your advice. I worked the area around the tail in layers and used surface blur on the background at 4-8.

[Arthur Morris]

Better. But since I already know where the problem is.... Can you post the original?

[Arthur Morris]

Note: I correct the thread title/name of the bird lest anyone misread it as Curved-billed Flusher :).

[Karl Egressy]

Better. But since I already know where the problem is.... Can you post the original?

Thanks. This is the jpeg version of the original. (I shoot in Raw and accompany it with small size jpeg, this is the setting on my camera by choice.)
If you want me I can send you the RAW file as well but it would be a lot of work to fix it though, as you see it.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks. This is the jpeg version of the original. (I shoot in Raw and accompany it with small size jpeg, this is the setting on my camera by choice.) If you want me I can send you the RAW file as well but it would be a lot of work to fix it though, as you see it.

I am way to busy for a RAW file :). You had a lot of work to do and did 99% of it very well. Did you have a similar frame that showed the end of the tail???

[Jim Crosswell]

I like the pose, perch, sharpness, HA, BG and composition. Excellent image Karl.

[Karl Egressy]

I am way to busy for a RAW file :). You had a lot of work to do and did 99% of it very well. Did you have a similar frame that showed the end of the tail???

Thank you.
Just for observation so I had an idea how to rebuild the tail end.

[David Salem]

Wow, the thumbnail sure dosnt do this one justice. Very nice shot on all accounts! Great work.

[Arthur Morris]

Thank you. Just for observation so I had an idea how to rebuild the tail end.

YAW. Could you have grabbed the tail as source material???

[Frank Schauf]

Beautiful portrait, great details and eye contact.