Winter - 3

[Jeff Cashdollar]

It was snowing but stopped,..7D + 500MM
ISO=400
f/5.6
1/500
Gitzo 3530LS tripod
LRIII + CS5 (NR, 15% crop, USM sharpening and desaturated the reds -19)

[Clyde Hopper]

Hi Jeff ,You are making it hard to find anything to criticize here . What a beauty ! your choice of framing really draws me in to the well exposed Eye . Is the beak too bright ,Cause that is the only Negative I can come up with , and I don't really think it should be dealt with . some really great photography on here today !

[Andrew Merwin]

Jeff, this is a lovely portrait of one of my favorite birds. Since I moved from the midwest to the northern rockies, I have missed cardinals & their songs. There is excellent detail & I really like how the angle of the beak draws my eye to the cardinal's eye. I also like the diagonal lines of the cardinal in the frame & it is neat that its crest is up. Have you considered burning the beak highlights or cloning red to the highlights?

[Joel Eade]

Wow, you got close on this one! Nice retained detail in the reds, I like the crop too. I might have removed the tiny white speck in the black just below the beak. Really nice image.

[Jeannean Ryman]

Jeff, this is a wonderful image! I really like the different composition of this. The details are great, but that eye...that's awesome! (filing away the "eye" techniques for future use :)

[Wendy Kates]

Jeff, I love everything about this image, but the well-lit eye, the feather detail, and the crop make it really special.

[Bob Miller]

Jeff..I really appreciate the composition in this image and I like how you desaturated the reds but I think I am going to lean the other way on the eye. I think the eye should be just a bit darker for this bird but still retain plenty of detail. That said I really like this!

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Good catch Joel, missed that one and thanks to all for the comments on the eye and detail. As you probably know my photography-voice in the winter series is to show detail, be wide open and try for a clean well lit eye.

Bob, I did darken the eye just subjective here I guess.

When you shot, tell me what you are trying to do, if you know. Sometimes it is alright to just sit and capture life too - keep em coming.

[Kerry Perkins]

Hi Jeff, this is a really nice image - love the tight framing, color, and detail. This fellow looks like he is giving you a stern lecture.