Attracted to a feeder. Perching on a dead redwood branch.
Canon 5D Mk III, 300mm f/2.8 IS + 1.4X III. Big Gitzo with Wimberley II. ISO 1600, f/13, 1/1000 sec. Basic LR adjustments then to PS CS 6 for minor BG cleanup, Viveza Structure to bring out more detail in the chest/belly area, and Neat Image NR.
I struggled with the crop on this. There is more on the bottom and right (it's 75% of FF) but I felt it distracted more than added. Could easily add more on top. Will look again -- thanks!
Wish the feathers were more perfect on the chest/belly. Could it be a juvenile? We had a pair for a long time and suddenly there were more, both M and F.
Hi Diane, love the angled pose, and you have brought out excellent detail on the head and beak. Although large in the frame, I would leave the crop as is, as your self critique about the surrounding foliage being more distracting makes sense. Looking at your settings, it seems you were quite close, thus the fall away of the DOF even at F/13. I feel the light is on the edge of being a touch harsh.
I get the best magnification, thus closest to frame-filling shots (with a little context) with my 300 + 1.4x, at just beyond the close focus distance of 15 ft. So I do have limited DOF, in trade for more pixels on the subject.
The birds don't seem to notice me in my blind. I made a PVC pipe frame and draped hunter's camo cloth over it and cut a small hole for the lens. I can see well enough through the leaf-like cutouts to monitor activity in the area. I set a small perch up closer for small birds and a larger one father away for larger birds, but they usually don't bother to use the "right" one.
The light was full sun -- I try to shoot in the limited time when the perch area is in the shade and BG trees in sun, but sometimes just can't quit!
I reworked the image with the loosest crop I could. Original framing wasn't the best -- the birds often flit around on the perch faster than I can keep up with them. This is the original frame edge bottom and left, and I added a little on top. Cropped some off the right to get the bird better balanced in the composition, and because the branches there just weren't attractive; didn't enhance the lines in the composition.
I do like the looser framing better. Have since moved the perch away a little to allow more room for the larger birds.
Thanks for all the comments -- I learn from all of them!
I like the pose, clean BG and how the dead needles match the subject so well. Light was getting harsh but I can relate to your statement of not being able to stop shooting. Well done Diane!
Black-headed Grosbeak
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