Whinchat

[Rosl Roessner]

This evening I drove with the car through the vineyards, holding the 500mm lens on the beanbag out of the window of the car, stopping down, whenever I saw a bird somewhere.

So I was lucky to make this image of a Whinchat.

Mark III / 500mm + 1.7 TC on beanbag
1/250 sec. / f 4.0 (non-writing TC) / ISO 2500 (!!!)

[Sid Overbey]

Very nice sharp image of the Whinchat. I like the BG along with the grape vine buds. It does give it a nice vineyard feel. Beautiful shot.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the composition, soft light, details and BG. It would probably work as a tighter crop, too.

[Robert Amoruso]

Great looking bird and pose. Head position just right and nice light. BG works well with the bird and perch plus good looking leaves on the perch. Agree that a tighter crop could eliminate some of the OOF part of the branch and strengthen the presence of the bird in this image. Nice work Rosl.

[Kaushik Balakumar]

excellent details @ ISO2500. somehow, im finding too much space around, & lack of balance in the composition.

[Fabs Forns]

Sweet background for this pretty bird. As long as you keep the leaves behind and in front of him, I wouldn't mind a crop.

[Blake Shadle]

Very nice, Rosl! I really like what you've created here. I like the composition, but would probably opt for a little tighter crop (like Fabs said leaving the leaves in front and behind). Great eye contact.

[Arthur Morris]

Love the soft colors and light and the COMP as presented. I feel that any of the suggested crops would result in a less pleasing image... Yyou cannot cannot crop at all from the bottom as that would eliminate the leaves in the lrc (or worse yet, cut them in half). And cropping from the front to a near SQ would not work for me. Taking a bit off the top might work for me.

[Glenda Simmons]

A nice sharp image of a very pretty little bird. This is the first time I have seen a picture of one of these birds. Another thing I love about this site, being exposed to birds that I may otherwise, never see. thanks for sharing this one!

[Rosl Roessner]

Thank you for your critique.
I was thinking about a tighter crop; but like Artie wrote, I lost the special feeling.
For me, the vineleaves please the bird and the image. To have them near to the edges means to loose balance (for MY taste).
I agree, that I could crop a bit from the top and a very little bit from the left..
I don't mind the bird beeing not too big in the frame, because it is with good details and the background is soft.

Anyway I like the discussion about cropping tighter or not, because this are the decisions, we all have to make....
Thank you for helping me to become a better birdphotographer (and post-producer!)

[Valerio Tarone]

hello a nice shot, nice capture, agree that the BG please the image. Greetings from Italy.

[Blake Shadle]

Here is the tighter crop that I was suggesting. Sometimes it's better to repost, that way you're not misunderstood :D

[Arthur Morris]

Hey Blake, I can easily live with your crop (from the top).

[Blake Shadle]

Hey Blake, I can easily live with your crop (from the top).

And a bit from the left... just enough to better align the subject with right third line.

EDIT: Cropping from the top made 99.89% of the improvement :D

[Rosl Roessner]

Thank you Blake, this is a nice improvement!

I just got an information today that this image will be on the title of a magazin, which is about nature and nature conservation in our region of Germany.

[Dave Phillips]

can go either way with crop IMO.....congrats on the magazine Rosl

[Blake Shadle]

Congrats, Rosl! Well deserved!