This is a Grey Fantail on a perch I placed near my bird bath at Emerald, VIC. The bird was crouched ready to take off and fly down to the water. It was approaching sunset on a cloudy day in very dim light. As these birds are constantly moving and flitting, I needed to maximise shutter speed hence the high ISO.
Thanks for looking.
Nikon D800E
AF-S 500mm f/4G ED VR
HH
0 EV, ISO 3200, 1/320 sec at f/4
Cropped, Topaz Clarity "Fur & Feathers" filter
Nicely caught under difficult circumstances. I think you made a good choice of settings and the image quality looks good here. How much of a crop is it? Getting closer is always best but often not possible in the wild.
I have a preference for somewhat tighter crops than other people, but I think my inclination here would be to take some off the bottom, as the size of the perch competes somewhat with the bird and draws some attention as it goes out of focus.
This is a beautiful bird in a striking pose. I like your composition, and the lovely background color complements the bird. I agree with Diane regarding a tighter crop, perhaps in a bit from both sides and up from the bottom to minimize the oof perch.
Diane: yes, I could certainly have gotten closer. This is a very confiding species and will often join me on a stroll through the bush hawking for insects that I disturb. However, I was set up for larger though much more wary birds (eg. Bowerbirds) and the action lasted for only a moment.