Redpoll, with Alder Fallings, among the Easy White Highlows
Oh hello, dear mulchers! I submit for your acceptance and/or rejection one of my favorite subjects in one of my favorite settings. Some of us, I'm sure, are addicted to the high-key, the wash-out, the highlows, and others are not. As for me: I can't get enough. Anyhow, the image quality here isn't spectacular (the bird was not as sharp as he/she could have been, and I blame that on an excited stumble as I moved myself around on the ground) but it's more than good enough for me, and I hope you'll enjoy it also. I believe this picture represents 72% of the original capture. Taken with the Canon 7D and 100-400 at 400mm. iso1250, 1/1250, f5.6
Apologies for not going back to the original RAW file, but here is a quick re-crop. I think it's much nicer this way. I love that white space, but one can only handle so much, maybe. Here's one option, although I'm also quite fond of this as a vertical. Onward:
Handsome chap, teed up nicely on the ground....I have zero images of this species on the ground, and so I find myself impressed with that aspect of the image....especially given the amount of images I have of this species :) I enjoy the repost more in terms of use of space...I think you could take the minimalist with the easy white high lows even further and clone some more of the bits and specks out...just as an idear....
Well, as you may already know I am one of those fans of high-key when well done. I think this one is well done, so I like it! I prefer the bits on this one than on the Tree Sparrow you posted earlier, so in this case I think they look fine. I too prefer the second version. If mine I'd darken the pupil a tad, but that is just some quirk that I have about the eyes...
Another beautiful, Jack. I do enjoy your vision and execution of same. The repost gets my vote, with just a little bit more taken off the bottom. If this were mine, I would remove the two flecks that look like seeds. The sticks I would leave. Personal choice, of course. The tip toe pose is superb.
Many thanks for sharing your thoughts, Daniel and Grace. Daniel: RE eyework, I enjoy the eyes of your subjects. Even though I know they've been worked on (because you make a point of sharing that information) the eyes look natural to me. Ergo: well done! BUT I cannot bring myself to work on the eyes of my birdos, I can't do it. Not that I think it's wrong (I'm not so high-and-mighty) but just because it feels strange when I do it, or try to.
Grace: I know what you mean about those seedy flecks. They are natural bits from the alder cones, but they do look a little seedy. Removing them would take mere seconds and wouldn't cause me to lose too much sleep.
RE redpolls: I full-heartedly adore these winter finches. I've not yet had access to the crossbills nor the more northerly grosbeaks, but these redpolls will visit the Toronto area every couple of winters. I sat in the snow for 2 hours before they finally descended from the alder treetops and hit the snow. I was hiding behind some branches like a weirdo and was treated to a wonderful 2 or 3 minutes with 10 or 11 of these birds. USUALLY they were obscured by branches and I didn't want to move too much because when you spook one member of the flock, you spook them all, but here and there I'd have a clear look at one or two of them.
Redpoll, with Alder Fallings, among the Easy White Highlows
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