Created on Sunday using my SUV as a blind. Canon 40D, Sigma 50-500mm @500, ISO 400, 1.200 sec, F6.3 Handheld with Fill flash and cropped to ~60% of full frame.
I would have loved to have gotten a head turn here but I still really like the colouring on this bird. F7.1 would have had all the bird in focus but I really wanted to keep the grass OOF since it was so close. The angle is a bit steep but he was on a fence in a ditch.
Stephen
I followed these guys this past week....and they were skittish. I have a feeling that if you'd have gotten the head turn, he'd have taken off. Love the pattern on the backs of these guys and all the detail. He seems pretty big in the frame.....good for showing the detail.....but I think I might prefer a little more room around him. You might add another small round of USM as there is some softness. The sharpening is definitely a matter of taste and I always go back and forth between less and more. Well done.
What a beautiful look at the feathers on his back. I was thrilled to see my first bob-o-link in a field the other day, they are skittish, so you did well, even without the head turn. I do see that it's a large crop, and like Lana said, why not back off a bit and avoid some of the problems? I think it would be an even stronger image. Thanks for sharing it.