Black Breasted Sparrow

[Tom Callahan]

Canon 40D
Canon 400mm 5.6L
on tripod
F/5.6
1/250
manual mode
some cropping and sharpening in PS
Thanks for your interest

[Maxis Gamez]

Hi Tom,

If this is a set up, I would consider picking a cleaner BG with more greens and less "white" as it creates a huge distraction. I would also use fill flash to lit those dark areas under the bird. With that said, I would also consider using a NR software for the BG.

Keep them coming!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the pose and don't mind the BG. I agree that the BG is a bit noisy, would sharpen the bird some more and crop it a bit tighter.

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Like the repost Axel. Very lovely pose and composition. in this capture Tom and as mentioned a little NR would strengthen this image. Thanks for sharing.

[Tom Callahan]

Thanks all
Axel I like the repost also. Am I correct that you used NR in the repost? Is there a thread about how to use NR?
Thanks again

[John Chardine]

These are great little birds. Agree with all the comments. The species name is actually House Sparrow. They were introduced into North America from Europe and are actually members of the weaver finch family, many of which live in Africa. House Sparrows have been declining in many parts of their range and no one really knows why.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Thanks all
Axel I like the repost also. Am I correct that you used NR in the repost? Is there a thread about how to use NR?
Thanks again

I used the reduce noise tool in CS3 for the background. You can experiment with different values. In this case I think I used 8/25/45/0 and 'remove jpeg artifact' checked.

[Gus Cobos]

Nice composition Tom. No nits from me. All techs have been covered...keep them coming...:cool:

[Tom Callahan]

John,
Thanks for the correct id of this bird.

Axel,
Thanks for the tip on noise reduction. I just installed CS3 and am waiting on a new monitor as mine is old and crapping out. Can't get it even close to accurate color and brightness even with a calibration. Can't wait to try some of what I'm learning on a monitor that gives me more accurate color and brightness. Thanks again for sharing your expertise.