Purple Finch

[gail bisson]

Very little to photograph around here. Did a 4 hour snowshoe hike last weekend in the highlands and did not see or hear a single bird. Bird photography can be very discouraging sometimes!
So spent 3 hours yesterday am in the freezing cold under my camo kwik blind trying to get some decent shots of bohemian waxwings ( i was literally in the middle of a flock of over 100 birds but they would not land in the area of the fruit bearing trees that would give me a clear shot) so I came home and made a little set-up with sunflower seeds and this handsome guy showed up for a few seconds.
ISO 2000 F 6.3 SS 1/800
Processed this one in DPP ( not LR) and cropped and USM to JPEG
Comments and critiques always appreciated and learned from with thanks,
Gail

[keith mitchell]

Hey Gail your Sunflower set up really worked very well,bird ,BG ,and that lichen covered perch all are beautiful in my eyes, very well done.

Keith.

[Joseph Przybyla]

Love the composition, perch, bird, and background all perfect. The Lichens add much to the perch. The only thing that struck me when opening the image was the color and intensity of the purple. Occasionally in the bush/tree outside the window here we have Purple Finches and the color is not so intense, could be a difference between Florida and Nova Scotia. Thank you for sharing, Gail.

[annmpacheco]

Well I guess your hike and uncooperative waxwings paid off in exchange for this jewel of an image! What's perch what a bird what an image


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[Bill Dix]

A beauty of an image. Great setup with nice bg and stunning perch. Great pose. I've never seen a Purple Finch with a coloration that's quite that magenta; but then, I don't see them often. We have mostly House Finches here. Many a time I've come home after a long morning in the woods and fields, and remarked that we have more birds around our feeders than we see elsewhere. But I've yet to find a perch as nice as this one to use in a setup.

[Jim Crosswell]

Beautiful image Gail! I like the lichen covered perch, angles pose, IQ, details, open beak and composition. A four hour hike in the Highlands sound great minus the camera and gear!

[Grace Scalzo]

This is certainly a sweet image. The fine detail and nice color palette all are top notch. Cute how he is holding on to the perch. Fun to find a treaure like this in your own backyard.

[Diane Miller]

"Second prize" was well worth all the other trouble. A beauty, with the perfect perch and BG to match the bird.

[Arthur Morris]

Ditto, ditto, ditto, and ditto. Spectacular on all counts: light, perch, and BKGR. Not to mention the bird. a

[John Robinson]

All been said Gail
Great stuff !
John

[Randy Stout]

Gail:

yes, those darn birds don't always cooperate! But at least plan B turned out nicely!

I agree with the comments and compliments from above. Perch is excellent, BG soft, with just hints of purples and pinks.

This fellow is a bit more magenta then my local ones, but perhaps a regional thing.

Congrats

Randy

[arash_hazeghi]

Awesome Gail, this is excellent. the colors are accurate and I also like the interesting perch.

[christopher galeski]

Repeat,its all been said,beautiful image,well done.

[gail bisson]

Thank you all for the comments.
The color is indeed accurate. This particular guy is way ahead of the 2 other males that come to the feeders in terms of breeding plumage. The light and the snow below the perch add a light quality that enhances the colors.
Gail

[Ritesh Nangare]

What a Bird , what a perfect preach and beautiful expose of the colours and Bg, love the details here........

[Karl Egressy]

Killer image, Gail.
The perch is as good as it gets, great light background and a beauty bird.

[Daniel Cadieux]

I like the sprinkling of reds berries on the bill that match the exact colours of the plumage. The raised crest adds a lot to the pose, very nice. Perhaps a touch warmer on the WB? This image proves it's not quantity but quality that matters.

[William Dickson]

Simply beautiful. Well done Gail

Will

[gail bisson]

Daniel- great advice about slightly warming image. I think it shows the lichen off more accurately.
Thank you

[John Rowell]

Really, really nice. All been said before, I do prefer the repost.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Absolutely fantastic Gail, I don't know whic version is best - never seen one. My only suggestion would be to lower the brightest highlights just a little.

[Glenn Conlan]

Killer image Gail, I like he repost little better. A Winner!

[adrian dancy]

This bird has a look like it can only be created in dreams....stunning, and boy you have done it justice!

[keith mitchell]

Gail I thought it would be impossible to improve the original post but do think that little bit of warming on the repost takes it up another level.

Keith.

[David Salem]

See, your determination and patience paid off. It usually dose. What a great looking fame you came up with. Lots of nice color and detail and I like the perch you chose. Well done Gail.

[Frank Schauf]

Amazing colors, details and background, excellent.