Eastern Towhee in Honey Locust

[Warren Spreng]

Visiting the Seven Islands Bird Sanctuary outside of Knoxville, TN there were a number of Eastern Towhees teasing us as we walked the Sanctuary. This particular one seemed to be teasing me as he would hide in a bush and sing his heart out but would not come out in the open. I finally used my bird app to play his call and he popped out long enough on this Honey Locust branch to capture a run of images. This was the best of the run and I had to add canvas to the bottom as his feet were right on the border of the image. Cloned out a branch in the BR corner, mild Gaussian Blur to the BG. Immediately afterward he jumped back into the bramble bushes. Canon D7 Mark II, Tamron 150-600 at 600mm, ISO 800, f/6.3, 1/800, HH, AF.

[Glennie Passier]

Warren, This is one great, sharp image! Beautiful bird. He must be little, or the thorns are very big? There is much to like about this. Already mentioned the sharpness, and the detail to feather is great. His eye is bright and alert. Love the little talons. You've done an excellent job of adding canvas. If you hadn't told me, I would have not guessed.

I'm not sure what the black strip is at the very top. I would consider adding canvas to the top and maybe a crop down the RHS to eliminate some of the OOF leaves. Most of the black feathers look good, but I think you have a magenta cast creeping in around the nape and back, and perhaps his perch.

This is a lovely image Warren. Thank you for sharing!

[Warren Spreng]

Thanks Glennie! He is about the size of a Robin, so yes, those are big thorns! The black stripe at the top was some extra canvas I added when I added it at the bottom and I missed it when I cropped, thanks for pointing it out! I'll check out the magenta cast when I have some time this weekend. Thanks for the comments! Here is a RP getting rid of the Magenta cast, adding some canvas at the top and getting rid of those OOF leaves.

[Glennie Passier]

Good job Warren! Where you have added the extra canvas at the top, I would consider using a cloning brush to merge the leaves and branches just a tad. The black looks better to my eyes. Do you have any more room in front?

[Warren Spreng]

Good job Warren! Where you have added the extra canvas at the top, I would consider using a cloning brush to merge the leaves and branches just a tad. The black looks better to my eyes. Do you have any more room in front?

One more RP, with more canvas in front and just a bit more up top and did a little cloning to clean up the leaf and the branch.

[Diane Miller]

Great catch with very good IQ! We have similar ones out west and they are difficult to get out in the open. Interesting perch and good job adding canvas.

I'd consider removing the large OOF thorn in the LR, and the small one in the V of the branches at the bottom edge.

I'm on a laptop -- it's a decent screen but I'm wondering if there is a little more detail in the darks. Have you tried Nik CEP's Detail Extractor? (Sorry Google -- it will always be called Nik!)

[Warren Spreng]

Great catch with very good IQ! We have similar ones out west and they are difficult to get out in the open. Interesting perch and good job adding canvas.

I'd consider removing the large OOF thorn in the LR, and the small one in the V of the branches at the bottom edge.

I'm on a laptop -- it's a decent screen but I'm wondering if there is a little more detail in the darks. Have you tried Nik CEP's Detail Extractor? (Sorry Google -- it will always be called Nik!)

Thanks Diane! I had not heard of Nik but will check it out. Here is another RP and I took that entire branch out in the LR as I had already thought about that. I used some selective enhancement in the blacks. Thoughts?

[Diane Miller]

Nik is now the Google/Nik suite and it's FREE. Many of us paid $400 for it years ago. There is some great stuff there. Also check out Tim Grey's now-free tutorials for it.

[Sandy Witvoet]

Hi Warren! Great "catch"! These guys are usually so busy being UNDER the shrubbery, good photo ops are few and far between! The last RP is super. With that upright tail, have you thought about a vertical? (if you have enough room at the bottom.) Not necessary, but you might want to clean up the eye just a tad, to eliminate the white horizontal "separation" (top to bottom). But... Love It! (BTW... the Loons are finally starting to arrive here in N. MI!)

[Diane Miller]

Was too busy to say -- I like the RP. This gets to be one of those images where the crop isn't easy to decide. I'd now be inclined to take a little more off the right to move the bird out of the center. Nothing is happening on the left, so I wouldn't be inclined to add more there. Not all the "rules" always fit an image. This one is strong enough to hold up to whatever you like, I think. Nice work!

[Warren Spreng]

Thanks Sandy and Diane! I'm really happy now that I totally got rid of that one branch!

Sandy, glad the Loons are back! I want another try at them!