Great spotted woodpecker (juvenile)

[Jonathan Ashton]

Camera Model Canon EOS-1D X
Shooting Mode Manual Exposure
Tv(Shutter Speed) 1/1600
Av(Aperture Value) 6.3
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation -1/3
ISO Speed 1600
Auto ISO Speed ON
Lens EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
Focal Length 400.0mm
All C&C welcome.

[Lorant Voros]

I like the bird, food item and the trunk. I'd move the subject a little bit to the left. Nice work,Jon.

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Jon, this is where I feel the 500 would have been a better choice, (perhaps not the MKII lol, or is it?), providing a tighter crop, too much above I feel. Cracking detail, love the texture of the perch, but again, I'm not too sold on the dramatic sharpness, juxtapose to the very smooth BKG, it just jars to much for me, but trust others chime in here. However, I do quite like the colour to the backdrop. I think a couple of Curves adjustments will bring more depth to the perch.

Just me, but never like to see the 'bait' in view, .

Again, nice work here, are you off to the gym now.

TFS
Steve

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks Loros glad you like it.
Steve that zoom lens is just darned sharp! I feathered the selection on the woodpecker, I had applied a little detail extractor to the bird only, when I applied it to the tree it looked a little eye catching to me. I made the crop as is to try to show there is a genuine tree in the background!! I also chose this frame with the mealworm just to show the bird doing something. As you might guess I have more and some of his mum too.
BTW you are quite correct I have just completed a work out, still got a lot of catching up to do but getting there, should be bench pressing and squatting body weight within a week or two and then I will leave it at that, after all how heavy is a 500mm? Watch this space!

[Diane Miller]

I love the frame, including such a lovely BG. Colors are just lovely, and the bird shows great detail although it is having to compete with that gorgeous trunk. If it were me, I'd crop a small amount from the top, just enough to remove the darker area on the trunk, which is very interesting but pulls my eye a bit. I don't know the bird but wonder about a touch more of black, just on it.

Sharpness against soft BG works very well for me, with the subject really jumping out. And I love the food item, even though it may have been planted.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Jon, there is lots to like in this. I feel your comp and placement are spot on, and I really like how the perch curves up through the frame. Oodles of things to look at on the perch, and the WP with his meal rounds the image off nicely.

[William Dickson]

Nice image Jon. There seems to be something lacking on the bird, the detail is there but to me the perch stands out better than the bird for some reason? Love the comp and POV.

Will

[Steve Kaluski]

No need Jon for too much of a 'Workout', as the 500MK2 is certainly lighter and you will notice that.

[christopher galeski]

Very nice John,sharp with good detail in the bird and tree,like the colors in the BG,nice pose.TFS.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks again everyone, Diane I appreciate your view regarding colours, it does seem slightly washed out but the light and the fact that it is a juvenile account for this, I think the colours are true.

[Stuart Philpott]

John this is lovely I do find the mealworm slightly off putting but we are all different. It's amazing how that choice of perch has affected your image I really like it.

John i've taken a few pic of GWS youngsters of late. the thoughts on colour are interesting to me,does a vibrancy come with age while they are still carrying the full red cap. I have two different individuals one at home is slightly more vibrant in black and white,but cap is similar to yours. Another has all the trappings almost of an adult in the b&w and the cap is a stunning red(not so many black feathers within the red). Is there any sexual dimorphism in the youngsters,I can't quite pin down what I have seen,it might just be individual variance ....any ideas??


A very interesting frame John very well taken

Stu

[Arthur Morris]

I like the image design as is. My repost addresses several of the issues mentioned above: the mealworm, and the lack of pop on the bird; the latter improved (?) with my 25/25 Tonal Contrast/Detail Extractor recipe and a bit of Auto Contrast as well.

a

[Jonathan Ashton]

Hmm, got to admit it looks better Artie, I use you recipe regularly, maybe not so on this one. I keep coming back to a comment you once made on some great crested grebes I posted a few years back and you said simply because the light was drab doesn't mean your subject has to be (I paraphrase slightly) I think the same goes here.
Stu I cannot offer any explanations for you I am afraid, the chicks increase in colouration with age but at this time of year adults and chicks can look a bit tatty due to being in and out of the nest and all the rain we have had.

[Arthur Morris]

JA, You are welcome and I agree. What happened to the mealworm???

a

ps: that sounds like something I said or would say...

[Jonathan Ashton]

Artie I have to report the mealworm died for a good cause.