Singing Grasshopper Sparrow

[Isaac Grant]

I have many photos of singing Grasshopper Sparrows. I have even posted a few. Most of them have the bird much larger in the frame, but I like this bird on the curved perch. From June 10th at Negri-Nepote Grasslands in New Jersey.

Canon 7d2 and Canon 500 f4 ii + 1.4x iii. ISO 400, f 5.6, SS 1/5000. Tripod mounted.

Converted in DDP 4. Auto White balance. In PS I cropped, sharpened and applied noise reduction to the background.

[David Salem]

That's a solid looking frame. Nice comp, pose, perch, BG and details. Well done

[Joseph Przybyla]

Lovely image, simple deslgn, clean background, excellent techs. Thank you for sharing, Isaac.

[Daniel Cadieux]

These guys are awesome. Lovely singing pose, and a neat perch too! Maybe half a step to your right would have been good, just to get the brown faint streak in the BG away from touching the sparrow, but I like the image a lot.

[Isaac Grant]

Agree about the angle Daniel. Went back and forth a bit on if I should remove that in post. Honestly so much grass there I did not see it when in the field. It was a fairly windy day and the grass was blowing quite a bit so I missed it back there. Only got off a 6 shot burst of the bird on that perch before it flew. Only 2 are of it singing so I was lucky to get it but a bit unlucky to have the perch lined up with the grass in the back. Of course 3 of the other 4 when it was facing away and not singing did not have the grass there. But so it goes with bird photography.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Lovely image great pose and composition I like it very much.
I have a small reservation, I can't help but think it is a little bit yellow - nobody else has commented so it may just be me.
(FWIW I have begun using Camera Neural as opposed to Standard and I provisionally get the impression the colours are a little closer to reality - not so vivid. Maybe have a look see in DPP4 raw conversion?)

[gail bisson]

I too like the perch! Love the little flower at the end.
Curve of perch adds a nice line to the image.
I really like the clear view of the feet.
IQ is excellent and I like the amount of space you have included in front of the bird.
Bummer about that large OOF grass to the right of the bird.
I think I see some ? artifacts between the first and second leaf on the right side of the stem. easy fix.
All in all, a really nice image
Gail

[Glennie Passier]

Very nice Isaac. Love the pose and bird and perch. The oof grass doesn't really bother me. I love how much room you have put around him.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Agree about the angle Daniel. Went back and forth a bit on if I should remove that in post. Honestly so much grass there I did not see it when in the field. It was a fairly windy day and the grass was blowing quite a bit so I missed it back there. Only got off a 6 shot burst of the bird on that perch before it flew. Only 2 are of it singing so I was lucky to get it but a bit unlucky to have the perch lined up with the grass in the back. Of course 3 of the other 4 when it was facing away and not singing did not have the grass there. But so it goes with bird photography.

I understand about the wind! Just recently an Eastern Kingbird was posing perfectly for me for a while on a cattail but the wind kept blowing some leaves back and forth in ways that ruined the BG for me. A couple of images came out fine anyhow, but ya, that can be problematic at times. And just like you, the least appealing poses had no major issues...all part of the fun!

[Isaac Grant]

Not sue what that is Gail and thanks for pointing it out. I did not do anything to that area at all. Maybe some fibers on the plant. Need to check the RAW.

[Isaac Grant]

Eastern Kingbird is my nemesis bird. I have never even gotten a decent frame of one. One of those crazy birds that is all over but never seems to pose. Have to make that a priority.