Female Lesser Goldfinch - Sunflower Plants

[Krishna Prasad kotti]

I found a great place on the mountain behind my house which has a patch of sunflower plants. I heard birds singing and ventured out with my camera early morning for two consecutive days. I found 3-5 of Lesser Goldfinches, Lazuli Bunting and American Goldfinches. I did not get lucky with birds except female gold finches.

This shot is the best of the bunch so far. I am planning to go everyday in the morning to understand the birds and to create some decent images.

Do let me know your comments on the same.

Nikon D500, ISO 800, f/8, 1/2000 sec.

Post Processing:-

Lightroom:-

White balance - Temp 4200, Tint +10 (Started with white balance daylight, then reduced the temperature). I shot with Auto white balance. I will try to change it next time to set it to daylight

Raised exposure, increased clarity and sharpness. Below are the changes
Exposure +60
Contrast +30
Highlights -20
Shadows +20
Whites +40
Blacks +15
Clarity +20
Vibrance +25

Adobe Elements:- Levels Adjustment and Noise Reduction (Nik Dfine2)

Thanks
Krishna

[Tim Foltz]

Hi Krishna, nice picture of the female goldfinch, just a suggestion to improve your comp. would to have more room in from of the bird rather than behind.
I know you were trying to include the sunflower in the BG but remember don't fall in love with your props. The main subject is the bird so do your best to show
that subject off. You might even go with a vertical crop. I'm not sure why your clarity and vibrance sliders were so high but it seems ok in the image.

I hope this helps.

-Tim

[Andrew Harrell]

Hey Krishna, just a thought to maybe even think about some sunflower-only shots. Think you might be able to come up with some interesting perspectives while you wait for those little guys to come in and settle down. :)

AP

[Krishna Prasad kotti]

Thank you Andrew and Tim for the great feedback.

[Warren Spreng]

Nice, I like Tim's crop. Nice details on the bird.

[Bob Miller]

Krisna...I agree with Tim ...Less is more! Always try to simplify the composition to highlight your main subject! Personally I find the blue in your sky off color ...so you might try adjusting the hue/ saturation slider in LR. Also, try adjusting the vibrance as well.