I captured this image at Circle B Bar Reserve in Polk County, Florida. When this dead tree trunk was standing the Woodpeckers loved to perch and eat ants on it. Sadly it has fallen in one of our wind storms. I wish he had turned his head slightly and glanced down but soon after this image he flew across the wetland. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.
Nikon D7000
Nikon 80-400mm F/4.5-5.6 VRII AF-S ED shot at 400mm (600mm FFE)
1/640 F/5.6 Matrix Metering EV +1 ISO 280 AWB, camera supported by a monopod
Post processed in Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC 2017
Cropped for composition and presentation
Last edited by Joseph Przybyla; 02-01-2017 at 07:05 AM.
Joe Przybyla
"Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams
Nice one Joe, if possible moving a bit more to your right may have helped as you would be square on to the subject.
Your call, but dropping the Contrast & Clarity on the truck I think may help, likewise fractional opening up the Blacks/Shadows on the subject selectively???
I like your image. The high key is unexpected but works and makes the Woodpecker pop. Good focus and detail.
Hi John, thank you for viewing and commenting. The white background was determined by the conditions that day. Bright overcast, what I call a white sky, so a bright/white background was really the only option.
Joe Przybyla
"Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams
Nice one Joe, if possible moving a bit more to your right may have helped as you would be square on to the subject.
Your call, but dropping the Contrast & Clarity on the truck I think may help, likewise fractional opening up the Blacks/Shadows on the subject selectively???
TFS
Steve
Hi Steve, thank you for viewing and commenting. Your suggestions done. Here is a repost of the edit.
Joe Przybyla
"Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams
Good eye, Steve, and super redo by Joe on an already nice capture. The high key works so well here with the colors on this pileated. Nice to see the crest up.
Jo well caught, now this is easy for me to say but I am impressed with what you have and to take the image a stage higher I would suggest
1. Return and shoot against a more interesting sky (entirely personal, I appreciate some will like this sky but for some reason I don't - probably the high contrast)
2. Shoot when he is actually pecking as well as when he is at rest - sometimes flying debris adds interest.
3. Shoot with a slightly better head turn
4. Get a shot when he is actually doing something like flicking his tongue or eating something
Good luck - hope you don't find them quite so addictive as I do!!
Pileated Woodpecker (m)
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Originally Posted by John Whaley
