I am envious. This is one of my "nemesis" birds that I can never seem to get a good shot of. Lots of good things about this shot IMO. This is one shot where the perch (flower especially) competes with the bird for attention. What makes it work for me is the somewhat muted, almost pastel, colors of the the Lazuli Bunting with the gaudy color of the thistle flower.
This is most every bird photographers dream bird,,, excellent perch as well, very nice.
I think a 4 X 5 with the stems cropped off the bottom would work well.
Yikes that is beautiful. Great flower too. I get the impression the head is just a touch bright? Could be just the way the sun is hitting those feathers. I personally like the comp as is. Sorry, no bonus points for me though, but "thistle" be fun to see who does!
James - I was blessed to get a few of this one. Check out the post maybe a week ago, you might like it. One more coming soon...
David - Nailed the movie, you get a new Nikon............................................. ......................................... lens cap
Dan - I have a 4x5 as well, just didn't love it as much
Daniel - I guess I like bright birds? Nah, I actually brought the highs down a decent amount already. I tend to enjoy sat and contrast a touch more than some, just my preference; hopefully not too much here. Love the pun my friend :-)