Bullfinch (f) (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)

[Jonathan Ashton]

This was taken in the back garden (but not by the feeder)

Olympus E-M1X
Focal length in 35 mm film : 601.0mm
Exposure mode : Manual exposure
Exposure compensation : +1.3 EV
ISO Sensitivity : 1600
Shutter : 1/320 sec
Aperture : F5.6

ACR/TopazDNAI/PSCC

[Andreas Liedmann]

Oooooh Jon ..... very very very nice frame !!!!
I do love the species , nice female and you have caught her in a pleasing setting .
No nits from my side ....
TFS Andreas

[David Roach]

Hi Jon, Spot on in every way for me. The SH(right where it needs to be), EXP framing and BG all awesome IMHO. TFS

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Jon, a nice, sharp and clean image, colours look great, but just watch the top, it might start to 'fractionally' posterise. The eyes is awesome, but some may find the branch through the tail more of an issue????? Just a question, would a bit more DoF help, just to get that area under the bill and left leg in focus, not sure hense asking?

TFS
Steve

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks folks glad you liked it. DOF is always an issue when birds are this large in the frame. (Sorry to be repetitive but magnification dictates DOF) It all depends on the angle of the bird to the sensor, to be honest it is not much of an issue for me because, the first thing I look at is the head and eye. If you look at a bird with your naked eye as opposed to an image of a bird you will soon realise it is not very often you are looking at the tail in the same way you look at the head, it just follows on as it were. I had in fact no intention of photographing birds on this perch at this moment in time because I didn't think they would and on it, the perch was attached to an old Benbo tripod but it was actually under the horizontal arm so for the most part birds were using the arm and not the perch!.
Plenty more garden birds to follow- just hope you aren't getting bored with them..... I have to keep photographing them to keep me sane!

[Steve Kaluski]

I have to keep photographing them to keep me sane!

All I can say is ‘Wibble’ Jon!!!

[Brian Sump]

Jon, for me this is one of the better frames you've posted in a while.

Magnificent details, the slightly cocked head is great and that glassy eye bulging out of his head sucks me in. Gorgeous bkg.

The bird is so pretty and so captivating I could care less about the tail. Frankly I'd rather have the end of the perch in focus but still not a huge issue here.

Only other suggestion would be perhaps a slightly less boxy crop and a touch of room to right? Possibly slightly higher in frame?

[Dorian Anderson]

A really strong image with great engaging eye contact, Jonathan. Background glows wonderfully, and the perch adds interest. I don't mind the perch crossing the tail. I wish you had a bit more of the perch in focus, but it sounds like light/DOF are an issue. The perch is ever-so-slightly-higher-than-deal, but that's pretty minor. Composition is perfect as far as I'm concerned.