Downy Woodpecker

[Michael Lloyd]

There are a pair of these living around here. I see and hear them every day

EOS 1DsMKIII
600 f4L IS
580EX II; Manual; 1/16th power; Better Beamer

Exposure = 1/250 second = 0.004 second
f4
ISO = 100

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Michael As presented would crop top and bottom to minimize the bg clutter. Your best bet to capture would be while they are on the side of the tree and not too high. You did well with exposure and all is sharp !!!

Not sure the reason for the low ISO? The flash is being used at 1/16th power

[Michael Lloyd]

Thanks Al.

Low ISO- I was trying shoot as near to wide open as I could to minimize the background as much as I could. At ISO 100 I was able to use f4. Unfortunately the background was too close to the subject and I lost any real benefit that the 600 f4 has at wide open aperture. The flash was used to balance the side light and background lite source. I didn't need much power at the distance that I was shooting to bring the subject exposure up to are at least close to the background exposure. I forgot to mention that I was shooting from a tripod.

The bird sneaked up on me. Actually there were two. I have a pair that visits my trees daily. Mom was chasing dad all over the place so she didn't hang around long for photographs.

[Daniel Cadieux]

The downies are usually pretty tolerant of people...it would be worth it to spread a bit of peanut butter or suet on a nice tree trunk (be careful for it not to be visible) and wait for them to come and feed. Who knows, you might attract some Nuthatches or other species of woodpeckers too :-) Exposure and sharpness are fine, but that's about it for me as the image is quite busy, and composition is so-so - plus I don't really care that the subject is perched upside down and looking away. Please take this constructively...I'm positive you will get more ops with these guys :-)

[Michael Lloyd]

Exposure and sharpness are fine, but that's about it for me as the image is quite busy, and composition is so-so - plus I don't really care that the subject is perched upside down and looking away. Please take this constructively...I'm positive you will get more ops with these guys :-)

Always do... :D I don't come here to be babied or read "nice image" for an image I am not charged up about. I can get that anywhere. I appreciate any and all constructive criticism.

The peanut butter idea is awesome. I know, from a prior time in my life, that fox and raccoon love peanut butter too...