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Thread: A cold Red-bellied

  1. #1
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    Default A cold Red-bellied

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    -23°C here this AM so this male Red-bellied Woodpecker is cold. I'm thrilled to have this species at the feeder here in Sackville, New Brunswick as it normally occurs quite a bit further south. The bird has been coming to the feeder for the past few days and eating a fat cake I have out.

    I like the hint of the red belly that you can see at the bottom of the breast, and the look of the bird peaking out from the tree. Would like to have had a slightly better head angle.

    I removed a small twig to the right of the bird's left leg and tried to even out the BG by dodging dark areas and running a subtle gaussian blur.

    Canon EOS 50D, 70-200 f4 IS, 1.4 tcII @ 250 mm
    capture date: Sunday, December 21, 2008 1:13:04 PM
    exposure program: Aperture Priority
    ISO speed: 400
    shutter speed: 1/800
    aperture: f5.6
    exposure bias: -0.3
    metering: Pattern
    light source: Auto
    flash: ON - Beamer, ETTL -1 2/3

  2. #2
    Julie Kenward
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    John, this is really nice! I have a few red-bellied that feed at my feeders here in Missouri and they are a big fan of unshelled peanuts (or a woodpecker mix) put into a hanging peanut silo.

    I actually like your head angle here as it appears he is actually looking at something and not just away from you. I might have left a little more tree in on the right side of the frame but, then again, I really like that nothing "extra" is in this image - it's all about the bird.

    I also like what you did with the BG. Might go back and darken the one spot just above the bird's head as that one keeps drawing my eye away - shouldn't take much to bring it in line with the rest of the BG.

    These are wonderful birds to watch, are they not?

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    not very often that you get the red belly in the photo! i like it here. agree with jules about toning down the lighter spot a little. -23C? now that's cold!!!

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    BPN Member Tony Whitehead's Avatar
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    You've done a great job here, John. The sharpness from toes to nose is great and the flash does the job without being obvious.
    Tony Whitehead
    Visit my blog at WildLight Photography for latest news and images.

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    Forum Participant Manos Papadomanolakis's Avatar
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    Very sweet image John,
    I really like the bg`s color,pose and composition!!!
    -23C here we have +18C:)

  6. #6
    Axel Hildebrandt
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    Good for the bird that you put out the extra meal. I like the details, pose and soft light. I wouldn't mind if it were a wider crop to include the 'virtual' lower part of the bird.

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Love the sharpness, colors, and BKGR. At the very least, you need another inch below the "V" where the branch meets the trunk. Having the "V" almost touching the frame edge is a image design flaw.
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

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    Many thanks for all the comments. Luckily I did have some room at the bottom of the original image so recropped. Maybe not enough and I suppose I could make more canvas down there if needed. Also touched-up the BG as per suggestions.

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    Publisher Arthur Morris's Avatar
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    Much better John. The repost is a lot easier on the eye than the OP.
    BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.

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  10. #10
    Glenda Simmons
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    The repost does look better. A beautiful image. The background is very complimentary.

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