Northern Flicker Red-Shafted Form

[Ted Willcox]

I find it rewarding to get a close up image of this very elusive but beautiful bird. Image made [Dec. 28/08, 11:28am, overcast lighting] on Gabriola Island B.C.
Camera: EOS ID MarkIII
Lens: Canon 100-400 zoom
Focal length 320mm
Evaluative metering
Expo comp 0
Shutter speed 1/250
Aperture 7.1
ISO 1000

[Doug Brown]

Classic pose with good eye contact and sharpness. While the bird looks great, the BG looks a little drab. Here's a repost with a saturation boost to the BG. How do you like it?

[William Currie]

Really nice photo Ted like the pose and perch

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the eye contact, perch and BG. I have never seen this species but Doug's repost brings out a magenta cast. Do they look like that? I would sharpen the head a tad more.

[Ted Willcox]

Hi Axel and Doug
Doug your repost has brought out a magenta cast in the Flicker you can see it in his back and feet. Yes Axel they look like my post, the colors are very much right on. Thanks for the comments.
Ted

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I think there is a slight magenta cast in the original, too. Maybe it needs a slight adjustment of color temperature?

[Doug Brown]

I masked out the saturation boost on the bird, but may have missed the feet.

[david cramer]

Beautiful composition and perch. Nicely done.

[john crookes]

Nice perch and bg I wish we had them around here we have the yellow shafted .

I saw that you posted it in adobe 98 which has some issues you should convert to srgb for posting on the web

i redid like this
and also did a mispoint correction on a layer

[Ted Willcox]

Axel thanks for spotting the magenta, I removed it, looks good now.
John thanks for the repost, looks good. I will convert to srgb in future post. Thanks for pointing that out. What is a mispoint correction? It is a beautiful bird isn't it!! I have just recently photographed to intermediate female flickers on my property. One was yellowed shafted without the red chevron at the back of the head, the other had the red V at the back of the head but was red shafted. Thanks again all.
Ted