Male Cardinal

[denise ippolito]

Canon 40D
500mm +1.4 ex.
ISO 400
1/640 sec. at f/6.3
color balanced w/ lightroom 2

[Alfred Forns]

Good looking bird Denise You got the point of focus right on the eye, excellent. With these we always want more dof but it is minimal a this distance. Best is making multiple exposure and pick the most pleasing which will probably be one with the bill tip and eye in the same plane !! ... excellent color !!!

[Gus Cobos]

Hi Lady Denise,
I like the composition, image and capture...you have good details and good color rendition...The head angle and eye contact are dead on...a few point done to enhance the base image...I took the liberty in cropping 1/4 of the horizontal perch, because it was a bit overpowering for this little guy; also cropped from the top to eliminate some of the negative space. I cropped from the left to off center him just a tad in frame...as far as the background, I blended the lighter areas with the dark to eliminate the vertical light band coming off the head... I selective sharpened the eye area and gave you a Florida twist on the background...:) I hope you like...see if this presents best to you...:cool:

[Harold Davis]

nicely done, denise!! love the colors and the pose. i like that gus was trying to minimize the perch. but i prefer the colors in your bg.

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Denise, this looks like an oil painting. Might just sharpen the eye a little. The colours on your bird are beautiful. The BG that Gus has added makes it looks even more beautiful.

[Dave Leroy]

Very Nice Denise. Eye catching. I like Gus's crop and sharper eye. Nice colours either way.
Dave

[Gus Hallgren]

Hi denise;

Looks like you have a good source of Northern Cardinals. Colours spot on, as well as HA.

Always wanted to photograph one on boughs loaded with snow. Where we get snow is about 6000'
if we get rain in the valley, a little high for N. Cardinals. would make a lovely notecard, especially for
Christmas.

Thanks for sharing.

Uncle Gus
BTW: Jackie mentioned Oil Painting ~ Here's one on canvas

[Lance Peters]

Hi Denise - nice one - I prefer the original maybe just a tad more sharpening on the eye = not quite as much as Gus has - somewhere in between would be good.
I like:)

[Jeff Cashdollar]

denise, great shot!

Gus, I love the br adjustments. I assume you use PS, could you provide a fast fly-by of the tools and adjustments used.

Regards

J$

[Oscar Zangroniz]

Hey D:
Like your original post as you have great details on the bird. Colors are well balanced and true.
Do like Gus's re post taking part of the perch as it looked to big on your original.

Did you get a new lens?
Regards,

[denise ippolito]

Oscar, I have had that lens since spring. How have you been?
Thanks everyone for your thoughts-I think I'll sharpen eye and loose a little of the perch!

[Nonda Surratt]

Late to the party..Great reds as always Denise! A bit of sharpening on the eye.

Good one.