Red-bellied Woodpecker

[Mike Milicia]

EOS-1D Mk III, 500mm f/4 + 1.4x II, 1/100, f/8, ISO 400
Evaluative metering +2/3
Manual Fill Flash at -2

Photographed last week at a feeder setup at Rondeau Provincial Park in southwest Ontario.

Looking forward to your comments and critiques!

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

I Iove the details,pose and the magic bg`s color!!!

[Randy Stout]

Mike:

I took a bit to work on your image, which I think is really nice. I have a bunch of these fellows in my backyard, so get to see them a lot up close. The red on the head was a bit hot, shown as blown when checked on the highlight checker in NX2.

So, I desatted the red channel a bit, and lowered the brightness of the perch right behind the birds head. I thought it helped separate the head from the background a bit. I also brightened the eye just a smidge and increased the contrast a bit.

I also cropped in from the right just a bit to decenter the bird a bit, since he is looking to the left.

Overall, I like your original, just thought this might provide some options for you.

Randy

[Bob Malbon]

Mike, If the bird was 90 degrees around on the perch you would add a sweet profile to a great capture! Bob

[Harold Davis]

i do like the repost. might add some canvas topside and left. nice to have the bird off center a bit. really like the backside view of the bird.

[Ilija Dukovski]

Great image, agree with Harold on the canvas on top and left.
It would be also nice image if the head was proud of the perch,
this way is good too. Very interesting BG color...

[Stu Bowie]

Lovely pose, eye contact, detail, and colours in this. Comp wise, I would move him to the right as Randy as done. In a perfect world, I would wish for at least the head to be separated from the perch.

[Ramon M. Casares]

Very nice, lovely backside view, great light, colors, BG and detail. Congratulations.