I really like the pose and the catchlight in the eye but the overall feel is a bit flat, almost like it's a tiny bit overexposed. I think it might be that the background lacks any sense of depth.
I agree that the image looks a little over-exposed with some hot areas on the shoulder. Setting a black point in levels and adding a little contrast helps but reprocessing the raw file with some highlight recovery would be good. I really like the pose, soft light, textures and smooth BG.
Tony's repost is a vast improvement, but I woul have masked off the wing and tail before doing any adjustment to the exposure. I know it is part of their normal molting phase, but I kinda wish you had a fully fresh plumaged individual with complete black belly and face...still, these guys are not the easiest to approach - so you have done quite well. I would probably crop a little off the left.
I opened the photo in Adobe Camera Raw and the whites were hot. I also noticed the blacks could use a little more depth but agree that the tail and wing are definitely dark enough. I do like your HA and the position of the bird but I also feel like there's something missing from the BG - something that would add a little more depth to the image.
Thanks for the advice. I found a spot close to home where there are several nesting pairs. I found it on a bike ride. I will go back and try again. Thanks again.
Bobolink
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