African Stonechat

[Marc Scott-Parkin]

African Stonechat, Saxicola torquatus, South Africa.

Nikon D300,
Sigma 150-500mm OS lens at 500mm,
1/800 sec at f/6.3,
ISO 200.

Thanks for viewing. Comments and critiques much appreciated,
Marc

[arash_hazeghi]

Very nice BG, nice perch and good HA. detail seems to be lacking though.

[Randy Stout]

Marc:

I like the overall comp, the faint diagonal lines in the background (grasses?) and the colors

The bird does seem to be a bit soft and the head angle is just slightly away from us.

If you feel comfortable, I might consider removing the part of the twig that touches the tail, perhaps down just to the first small projection. I think the twig helps balance the comp, but would prefer it not merging with the tail.

I also might consider a sliver more canvas on the left.

I shoot the D300 also, and would recommend using at least 400 ISO for more flexibility on shutter speed and aperture. Particularly if you are careful to expose to the right, ISO 400 should be very good, image quality wise.

Thanks for sharing.

Randy

[Dave Leroy]

Interesting looking bird. Good job on the exposure. My preference would be for a slightly lower angle. Nicely done. Dave

[Marc Scott-Parkin]

Thanks for the comments guys.
Randy, I agree about the twig now that you mention it. Thanks also for the advice about the D300. I have just got it recently, in fact this was my first trip out with it. Fantastic camera but I am still learning it's ins and outs.

[Doug Brown]

Good luck with the new body Marc. Excellent points by Randy, all of which I agree with. I would add that the catchlight doesn't look quite right.

[Marc Scott-Parkin]