Squirrel Cuckoo

[Jim Crosswell]

Canon 30D
100-400L IS
400mm
ISO 400
f/7.1
1/500s
Tripod
Remote switch
This is a crop from a horizontal shot. It is a fair crop already so I can't go any tighter. A branch in the upper right was cloned out as well as two bright spots in the lower left. I like the rain drops in this image. All comments are appreciated.

[Joel Eade]

Very nice image, love the rain and the mood it gives.

[Dave Blinder]

Beautiful capture Jim, the bird has nice detail and looks soft (in a good way). I like the composition and spacing. Might prefer to not have the OOF leaves, but not a big deal.

Nice work.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Awesome bird (a new one for me, where was this photographed?) and great mood! Love the perch. I don't mind the foliage (except the closest OOF ones)as it gives nice colours...but I wish there was more separation between the tail and those leaves.

[Suzanne Huot]

Lovely feel to this image ,glad you kept the rain drops in really adds something extra to the image .did you use a flash or does this bird have a very red eye ? Where did you find this this most attractive and unusual cuckoo please

[Jim Crosswell]

This image was taken at Finca Oro in Costa Rica. Every morning you can hear their calls from the rain forest. They usually stay hidden but this one popped up out of the tree top. The Cuckoo was too far away for the flash to be effective. The red eye is natural. Thanks for your comments and suggestions.

[Suzanne Huot]

Thank you Jim for the info ,I love the bird

[paul leverington]

Hey I really, really like this one. The bird is excellent in beauty and posture. Artistically what would do this one fine I think would be to go ahead and totally remove all foreground plants but the one around and behind the branch. Then perhaps some selective work on the bird to get a fair amount of pop factor using sharpening, saturation and contrast. I feel you have the essentials to make this a stunning artistic shot Jim. I would also say that make any adjustments in a gentle way so as not to loose the softness of the bird. Please repost if you make any adjustments from my or others suggestions.

Paul

*Some info on location and shooting circumstances would also be nice Jim.

****OK I see you did post some info--never mind above sentence.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Thanks for the additional info Jim!

[Raymond Barlow]

beautiful image Jim, I like the crop a lot, and the mood ... such an amazing bird!

[Ofer Levy]

Fantastic image! The rain really puts this over the top!

[Danny J Brown]

Hi Jim - This is just a beautiful image all around so I won't expand on comp, lighting, etc. I love it.

[Clement Francis]

What a magnificiant looking birdie, I love the environs created by the rain too

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Great to see the rain drops. Fantastic comp and while the angle of view may be arguably a little steep, the subject and environment perfectly compensate. :)

[Kiran Poonacha]

loved the setting here, beautiful bird, nice pose and those rain drops sure makes this.. congrats..

[Rob Drummond]

Really like this Jim. Great detail and intense colour

cheers
Rob

[Jim Crosswell]

Here is the image with the OOF leaves taken out. Thanks for all the comments.

[subramanya_ck]

What a magnificent bird.....first timer for me...rain has doub;ed the beauty of this bird

[paul leverington]

Something about this shot makes it one of the best I have ever seen. Your repost is magnificent Jim!!!

Paul