Eastern Bluebird 2

[Bill Dix]

D90; 80-400 VR @ 400mm. ISO 640. f/6.3 @ 1/640s. Matrix metering @ +0.3 EV. Aperture priority. HH.

Last week I came across a flock of 15 bluebirds flitting along our frozen lakeshore. I posted one image on Avian last week; here's another from the group. Cropped about 30% and removed some surrounding branches with the clone tool. C&C appreciated.

[Alfred Forns]

I like it Bill !!! Sharp and well exposed, good PS work and came up with a winner !!! A lower angle is about all we could have wished for !!! Very fine image !!!!

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Bill,

Nice exposure techs, love the aperture and shutter. Nice job with the additional light pushing things to the right and the composition is framed just right for me - strong image.

[Lance Peters]

Very very nice - lots to like here!!!!
Lower angle would be my only wish.
Fine image.

[Gus Cobos]

Hi Bill.
Sometimes we have no choice but to play the hand that Mother Nature gives us...I like the composition, image and capture...you have good color rendition with fine feather details and a good head angle and sharp eye...good show...keep them coming...:):cool:

[Bob Decker]

Nice image, good exposure, sharp. For some reason I always have troubles with these little guys.

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Excellent work Bill, great detail and sharpness. Very good even lighting as well. To me the image looks somewhat underexposed, not alot, but I would prefer more blue than grayish blue with the head feathers, and whiter breast feathers. Exposure compensation drives me nuts, at best it is an educated guess. I think you might have needed to increase it here.
Even though the viewing angle isn't really that steep, its does have a significant effect. Sometimes a few inches do cause problems.
Compositionally I think the image a good candidate for the rule of thirds; using the upper left hot spot to position the eye.(1/3 from left and 1/3 from the top).
Anyway, fine image! regards~Bill

[Bill Dix]

Thank you Bill. I agree that this might be just a touch underexposed. I don't know if you saw the other bluebird image that I posted on Avian a week or two ago, but I think its' colors were more true-to-life. I have a ways to go before I can make a quick gut estimate of exposure compensation in the field and get it right more often than wrong. Also agree about the capture angle. Wish it were not so steep here, but had no choice in the matter. I appreciate your helpful comments.