A Song before Breakfast

[Richard Kowalski]

A Cactus Wren singing his heart out on a Cholla cactus in Agua Caliente Park, Tucson, yesterday morning.

All of my efforts to get him to look my way, so I could get a better head angle, were rebuffed. He was much too interested in his song to pay me much mind.

Canon 20D, 1/1600th, Av, Evaluative metering, ISO 400
Sigma 50-500 / 363mm @ f/ 8, handheld


Cropped & WB in ACR, cloned out most an offending oof foreground branch in PS.

[Maxis Gamez]

Hi Richard,

I like the composition. I think your image needs some colors and contrast. I also would like to see the image sharper.

[Richard Kowalski]

Thanks Maxis. I think the colors are pretty close to actual, but agree that some more contrast may be in order. I probably could have closed down a few stops for increase DoF, At full res, the bird is tack sharp, so I'm guessing you are being a bit punny about the Cholla!

:)

[Judd Patterson]

Hey Richard, yeah, I would increase the contrast here to remove some of the gray from your bluish-gray sky. The head turn would have been great, but sometimes they just have no interest in our wishes. :) I also think I would work to remove the OOF stick from the area just below the bird...definitely distracts my attention some. I'm guessing that this guy will continue to stake out this general territory, so be sure and return and you should have lots of opportunities to perfect this image!

[Maxis Gamez]

Hi Richard,

Maybe because the jpg compression.

Keep them coming!

[Fabs Forns]

Nicely composed, but it does look a bit dark on my side :)

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Nice setting and singing pose. It looks a bit dark here, too. Could you have moved to your right?

[Richard Kowalski]

My guess is none of those who provided the original critiques will see this repost, as so many new posts are uploaded to this forum each day, but below is the image reworked as suggested; Increased saturation, contrast and sharpening. Oh, and I had moved right and left to avoid the foreground distractions, but ths was the clearest view of the Wren.