White-headed woodpecker

[Paul Kusmin]

just re-worked this shot from '08 for an upcoming field guide (my first ever :)), they wanted the original horizontal crop but i prefer this vertical comp.
I've actually toned down saturation for a change as well.



Exposure: 1/400
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length00 mm
ISO Speed: 320
Exposure Bias: -1 EV
Flash: Flash fired
A-priority

D300 + 500mm f4 AFS

[Fabs Forns]

Very nice capture, Paul, I like the black and white EXP control and the mossy tree. I may sharpen the eye a little more or remove one of the catch lights. I like the choice of crop.

[Stephen Stephen]

Paul like Fabs I really like the perch and the exposure control. Congratulations on the Field Guide selection.

[Alfred Forns]

A beauty, particularly like the black feather detail and green moss on the tree !!! Very fine image !!!

[Joe Senzatimore]

Great setting and perch for such a beautiful subject. Love everything about it.

[Arthur Morris]

As above, this is a stunner on all counts. The soft light helped you capture tons of great detail.

[Steve Maxson]

An excellent photo - as noted above. If this was mine, I would remove the flash-generated catchlight and darken the pupil as it has that steel-gray flashed look, as presented. :)

[Dave Leroy]

Very nice shot Paul, and thanks for introducing me to a bird I did not know lived around here.Very well exposed and nice eye contact and head turn. It will be an excellent photo for a field guide. Dave

[RAM MALLYA]

Nice details and composition with a beautiful bird

[Arthur Morris]

An excellent photo - as noted above. If this were (sic) mine, I would remove the flash-generated catchlight and darken the pupil as it has that steel-gray flashed look, as presented. :)

Steve, I took a close look at the eye in the JPEG when I first viewed this image and again now and I am not quite sure that steel eye/flash eye is the problem. It looks a lot more like what I call "sky eye" that occurs commonly in images of birds created in the woods.... Most of the eye--except for a slice along the top--gets only the small amount of ambient light. Most of it is sucked up by the trees and vegetation, but the slice that is lit by the sky appears way bright (as here). In any case a bit of eye doctor work could get it looking a lot more "natural" if you would :) :)

[Kiran Poonacha]

Great looking bird this, loved the soft light, good details and comp..

[Ofer Levy]

Beautiful image! Bird is slightly big in the frame for me but still an awesome shot!