Wonderful image! I love the color and the light on this bird . The berries also make for an interesting compositon. However I think this photo would have be even better without the seeds around the beak. This is a great picture overall.
Hi Ted amd welcome to BPN. This image has lovely color and good detail but I find the crop just a bit too tight. I would prefer more room all around and leaving more room for the bird to fly out. Also a clean beak would strengthen this image as well
Love the detail in the breast feathers. Judy is right in that this one is just a bit too tight...
Lastly, I hate folks who have good pix of this species and that includes you!
lal,
artie
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I like everything about this. Lighting is great, angled pose is great, and the bird's got a smash-mouth look going on that's validated by the crabapples in the lower part of the frame. For me, the applesauce adds spice to a nice portrait. Any time I see an element of real life included in a portrait, it's a good portrait for me. The crop is not too tight to suit me at all, but it's an issue that I have to scroll up and down on my monitor to see the whole bird. If it was a single image in a magazine or print, the crop wouldn't have any negative impact on me.
Great frozen perch, details and the sidelight works well. The messy eating behavior is classic. :) I agree that it is a bit tight and you could have gone to ISO 400 and maybe f/8 in order to get the tail in focus, too. I have seen pine grosbeaks for the first time this winter, got to love the irruption. :)
Of all your images I have seen of this species this one is my favoriteS. If no crabapples would be present in the photograph then the messy bill would be objectional, but with some present (particularly the half consumed one) then it is a nice touch showing the feeding behaviour we witness perfectly. Congratulations Ted on a beautiful image!!
Last edited by Arthur Morris; 01-03-2008 at 12:47 PM.