(copied to OOTB) Backlit Red-winged blackbird( common bird project)

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

This is turning out to be a blackbird week.

40D. 400mm at f/5.6. iso 400. 1/1000s. slight crop for composition. nothing cloned.

I know this place where they gather in the evening in the cattails. Birds were there and within reach but getting one silhouetted like this amidst all the vegetation took some time. And wind was unfortunately very high. Had to maintain a good shutter speed.

Plenty of curves work to get rid of flare. I was shooting directly into the sun. I know there is noise but neatimage did not do as good a job as it usually does. Will have to try some selective stuff.

All C&C welcome.

[Fabs Forns]

Very original image that I happen to like a lot, the rim light on the cattails really enhances the shape of the bird. Way to go on being unique :)

[Aidan Briggs]

Very cool KD. The golden backlight is great. The open beak helps a lot. The only thing that bugs me is the vertical reed that goes right through the bird's body.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Thanks.

Did some selective NR. here's the repost.

[Markus Jais]

I like that a lot. Repost is even better. Very good exposure and a fantastic light. The open bill and the raised wings are great.

Markus

[niranjan sant]

i love backlit pictures,superb. i would have liked if the front part of the bird had some backlit like the corns have

[Sabyasachi Patra]

A fine image. I agree with Niranjan that backlighting of the bird like the corns would have got more attention and would have enhanced the image. The repost is better.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Cool idea and well done. I like the pose, setting and backlight and only wish the tail and cattail would not merge but that is really minor.

[Stu Bowie]

Good lighting effect Kaustubh, and well done on something different.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Thx everyone.

Niranjan, Sabyasachi, I see what you are saying. I'd have liked the rim light on the bird too. I had explored that option. Moving left would have achieved that but the stick would have come in way plus the bird would not have been parallel. Would have been a different BG too. The cattails were swaying in the wind. The scene was changing on the fly in the viewfinder. Had to wait for a brief calm moment to pull the trigger.

[Harold Davis]

nice work, kaustubh! i like the ootb thinking and this works for me!!! would have been better to have the bird rim lit, but still great as is!!!!

[Scott Grant]

Kaustubh,

this image really caught my eye for several reasons! the first reason is the backlighting! i believe it works wonderfully in this image. I also like the diagonals created by the vegetation.

a real beauty i would be proud to call my own. thanks for sharing. :)

[Steve Canuel]

Very nice image Kaustubh. I like how you retained a touch of red in the epaulets. The repost improves an already nice picture.