I posted this a while back in ETL. I have since learned a little more about PP so I reworked this just a bit. Nikon D700, 300mm f2.8, 1.4tc, tripod. Adj exp, recovery in acr. Just a touch of s/h on the face, .3, 90 usm in cs3. This is about 60% of original and is at a setup. Had to save at 08 quality to make it fit.
I think this is a really beautiful cardinal portrait, Jack. It seems maybe a tad brightish or whitish on top, but don't know if that's the stage of plumage it's at. Sharpness, head angle, and comp are all lovely. Great BG too. Excellent work!