Early evening, high overcast, D3s, Nikkor 600mm, 1.4TC, f5.6, 1/640. iso 640, beanbag on truck window. PSCS5 levels, minor dodge and burn, selective sharpening of subject, removed vegetation lower right and left. C&C appreciated.
Great image Gary - the bird has a very nice pose, the perch is wonderful and the background colour nicely compliments the foreground elements. That nice high-overcast light gives a beautiful glow to the sparrow. A couple small suggestions: I might consider adding just a bit of canvas at the top to get a little more separation between the tip of the stalk and the edge of the frame. I might also consider cleaning up the small two bits of dinner left-overs on the lower part of the bill.
I agree about the excellent pose, sharpness, clear background and perhaps need for a bit more room at the top. But to me the bird looks somehow a bit unnatural - I think it would look better with a bit less contrast, and possibly a very slight reduction in sharpness.
Gary, your repost doesn't really address the two issues - the bright highlights, and the tight crop. I would personally like to see more space around the bird. Do you have canvas to add by a looser crop? The image is just a bit bright, would suggest a levels or curves adjustment to bring down the levels of the highlights and mid-tones.
"It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera... they are made with the eye, heart, and head." - Henri Cartier Bresson
Kerry, second redo. Minimal post processing. Cleaned up the background and selectively sharpened the sparrow (usm 125, 0.3,0 x 3). I like this image and appreciate the effort to get it right.
Gary, your last repost looks really good to me - issues are addressed nicely and the image looks great. I like it too! This would make a nice magazine cover, with text in the upper right area. Good job!
"It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera... they are made with the eye, heart, and head." - Henri Cartier Bresson
Coming into this thread late. Agree with Richard and Kerry. This thread is a "poster child" for how important it is to give the subject some space- in other words the crop is critical. I love the final repost and the contrast with the OP is stark- hardly can believe it's the same image. Very well done Gary.
Thanks to all for your comments and critiques. This thread exemplifies the value of Birdphotographers. As a relative novice, I thought the original image was just fine. Special thanks to Kerry for persisting with specific directions until I got it right.
SAVANNAH SPARROW IN AUTUMN
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