Downy Woodpecker

[Joel Eade]

Setup using a feeder and hide, this particular bird was sort of "scruffy" looking for some reason.
1D3
500mm f/4
Tripod
ISO 1000
f/5.6
1/500
580 EXII + Better Beamer ETTL -2 1/3

I cloned and repaired some spots on the perch.

[James Shadle]

Joel,
Do you remember the meter setting for the ambient light?
James

[Joel Eade]

Joel,
Do you remember the meter setting for the ambient light?
James

I think it was -1/3 stop

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Joel,

Saw one today, like yours better. Looks good, I might lighten the head/eye area a tad and take a layer off the bottom where it expands out. Love the colors, the brown in the eye area is fantastic. Are you shooting Manual or AV and what was the subject distance.

The setups are well managed and your techs are solid. Nice job moving the ISO higher to get a faster shutter speed. As always thanks for posting you too are an active member and for that I am thankful.

[gary ellwein]

Joel, the Hairy from 11-26 and this Downy make a great pair. I prefer the lighter bg in the Hairy image. Consider lightening the bg on the Downy. This image looks a bit crispy on my monitor. Over all a great capture.

Gary

[Joel Eade]

Joel,

Saw one today, like yours better. Looks good, I might lighten the head/eye area a tad and take a layer off the bottom where it expands out. Love the colors, the brown in the eye area is fantastic. Are you shooting Manual or AV and what was the subject distance.

The setups are well managed and your techs are solid. Nice job moving the ISO higher to get a faster shutter speed. As always thanks for posting you too are an active member and for that I am thankful.

Thanks for looking and commenting. I am shooting in manual mode with evaluative metering and center AF sensor only. The distance is approximately 15 feet. I agree with you, I think the image should be a touch lighter overall.

[Joel Eade]

Joel, the Hairy from 11-26 and this Downy make a great pair. I prefer the lighter bg in the Hairy image. Consider lightening the bg on the Downy. This image looks a bit crispy on my monitor. Over all a great capture.

Gary

Thanks Gary, I agree now that I look at it, the BG should be lighter, in fact, I think maybe the whole image should be lighter.

[James Shadle]

Joel,
The image looks like flash as main light(if flash did not fire the image would be under-exposed).
Did you try any with out flash?

IMO more ambient light would have given this a more natural look - flash as fill.

I do love the perch, specimen, eye contact, composition and the image is dead sharp.
In other words, can I come over and play?

James

[Joel Eade]

Joel,
The image looks like flash as main light(if flash did not fire the image would be under-exposed).
Did you try any with out flash?

IMO more ambient light would have given this a more natural look - flash as fill.

I do love the perch, specimen, eye contact, composition and the image is dead sharp.
In other words, can I come over and play?

James

It was overcast, a typical gray Kentucky winter day.....thus the ISO 1000. I did not try without the flash, at -2 1/3 stops I thought it would be a reasonable fill flash setting. I think my post processing isn't quite right perhaps. If I get time tonight I will give it another go.

Thanks for the compliments, of course you can come over and play....if you're ever planning to be nearby please call me. I would like another day on the Hooptie Deux at some point as well.

[Joel Eade]

Repost with suggested changes......

[gary ellwein]

Joel, well done. Lighter bird and bg look good.

Gary