Gila Woodpecker

[Stan Cunningham]

Here's a singing male I took at Elephant Head Pond last month.
Canon 7D 500 F4 at 6.3, 1/2500 ISO 400 Tripod from blind
Comments always appreciated as I continue to learn that way.

[gail bisson]

Hi Stan,
This is really lovely. Love the perch and the BG and the tongue. Very nice IQ and colors. I wonder what a vertical would look like?
Gail

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

Great detail and a very interesting perch.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

I am with Gail about a vertical crop, did you take a vertical originaly? Like the light, perch and pose but I would prefer a better head angle.

[Ishmeet Sahni]

Very well taken. Great IQ, good light. The HA works for me. I like the little bit of tongue showing. I would also like to have seen a vertical crop.

[christopher galeski]

nice image,good detail,like the tongue,like the perch.well done.

[Melissa Groo]

Wonderful detail, colors, and the open bill and tongue showing is a big plus. I too would like to see this as a vertical, with some more room above the head.

[Stan Cunningham]

Thank you all for your comments. Here is the suggested vertical crop. I can add canvas easily above the bird but it would seem unbalanced to me but certainly open to more suggestions.
To those that like the perch it's a cholla skeleton. It's the woody part of the cactus that is under the green tissue that gives the cactus it's strength. When the plants die the wood takes much longer to decompose and the skeletons are a common feature of the Sonoran Desert. But to make sure they are where I am I carry a couple mounted in Christmas tree stands with me, but Bill has many at Elephant Head Pond. I like Alan Murphy's flowered stalks mounted to tripods as well but so far I've found the birds seem to prefer the sturdier skeletons.
Thanks again and any other comments on this crop are more than welcome. Thanks for you time.
Stan

[Melissa Groo]

I like this a lot better, Stan. Really brings the attention more to the beautiful bird and emphasizes the sweet angle. I would be interested to see a little more space above, but also fine as is. Nice job.

[Stan Cunningham]

What the heck, what do you guys think now. I think Mellisa was correct.

[gail bisson]

Pane # 10 is the one! Very nice Stan!!

[Stan Cunningham]

Thanks Gail

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Stan, loved the perch, pose and the sharp details. Vertical indeed makes a lot of sense here. Good that you got something going in the BG instead of plain sky.