Purple Martin, Cades Cove Smoky Mountain National Park

[Jay Sheinfield]

Cropped to frame, slight layer of Topaz Clean for detail. Shadowhouse texture applied.
The Martin let me get quite close................Comments welcome.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Jay, I wouldn't change a thing. I love everything about it including the taller perch. Lovely capture

[Brendan Dozier]

I agree, Jay, really beautiful comp and treatment! Like the soft light, and texture really adds nicely to mood. I might be tempted to take out a bit of the green in the white of tail area, but that would be it. What a great looking bird and base image as well. Nice work!

[Jay Sheinfield]

I agree, Jay, really beautiful comp and treatment! Like the soft light, and texture really adds nicely to mood. I might be tempted to take out a bit of the green in the white of tail area, but that would be it. What a great looking bird and base image as well. Nice work!

Brendan, nice catch on the green tint.........will do.

[Mitch Carucci]

Beautiful bird, and your processing give this pic the feel that it was shot in a soft spring rain.

[Indranil Sircar]

Wonderful composition, Jay. Love everything about it... the stump/perch, pose, bg texture and the light all add to the composition. Excellent processing!

[John Ippolito]

Stunning image, Jay. Pose, details, stump, and BG - all perfect for me. Wow!

[Nancy Bell]

I agree with all of the above, this is beautiful! However it is a Tree Swallow and not a Purple Martin. Purple Martins have dark bellies and Tree Swallows have this lovely white belly.

[Jay Sheinfield]

I agree with all of the above, this is beautiful! However it is a Tree Swallow and not a Purple Martin. Purple Martins have dark bellies and Tree Swallows have this lovely white belly.

I'm embarrassed! A tree swallow it is...........thank you for the correction.

[John Storjohann]

Don't be too embarrassed about the ID, Jay...it's not NEARLY as bad as me identify an iris as a tulip a while back! This is a really strong photograph; nice pose, nice composition, wonderful detail retain in the processing, great application of a texture, and I love the textures and colors retained in the post and the lichen/moss growing on it. It's the little details that set an image apart.

[Grady Weed]

Those darn Purple Martins! Posing as Tree Swallows, they should be outlawed! ROF, LOL. Still a nice image. Well executed....

[Jay Sheinfield]

Wanted to thank everyone for the kind words and feedback!

[denise ippolito]

Jay, Great job with this one.. The background and pose make this special.

[Kerry Perkins]

Super image Jay. The background is simply dreamy and colors and detail on the little swallow are excellent. I would probably just take the sponge tool and desaturate that area under the tail.

I just got some shots of tree swallows this past weekend, so I was not fooled! Not to worry, I've gotten IDs mixed up too. Once in ETL I called a grebe a duck...