From a local grassland preserve last week. I had been searching for Grasshopper Sparrows, but this guy posed too nicely to pass up. I didn't see the mating beetles until I had this on the large screen.
D7000, 500f4 + 1.4, ISO 1250, 1/1250s @ f/6.3, tripod
Nice close-up. I agree a little over-sharpened - particularly the breast and flank areas. Also a bit of a low angle. Good catchlight, head angle, background. I like the inclusion of the bush. But I also wonder about a slightly looser crop, with the bird more to the left, and more of the bottom leaves showing.
Thanks for the comments, folks. I agree that the IQ isn't perfect; I see some "crunchiness" in the areas you mention. I'll go back and look at the sharpening; but what may look like oversharpening might also be due to a bit of noise from the 1250 ISO. I would normally have put the bird further to the left, but wanted to leave the full leaves with the bugs. Leaving more in the lower left would have introduced more OOF foliage in that area (blocked by some foreground foliage).
Cool pose, as if the sparrow is trying hard to avoid making eye-contact with those busy beetles!! I like the BG, and the perch looks good for one with so many leaves. The leaves and beetles have a neat sort of colored pencil look to them...
This is really nice Bill. I like the BG and the perch is great and I love the bugs.
I would like to see a bit more room up top, say ~ 5% because the sparrow is gazing upward.
Understand why you couldn't include the LLC leaves in full.
I don't find the bird over sharpened personally.
Well done,
Gail
Hi Bill, lovely pose with the open beak, and I like how the sparrow is against the smooth BG. The sharpening looks fine to me. The bugs do add that something extra, and I would saturate them a touch more - it will make them pop even more.
Savannah Sparrow singing
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