Morning Jon, I do like the content & framing, the Great Tit IMHO gave you a nice head turn too.
I know light isn't on our side currently, but I do find it a bit
'sooty' and I'm not referring to Contrast, more that they image has a slight masking to my eye, concealing the colours. Now I know you like to
'fiddle' as you put it in our conversations, however, I do think you are perhaps missing something, but without knowing the WF on this it's hard to say, albeit I might have on negative on one slider? Now I see you have paid attention to the legs in terms of values, but to me the yellow is carrying a red 'hue'
(and not not related to the slider) and also please don't say you made a grab for the Vibrancy slider...
I think you had a bit more to the right on that Histogram.
The DoF looks bang on, but agree that as this is a set-up the end of the perch is not great, as any set-up in it's own words should be perfect, with no distracting elements, the ideal perch, distance and DoF.
I just wonder Jon, a hint of opening up the shadows a fraction, using an Channel Curve, lightening the image
(NOT via exposure) and addressing the yellows may help? Just some thoughts if you are bolstering the folder for the RPS dinosaurs.
Hope you have more success today.
TFS
Steve