I posted this about four years ago, but reworked it based in part from a critique and from changes that appealed to me.
Canon 7D; 100-400 at 340mm; 1/80 at f7.1; ISO 400; flash with Better Beamer.
Very nice shot, Allen. I love his perch, and how it curves perfectly in the image. The bird’s stance on it. The details and color in the bird are spot on. When I go to the large image, I am seeing some noise in the background. I have been enjoying Topaz AI Clear for noise removal, but there is many other options. Certainly an excellent shot though.
Really good job on the use of the fill flash. The pose, light, and perch are quite nice. I have also been using Topaz AI Clear and would recommend you at least apply to this image to see if you can bring out more detail in the white plumage. I’m also seeing a little bit of a blue cast in some areas of the black plumage. I typically will either increase the black, decrease the blue saturation or use the sponge tool to decrease saturation locally. Black plumage is very difficult because of reflections, iridescence and other factors. It is always a challenge for me to get pure blacks.
I’m not sure what it looked like four years ago, Allen, but I like it now. A very nice pose and perch with excellent detail in the bird. If I had to come up with a nit, it’s that the bird and perch feel a little pasted into the background, like there’s a bit to abrupt of an edge around them. A good share of that could be because of the flash. Still a very nice image.
Thanks for commenting, @David_Schoen. Your comments sent me to my guide books. I learned this is a female (red crown does not touch the white forehead, as in the male) and the picture of the female in the Stokes Field Guide looks like this with the bluish/black back. Their photo of the male shows a more solid looking black back.
Hi Allen,
Nice pose, perch, and background. Details and exposure look good to my eyes. I agree about running noise reduction on the background.
I like the diagonal perch and pose that you caught. Excellent detail in the blacks, less so in the reds and whites on the head. Nice image.
