Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Another species that doesn’t stay in one place for long and is often hidden in the branches, so I was lucky to get this one in the open and posing for a few seconds.
The light is a bit harsh, I know. I do like the feeling of the setting
Canon R5; 100-500 at 500 mm; 1/1000 at f7.1, -2/3 EV; ISO 500
Superb detail, Allen and a nice pose. These definitely don’t hold still for long so this is a good catch. I think you did a good job taming the light, though the plumage looks a bit over saturated from my memory of these birds, but maybe you caught some really flattering light.
What a cute little thing. Whenever I hear or see this species’ name I think of the beginning of Wallace Stegner’s novel The Spectator Bird where the main character talks about the birds in his yard. I’ve never lived in a place that these guys called home so it’s nice to see one. What interesting eyes they have - so golden. Do they have a distinctive song?
Ok so that didn’t provide a lot of insight did it? I like the pose and the cedar tree boughs are a nice frame. Light looks a tiny bit bright in the breast, but the detail is really nice. Reminds me of a wren crossed with a junco. Oh, with a little bit of Mockingbird thrown in!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a “whole” one before – that is, not behind a bunch of branches, and only for about half a second, so extra points for the capture! I do wonder if it’s possible to lower the contrast and have it look natural. Would have to be in the raw stage as much as possible. I’m wondering what you did, both there and in PS.
I’m pretty bad with bird sounds, but there is something distinctive about their sound, but only, I think, because they generally travel in flocks and you hear a lot of sound from the flock. They do have interesting eyes; reminds me of the “angry birds” game.
Hi @Kris_Smith I’m not sure about the song, but the have a very cool pendant nest maybe 4 inches in diameter at most and around a foot long with a hole near the top. They’ll manage to raise 10-12 young in it! Where I used to work there was an Atrium/walkway with planters on the sides and a few small trees in them. A couple of bushtits set up housekeeping in one about 3 feet from an ATM and raised their young successfully. Once they fledged it was cool walking out with them all over the place.
@Allen_Brooks Sorry for the digression!
Hi Diane, The sun was shining fairly low and right at the bird. I did decrease the highlights in LR and warmed it up a bit in PS. Compared to my raw edit, I like this version better, though agree it’s not as natural as the image (female, Pacific bushtit) in my Merlin APP-too rufous in the crown and flanks.
@Allen_Brooks I’ve noticed that this species has a kind of gray plumage that looks vastly different in different lighting, so you probably recorded the color accurately.
When I have a subject in full sun I can sometimes soften it up a bit by pulling both shadows and highlights respectively full down and up, then adding a touch of Clarity if the mids get too flat. Tweaking WB can sometimes soften contrast a bit more.
Hi Allen, I’ve never seen this species so can’t comment on the realism. I do like the framing and details on the bird. That look is pretty intense too. Nice catch.
Hi Allen, excellent job on the details of this small bird. You are right that the light is quite harsh, not much to be done I fear. Other than that, a fine image ! Cheers, Hans
Great capture! Just to add one other thought for you…bush tits are so small, I wonder if you could pull back from the crop a bit and show more background…you have the detail I think that the bird would still pop out, and it might tell the story about how tiny bushtits are. Again this is a wonderful photo as is!
