I happened upon this cutie early one morning at Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge in Washington. This was when I had a long lens and was trying my hand at avian photography. I’ve subsequently realized it’s not my forte. Anyway, here’s a fun shot.
Repost: I had to go back to the original Raw file to pull down the highlights and retrieve the detail. I processed it in Capture One. The original was in Adobe…Hope this looks better:
Hi David
I wouldn’t give up on birds just yet. This photo has good framing with a nice low angle, the detail and color are very pleasant and the only thing to work on is the clipping on the head and neck.
Peter
Hi David, really nice light and I like the “over the shoulder” glance you caught. Cute image. I noticed the hot spot on the neck also but it really doesn’t detract much for me. Critical focus seems to be on the back of the bird rather than the head. A pleasing image.
@David_Schoen, @Peter_Morrissey, @Allen_Sparks, thanks for the great comments. I posted a new process up above. I went back to the original Raw file to pull back the highlights. Allen I also added a bit more sharpening to the head/eye area.
What a great capture. The pose has a bit of regal about it that is at odds with its fluffy plumage. I like it for that unusual quality. The re-post with the reduced highlights is a nice improvement. I’m not sure about the added grass below the belly - it seems you cloned it out for the first shot maybe? Also the white balance is changed and I find it a bit too green. That should be easy to fix if you’re so inclined. What a cute shot though.
