# Drinking Tom

**URL:** <https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/drinking-tom/42399>\
**Category:** Image Critiques\
**Tags:** birds\
**Created:** [July 23, 2024, 4:50pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/drinking-tom/42399 "2024-07-23T16:50:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dave\_Douglass](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/dave_douglass/32/5332_2.png) [@Dave\_Douglass](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Dave_Douglass)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 4:50pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/drinking-tom/42399/1 "2024-07-23T16:50:08Z")

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![TOM.jpg](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/0/3/0377dd1032bfc1dc4dfb81462c2fa154aaad4d6c.jpeg)

> **Critique Style Requested:** _Standard_
> 
> The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

### Description

I captured this tom turkey drinking at our birdbath side lit by the sunset recently. No water drips, no birdbaths showing, just an openmouthed turkey pose.

### Specific Feedback

Cropping? BG sufficiently blurred?

### Technical Details

Z9, 180-600 lens, Nikon 1.4 TC, monopod, 13200th, f 9.0, 840mm, ISO 16000, cropped to 4534 x 5169.

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### Critique Template

Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.

- Vision and Purpose:
- Conceptual:
- Emotional Impact and Mood:
- Composition:
- Balance and Visual Weight:
- Depth and Dimension:
- Color:
- Lighting:
- Processing:
- Technical:

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**Author:** ![Allen\_Sparks](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/allen_sparks/32/63507_2.png) [@Allen\_Sparks](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Allen_Sparks)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 12:39am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/drinking-tom/42399/3 "2024-07-24T00:39:28Z")

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Hi Dave, nice seeing the eye like this and that little nubby thing on top of the head. Crop looks good to me. BG looks okay to me. I see what Sandy is saying about burning down the highlights even though I think the ones on the lower neck are so far gone they’d just turn gray. Nice catch.

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**Author:** ![Dennis\_Plank](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/dennis_plank/32/27033_2.png) [@Dennis\_Plank](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Dennis_Plank)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 2:08am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/drinking-tom/42399/4 "2024-07-24T02:08:28Z")

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Cool light through the eye of the turkey, Dave. In this case the highlights on the breast don’t bother me as they look like natural sheen and you expect that to reflect the sun.

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**Author:** ![Peter\_Morrissey](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/peter_morrissey/32/683_2.png) [@Peter\_Morrissey](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Peter_Morrissey)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 3:01pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/drinking-tom/42399/5 "2024-07-24T15:01:05Z")

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Hi Dave  
I like the framing, highlighting the open bill and eye contact. The highlights don’t bother me, but as Sandy said you could look at reducing the lower neck some.  
Peter