They had to wait till the light was harsh to give me a chance at this, but I’ll settle for it. It did allow me a high SS. I’m not wild about the squarish crop but the feeder pole holding the branch was cropped out on the left. I now have thought of a better way to mount it, farther out – maybe time to try it tomorrow. It comes close to needing a building permit…
Specific Feedback Requested
All comments welcome!
Technical Details
Canon R5, 100-500 + 1.4X, f/14, ISO 1600, 1/1600 sec. Shadows and Highlights tamed in LR and again in PS. A slight bit of canvas added top and bottom.
Diane, you are knocking it out of the park with these shots. A true home run. The pose, the behavior, are sensational. Nice soft background too. I don’t mind the square crop at all. Well done!
Fun shot. Feeding the young birds is always a great subject. Excellent detail, color and exposure. Good job on the processing in harsh environment. You are currently getting a lot of mileage on that perch setup. I am impressed with the diversity of species it attracts.
We have been watching five baby flycatchers leave their nest over the last few days and I can’t imagine how hard it would be to get a good photo of them interacting with one of their parents. Watching all their interactions makes me appreciate this even more. Even with the harsh light, the pose, interaction, and processing all come together quite nicely. I also think the squarish crop works just fine. Well done!
Thanks @David_Bostock, @David_Schoen and @Sarah_Marino! We have a pretty limited number of species that come to the feeders – Acorn Woodpeckers, Orioles, Starlings (YUK!), House Finches, Oak Titmice, the occasional Nuthatch, Black-Headed Grosbeak and Scrub Jay, Dark-Eyed Juncos, Golden-crowned Sparrows and Mourning Doves on the ground… Bluebirds will come to the bath but they spook so easily. That’s about it. There was a Nuttall’s Woodpecker pair in the early spring but I haven’t seen them for a while. There is an occasional Phoebe (Black and Say’s) hunting in the grass. We used to have Lesser Goldfinches but I’ve only seen a few in the last two years. A Great Blue Heron sometimes hunts in the clear grassy areas – I think it lives at a pond about a mile away. The Flicker that was roosting under our covered deck has moved away. Turkeys wander through every so often, but not reliably. Last year we had a lot of Pine Siskins but I haven’t seen one this year. There are species I see in town, 6 miles away, that I never see out here. A friend has Chickadees – I’m so jealous!!
Lovely, Diane. The harsh light isn’t at all apparent. The crop does feel a bit unbalanced. You might try taking a bit off the right and maybe adding a touch on top.
A terrific behavioral photograph. That perch is worth it’s weight in gold. So much fun capturing wildlife in moments like this. Well done all the way around.
Just super, what more can I say that hasn’t already been said? You’ve got everything dialed in. Now you just need a thermos! Oh and I don’t think the light is harsh either. Sure, it’s direct, but it hasn’t resulted in a mess of a shot with blocked up shadows and blown highlights. I think the slight shadows add some depth and dimension to the birds that’s quite pleasing.
