Marsh Wren

Image Critiques Avian Critiques
1

Changed my mind and decided Sacramento NWR is Northern California. Maybe one of the Californios will elucidate the boundary.

I actually managed to get a couple of shots of this guy completely in the open, but when I was looking through the images, I found myself coming back to this one as it still shows the bird clearly but I think conveys the way you will usually see it much better.

-20200206-_7D20236-Sacramento NWR-Edit
-20200206-_7D20236-Sacramento NWR-Edit1600×1149 619 KB

What technical feedback would you like if any?

The area to the left of the left-most in-focus reed was solid black, to I painted some stuff over it to relive that solid boundary a bit. Hopefully it’s not too obvious.

What artistic feedback would you like if any?

With that perky tail, the bird ended up being rather centered vertically. Does it still work?

Pertinent technical details or techniques:

7DII, Sigma 150-600 C @ 600 mm, beanbag on car window, f/8, 1/1600, iso 640, manual exposure. Processed in LR & PS CC. See note above on altered background. Other than that, just minor brightness and tint adjustments. Topaz Detail to bring out plumage detail. Cropped to 4488x3222 before resizing. Taken at 9:08 am on February 6th under sunny skies.

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2

At first glance I found it a bit messy, but looking longer I really like it - of course because of the peeping eye :wink: … Well seen ! Only problem that I often encounter with reeds is their harsh reflection, so if it were mine I would try and see if I could one down the highlights on the reeds a bit. But other than that a fine one, Dennis ! Cheers, Hans

3

Thanks for the input @Hans_Overduin. I’ve posted a version with the background subdued and the wren brightened. Do you like this better, or did I go too far?

-20200206-_7D20236-Sacramento NWR-Edit-Edit
-20200206-_7D20236-Sacramento NWR-Edit-Edit1600×1149 669 KB

4

No, Dennis, not too far as far as I’m concerned, I definitely would prefer this one :slight_smile: !

5

I can see why you like this shot, Dennis. That eye peaking between the reeds is what makes this shot for me. I also like the different shades of brown in the bird and his environment. Must not have been easy to see.

6

This would work well in the current weekly challenge. I also like the eye peering through the two reeds. Excellent color although I do agree the highlights could be toned down a bit.Saw three or four of these yesterday at our local refuge but I could never get one in a position where I could snap the shutter. I waited a long time and finally gave up.

7

This is a very nice habit shot. Slightly prefer the second version. Agree with Shirley that the eye peeking through the reeds makes this shot.