The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
I was fortunate to be on a walking bridge in a local wetlands and near to this tree when the Chickadee landed on the cone and began digging for a seed.
Specific Feedback
Any comments appreciated.
Technical Details
Nikon Z 8, 800 mm, 1/3200 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 500.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Excellent catch of this action, David. I’ve gotten them on fir cones many times, but never pulling out a seed. A fine pair of behavioral images. The sky is looking a little intensely blue to my eye. I think you could afford to bring the exposure up just a bit more without blowing out the whites on the cheek and that would take care of it.
Wonderful in all regards!! I can smell the fir tree! I didn’t notice the sky until @Dennis_Plank mentioned it, but his idea could work well. Or just the tiniest lowering of blue saturation.
@Dennis_Plank thanks for the comments and suggestions. I have posted updates above with lighter sky. Let me know if that looks any better.
@Sandy_Richards-Brown, thank you for your comments too. I tried your crop but the bird wound up too close to the right edge for my tastes. I suppose I could clone out the cone at the edge. I’ll look into that.
@Diane_Miller thanks for your comments too. I posted an update above.
David, this is a good example of where the shape and texture of subject and perch really dominate the frame. It’s graphically strong, from the leftward green needles to the bristly cone to the chickadee… so I’d love to see a tighter crop to emphasize that combination. I feel cropping out the right cone, the top brown crumbs, and a bit of the empty blue on the left and bottom—really just tightening the whole composition a bit—will brush away the distracting elements and really highlight this fantastic pose you captured.
