Taken at a semi-local NWR Saturday. This bird was posed in the cattails very near the road just as the morning sun finally came through. With the cattails swaying in the breeze this was one of two frames where the shadows cooperated.
Specific Feedback Requested
Anything. Does this simplified composition work?
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Sony A1, FE 200-600 + 1.4 TC @ 840 mm, hand held, f/9, 1/3200, iso 4000 (hadn’t changed it from the dark woods I’d just left), manual exposure. Processed in LR & PS CC. I eliminated some of the out of focus background reeds and a very faint out of focus foreground reed that arced horizontally and was a major distraction.
Superb framing by the environment. The detail on the darker plumage mirrors the texture of the cattail quite well. I have mixed feelings about the shadows on the bird but there’s nothing you could do about that. A really fine background doing a good job to set off the color on the song sparrow.
Yes, a very nice capture with great colors! The shadow is not what we would all hope for but at least it is obvious where it came from. I wonder if you have tried any contrast reduction techniques?
@Diane_Miller No contrast reduction on this one. I thought about it, but I liked the way the shadows worked on the bird so I decided to leave it alone.
Hi Dennis
I like the framing with the Song Sparrow sitting on top of a cattail. The Sparrow has very good detail, with a nice light kick off the eye. The overall coloring works well. I brought the shot into DXO and removed the left hand cattail and lighten the shadow some. Hope you didn’t mind.
Peter
