Northern Mockingbird

Gallery: AvianPosted November 30, 201553 views4 comments

This bird was my welcome to Goose Island State Park in Texas this past February and I had them with me all through Texas, but for some reason I haven't posted one before this. I processed a few of them this past weekend, and I'll probably post one or two more.

I had some severely oof foreground here that obscured everything, including the bird, and gave this a very high-key and soft look in the original. I brought the black point up a bit with a levels adjustment on the bird until it looked natural to my eye, but left the rest of the image alone.

5D3, 300mm f4 ISL + 1.4TC, hand held, f/8, 1/100, iso 500, aperture priority, pattern metering, +2/3 stop exposure compensation (I think left over from shooting vultures against the sky). Processed in LR5 & CS6. Full frame. Taken on February 18th at 5:18 pm.

I appreciate all the comments on the Cactus Wren post, and look forward to your input on this image.

Thanks,

Comments

4 comments

Comment posted by Gary Minish on November 30, 2015 at 1:36 PM

Great detail on the bird, a perfect expposure, a classic composition + pose and a gorgeous, soft, pastel background that compliments the colors of the bird. It all makes for a wonderful Mockingbird portrait, Dennis! devil

Registered on February 4, 2006, 625 Posts, 3583 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Kaluski on November 30, 2015 at 2:12 PM

Hi Dennis, I like the BKG as it emphasises the subject more, but the setting looks natural which is nice, not manufactured. You should push that ISO, 5D can handle it no problem, 1/100 is really too slow HH IMHO. At this size how sharp it's hard too say, but actual size????? Try pushing things, you have nothing to loose and everything to gain. enlightened

TFS
Steve

Registered on March 25, 2007, 189 Posts, 1064 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on November 30, 2015 at 2:53 PM

Steady hands and good processing. Good work! I like the gray on gray monochromatic relationship with the touch of yellow. cool

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by May Haga on December 2, 2015 at 5:54 PM

Lovely color palette in this one Dennis. Nicely done.
May

Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments