Cardinal "Cram" Portrait
by Wayne Jones
Lots of Cardinals in the WC! I was hoping to find something other than a Cardinal when I went out yesterday to enjoy the first snow in weeks, but it was so dark out that my cardinal shots from a tripod were the only usable ones I got.
In the Flora Gallery, they call images shot through OOF foreground "crams" so I think this is a bird cram. :-)
Portraits are often shot with very shallow depth of field, and other techniques to soften parts of the image. (Before Photoshop, we used to shoot through gauze, diffusion filters, and even smear Vaseline on glass filters.) So I thought this image shot in extremely dim conditions (1/30 sec at ISO 5000) through a screen of snowy branches and hemlock needles, would qualify as a winter portrait. I am a bit surprised that the bird is as visible as it is, because the only part not obscured by vegetation or snow was his head.
Canon 5D Mark III, Sigma 150-600 C @ 600 mm.
1/30 sec. @ f/6.3; ISO 5000;
OS engaged on tripod, with Acratech GP Ballhead in gimbal mode
Cropped to 45% of full frame.
Minor adjustments in ACR; then light touches of Shake Reduction in PS, plus selective use of Topaz DeNoise
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