Red Crossbill

Gallery: AvianPosted April 27, 201662 views9 comments

This was taken yesterday in my garden. The crossbills were enjoying my pond and eating some seed scattered on the ground. I am surprised they are still here and they weren't getting the seeds from the spruce tree.

I am very far behind, perhaps I will catch up by July.

This was taken with a Nikon D810 camera, a Nikon 300 2.8 lens, a 1.4 teleconverter. F 4.5, 1/1600, ISO 500. Wish I had had better light and more depth of field. But apparently my mind doesn't work quick enough. The bird arrived suddenly on this perch and I just started shooting.

Thanks for looking and critiques appreciated.

May

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on April 27, 2016 at 4:35 PM

Hi May. The light looks fine to me. DOF does look like an issue in the larger image. I (and I suspect most of us) struggle with the same problem of remembering to adjust settings before we pull the trigger. I'm trying to at least pause after the first few shots (if the bird is that cooperative) and make adjustments, but I still look at sessions I've had with a cooperative bird where every image is ruined because I forgot to adjust something.

devil

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Keith Bauer on April 27, 2016 at 8:59 PM

Looks pretty good May. Yes a little more depth of field would have been nice, but you still captured the head and that crossbill crisply.

Registered on November 20, 2003, 458 Posts, 4836 Comments

Comment posted by Sandra M. Apel on April 27, 2016 at 10:23 PM

I agree with your own and the others' comments regarding DOF but I think the lighting is good. I find the BG color very pleasing and complementary.

Registered on October 15, 2013, 20 Posts, 171 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Jones on April 27, 2016 at 10:25 PM

This one is a real beauty, May. I think the soft light works well to show the subtle differences in the colors. As for DOF, accurate focus is more important, and you certainly nailed it. Portrait photographers would love a shot like this; they shoot at large apertures to get the ears out of focus. As for quick change of your settings, better this than shooting at 1/250 sec. when it's flying. :-)

Registered on April 18, 2007, 953 Posts, 6435 Comments

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on April 28, 2016 at 10:32 AM

A lovely shot of a species that's usually up in the treetops. You made excellent use of the opportunity the bird gave you. Sure a little more depth of field might have helped, but you nailed the eye as focus point and that's the critical bit. Well done.

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on April 28, 2016 at 10:58 PM

Very nice clean image May. Smallest of nits is I wish for a tad more DOF for the feet, but that is minor. Good work!

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Watkins on April 29, 2016 at 4:15 AM

May,
The necessary areas are all in focus!
This is a great beauty with a great pose. devil

Registered on December 15, 2010, 1537 Posts, 4877 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Thompson on April 29, 2016 at 9:43 AM

Really nice colorful shot May. The feather detail is very sharp and a sweet background too.

Registered on August 7, 2014, 125 Posts, 2319 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on April 30, 2016 at 6:36 AM

A wonderful portrait you captured of this handsome young male, I really like the patches of color the younger birds of this species display.

A Beauty May!!!

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments