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Winter Cardinal
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Winter Cardinal

by Brian Murphy

Gallery: Weekly ChallengePosted February 19, 2018153 views5 comments
This  was one of 14 cardinals in my trees this winter. She was sitting on the branch just as the sun was going down giving a warm cast. This is not as sharp as I would like due to be taken through a glass window. I just like the cardinal with the snow, it has a bit of a holiday feel.
Canon T5i  Canon 70-300L @ 221mm
ISO 800, F 16 shutter 1/50. I used the lower sash of the window as a tripod to steady the camera at the slow shutter speed.

I have a lot to learn so comments are more than welcome.

Thank you for looking.

Brian
 

Comments

5 comments
Comment posted by Dennis Plank on February 19, 2018 at 10:17 PM
It looks very sharp to me, Brian.  Nice pose and placement of the cardinal in the frame.  I also like the nice diagonal snow line on the main branch.  The f/16 really gave you nice dof and good focus all the way from the bird to the front of the frame.  Well done.
Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments
Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on February 19, 2018 at 11:26 PM
I struggle with windows, too, because winter. But this is very nice. Effective use of aperture, too.
Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments
Comment posted by Gary Minish on February 20, 2018 at 2:30 AM
Looks cold despite the warm light.  The fluffed up Cardinal tells the story. I like the placement of the bird in the frame and the diagonal bar of snow plus their is good detail in the feathers (especially in the large version).
Registered on February 4, 2006, 625 Posts, 3583 Comments
Comment posted by Mark Seaver on February 20, 2018 at 3:51 AM
A lovely, warm look at this female cardinal, Brian.  The larger version looks nicely sharp to me, but yes the extra layer(s) of glass can create problems, especially if they're dirty.  I like her position and all of the surroundings.
Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments
Comment posted by David Schoen on February 20, 2018 at 4:57 PM
Good job with the levels of focus and the exposure.  Detail is really good for shooting through the window. (Not only are dirty windows a problem as Mark points out, but the angle that you shoot through the glass can also make a difference, especially double pane or more windows.)  Good job with the composition.


 
Registered on November 6, 2006, 1213 Posts, 4587 Comments